Mirazur

Mauro Colagreco is a fascinating character that makes fantasy a crucial passion in his life. Ideas run, gallop, careen through his mind. Myriad nuances are brilliantly expressed in each dish. Nothing is common, nothing is known and nothing is predictable. His torrential level of inspiration has turned him into quite a surprising chef. Each construction aspires to astonish, quite frequently accomplishing that goal. To astonish has become a standard, a leitmotif in his work. He has idealized imagination. He boldly plays with the arrangement of elements, flavors, textures, aromas and colors. An author who works his art with humility and a very liberal method. He daringly approaches everything in his cuisine. And, of course, with this vision, his extraordinarily original proposals leave no one indifferent. In a few words, this is one of the most talented young chefs in the world.
2008 has seen a new era arrive, one that will surely pass the test of time. He has made vegetables the axis of his work. Rural cuisine presented in an utterly natural manner. Immaculate flavors in intellectual, complex constructions. Vegetables, herbs, flowers, seaweed… an exquisite sense of all that is green. The omnipresent vegetables articulating unprecedented proposals. Organic gastronomy that delivers a sensory rainbow. Good taste, lightness, color… in a message as old as the earth and as new as the mentality conveyed by the artist.
To leave no doubt regarding the inventive capacity of Mauro: 26 remarkably personal dishes all expressed through his understated philosophy, and that in just the last year. Independently of the most interesting option, which is the “carte blanche menu”, it behooves one to try the simple, pure, expressive, attractive and very Mediterranean tomato salad swimming in its juices with peppers, assorted basil and saffron: a marvelously subtle dish. The mushroom carpaccio with quinoa, escargot eggs, arugula and yarrow mille-feuille represents a magnanimous artistic expression of nature. Another brilliant dish: the exceptional zucchini from the chef’s garden, truly delicate, just hot to highlight their natural virtues, served in an exquisite roast vegetable broth accompanied by sarsaparilla, tender walnuts and sea snails (whelk). The roast white asparagus with star anise, hazelnut cream, absinthe, strawberries and flowers is another paradisiacal voyage through the earthly garden of delight. The cod tripe, whose gelatinous texture disperses in the mouth without a shred of resistance, enjoys the accompaniment of tomato slices, an emulsion made from the same fruit and a spicy touch that brought flavor to the consistency of the fish–what cod tripe is all about. Another memorable moment with stunning natural and environmental impact: the giant San Remo prawn with zucchini, pistou, lemon sauce and yet again more flowers. The tuna sperm with lovage, beet flakes and harissa (a spicy Moroccan paste) is a provocation one cannot help but be seduced by. The pork cheeks, succulent and tender, served with Ratte mashed potatoes, scallions, white radish and arugula has that savoir-faire and magic touch that distinguishes privileged beings, and that is exactly what Colagreco is.
It is very likely, almost positive, that Mauro will open a new restaurant sometime soon. We await the consolidation of this new project before raising the ranking.