Alfonso Egea’s cuisine has reached a sweet spot. The reason is no other than he is very centered at the moment: he knows both what he wants to, and should, be doing. He takes traditional Mediterranean recipes and evolves them. He impregnates them with culture, designing and refining them, redressing them with importance, giving them personality and materializing them in a stunning manner. The guest appreciates the sensitivity and nobility that lay behind each product, the rigor with which they are worked and, almost always, the projection of an inherited culture that defines the territory and its people.
The first aperitif is a demonstration of cultural roots and brilliance: roe from almadraba tuna, mullet and ling, with mojama (salted, dried tuna), semi-salted bonito and anchovies, swimming in a translucent, gelatinized tomato broth with a heart of the same fruit, creating a savory, refreshing counterpoint derived from the acidity of the “salad”, magnificent and very much in keeping with tradition. The same happens with the majestic (we repeat, majestic) cod balls, copiously filled with fish, presented attractively tinted black with squid ink and served with a stimulating touch of aioli. More traditional was the Alicante broth, a stupendous stew. Very fashionable were the olive and sardine spheres. And so the tasting menu begins, with strong words starting with a red prawn, uncommon in size, doneness and fragrance (garlic and chilies), served over a delicious, soupy rice made with bomba rice. Also stellar was the composition of grilled baby squid and artichokes with blanched broad beans, magnified with a sauce of fish and coarsely grated saffron, irradiating delicacy and flavor. The fisherman’s rice pot, with an abundance of fish and shellfish, stands out for the immaculate nature of the broth and the subtle flavors that it projects. Delicate, clean, light qualities that are repeated over and over again: 15-minute salted pescadilla (baby hake), cooked by steaming them over vegetables and served alongside green beans, mashed potatoes and chamomile soup–a dish that could not be more pure, light and sensitive. In a more gourmand tone, the sea bass, also of the highest quality, also incredibly juicy, is presented in truffle juice thickened with cream and enriched with a mushroom potpourri, the ingredients of which changes depending on the season. Even the meat dishes aren’t out of place, with the squab of Bresse à l’orange and fresh pasta being a highlight: select and consummate.
