Andra Mari Restaurant, Galdakao, near Bilbao

I found Andra Mari in the Red Michelin Guide and visited it last year (2007). I was positively impressed to the extent that I thought I just was lucky and everything turned out well during my visit. This year I visited Andra Mari again, wondering what the experience would be. I will try to describe it in this post.

The veranda
The veranda

The weathwer was gorgeous and I had the pleasure of eating al fresco in the veranda. Galdakao is a small town 10 km southeast of Bilbao, and is very easy to reach.

The view from the veranda is peaceful, and the air aviation enthusiasts can see all the airplanes as they approach the Bilbao airport, without suffering any noise effects, as they are still at a high altitude (I would say over 500 meters).

The view south
The view south

I had the “Andra Mari” Menu, which is the showpiece of the chef’s artistry and skill.

The start was “foie gras terrine with Pedro Jimenez Jelly”.

Foie Gras Terrine
Foie Gras Terrine

The second dish was “Sardine Fillets with roasted peppers and parmesan cheese”.

Sardine Fillets
Sardine Fillets

An apotheosis of colours followed, with the title “Grilled Summer Vegetables”.

Grilled Summer Vegetables
Grilled Summer Vegetables

The grilled lobster that followed was served with “Amaranto” risotto, which is in fact a cereal popular in South America.

Grilled Lobster
Grilled Lobster

What followed was my favourite dish a year ago. A cottage egg served with octopus. The richness of the egg combined with the octopus flavours will remain unforgettable.

Egg with grilled octopus
Egg with grilled octopus

The tuna loin that came next was a step down from the platform of excitement that the lobster and the octopus had built. I would nopt mind if it weren’t there at all.

Red Tuna Loin with Mango and Apple
Red Tuna Loin with Mango and Apple

To conclude they served a dish with Iberian pork cuts. The taste of the meat was superb, but the dish lacked the finesse and creative intensity of the previous dishes (excluding the tuna). I could live without it and have more lobster with the South American Cereal.

Iberian Pork
Iberian Pork

Deserts came next, starting with a junket with cherries.

Junket with Cherries
Junket with Cherries

To wrap things up they served a sponge cake with pears.

Sponge Cake with Peaches
Sponge Cake with Peaches

Overall, the experience was of the highest level, and in terms of value for money it tops the Basque Charts.

Andra MAri is now formly on my standard Basque Itinerary and for a very good reason. It serves excellent food at a very reasonable price!

Zuberoa Restaurant, Oiarzun, near San Sebastian, Donostia

My first visit to Zuberoa was on a Monday this summer. The drive from San Sebastian to the village is nice, and you can explore the countryside before going to he restaurant. The fresh clean air can do wonders for your appetite (if you need such a build up).

The facade of Zuberoa
The facade of Zuberoa

The Amuse bouche sequence started with “Creme de foie, and truffle, in a Pedro Jimenez sauce”. Light and tasty.

It continued with “Spider Crab, Bakalao and Potato Chips”. The intensity of the taste in the creamy substance was impressive!

Creme de foie, truffle, Pedro Jimenez
Creme de foie, truffle, Pedro Jimenez
Spider Crab, Bakalao, and Potato Chips
Spider Crab, Bakalao, and Potato Chips

The Gastronomic Menu started with “Lobster carpaccio with ginger flavour, grapefruit and soya”. Of all the dishes I tasted, this was the only one that I would consider in a state of development, or exploration. The balance of the taste was on the sweet side, and this presented a problem for me. I would have preferred it to be more subtle, with nuances of the sweet and bitter coming out of the background here and then, letting the almost liquid lobster to play the first role.

Lobster carpaccio
Lobster carpaccio

Red Shrimp from Palombs, its coral oil and salad. When I saw it for the first time, it reminded me of Gauguin! The taste was equally pleasing, the shrimp resting on ultra tender chunks of pork fat. The dish was so delicious that I had the urge to scoop up the sauce with a bit of bread. I raised my head and looked around. Almost everyone in the nearby tables was doing the same.

Red Shrimp from Palombs
Red Shrimp from Palombs

Curry flavoured sea fruits in their own juice. Another explosion of taste awaited me in this dish. The ingredients were ultra fresh, almost raw, the aroma of the sea coming through every bite.

Sea fruits
Sea fruits

Poached egg, poultry cream, truffle, celery and potato chips. I am a seafood lover, and I must confess that after the sea fruits, the egg had no chance to impress me. It tasted good, but could not provide the complex harmonies of the sea fruits.

Poached egg
Poached egg

White fresh beans with Jabugo ham aroma and sauteed squid. A divine combination, the squid providing the intese flavours, and the beans presenting the smoother side of life.

Beans and squid
Beans and squid

Red tuna fillet, basil flavoured tomato with pistachio oil and balsamico of Modena. The exquisite quality of the tuna demands a dash of cooking over fire. Excellent!

Red Tuna
Red Tuna

Roasted Lamb. I had the menu choice of a roast pigeon or suckling pig, but the Maitr D recommended the roasted lamb. I thank him for that, as it was divine. I must say that a classy lady in the nearby table used her hands to enjoy this dish. Who could blame her?

Roasted Lamb
Roasted Lamb

Plateau du fromage. Unfortunately I have not written them down, theyt are all local, brom The Basque Country and delicious.

Selection of local Cheese
Selection of local Cheese

Following my request, the kind waitress served at the end a spanish digestive, called “Abadia di Cova, Licor de Hierbas”.

Licor de Hierbas
Licor de Hierbas

All in all, I am quite impressed by “Zuberoa”. The food is excellent, the service formal but also human, the price is very reasonable, the overall value for money is top.