At Sevilla, The Claridges, visiting chef from Spain, Andreu Genestra, has put together a menu worthy of three Michelin star restaurants that he has worked with. He chats with Navneet Mendiratta
There is a lot happening at The Claridges, New Delhi. As the property extended a warm welcome to its new general manager, Atul lall (who has moved back to Delhi after successfully launching Fairmont Jaipur as its GM), their Mediterranean speciality restaurant, Sevilla, announced a Spanish food festival with visiting chef from Spain, chef Andreu Genestra.
Chef Genestra incidentally is here only for the duration of the festival which gets over on December 22. During the course of the festival, the chef is introducing the Delhi palate to finer Spanish tastes in the form of signature recipes inspired by his rich experience from his days in three Michelin starred restaurants such as El Bulli and Arzak.
“El Bulli was a dream come true for me. Those were the days of great struggle and I can still recall my initial excitement when I told my father about my joining the restaurant. It was all worth it. looking back, it is one of my most enriching experiences,” said Chef Genestra. This was a dream that he had nurtured ever since he was a teenager. “I started at the age of 15 when my father put me into the kitchen to work with stewards and manage their clothes. I was so struck by magic that the chefs around me worked that I was hooked!” he said.
So as soon as he turned 18, he headed out for Barcelona to work at a five-star property for the next four years. From Barcelona, he moved back to Majorca to work in a three-star Michelin restaurant, Arzak for the next two years. Thereafter it was Mugaritz, the fourth best restaurant of the world, before El Bulli happened. His stint at this famous restaurant lasted two years before he was back (again) to Majorca and now has his own restaurant named Andreu Genestra.
So what is it that went into creating a special menu for SevillaIJ “At Sevilla, I wanted to simply present the flavours of Spain in their best possible natural way. When I learned that I was going to work with a young team of chefs I thought of creating something that was a little difficult so that they learn something new from me. All my signature dishes have lot of spices and strong flavours. I have tried to balance the two so I can create a perfect one to suit the Indian palate,” he said. He recommends that you must try his black cod with aromatic herbs crust, cream of lentils and sautéed apple with cardamom. You would come back asking for more. His impressions of India: “People here love their food! I would say as passionately as the Spaniards. Even better, they are keen to learn more, and I love that passion.” Trust a Spaniard to understand that well.