Day 3 (del Norte): San Sebastian 1

A rest day, if you will, as far as the walk on the Camino goes. Or it's the first day dedicated to San Sebastian, but it feels like we've been here a while. Anyway, the main agenda item for today is lunch at the second major stop on the culinary part of our pilgrimage. This is a place almost as controversial as it is famous. Mugaritz has rapidly ascended the ladder of global culinary fame in recent years, and I was not going to pass up the opportunity to experience what the fuss is all about, when the place is only a 15 minute drive from where we are staying. People seem to either love or hate the cutting-edge offerings at Mugaritz, so today we will find out ourselves.

Again we get a ride from Pilar, who certainly has her own expertise in the local restaurant scene and is excited to drop us off here. As we enter, we notice an old oak tree, which partly gave rise to the restaurant's name, as well the adjoining vegetable and flower garden which provides fresh supplies. The interior is much more modern and spacious than Arzak. After a friendly tour of the kitchen, the parade of the striking and unusual starts. For example, the lamb tongue is followed by the pig tail. 

I can see why on on-line review sites, neutrals call this cuisine "experimental" while detractors who give one out of five stars, cry out "inedible." But c'mon, not everyone's going to love every one of 23 items or so, and indeed the dish based on sea anemone does not agree with me (who knew, especially the fans of "Finding Nemo," could have guessed it would show up on the table?) But it should be undisputed that the preparation, the presentation and the flavor of all the items are of the highest quality. Add a huge score for the creativeness and you have a clear winner here. I don't mean to be hyperbolic but would go so far as this is the single most memorable meal of my (not so short) life.

Mugaritz: a chef writes down today's available ingredients, while we are being served fermented rice in the kitchen.

Mugaritz: the only decoration on the table (far side), two broken pieces of a plate, seems to signify the theme of breaking with the old, setting the tone for things to come. This early course is eggplant filled with mole on top of garlic-laden breadcrumbs.

Mugaritz: yam empanada with butter

Mugaritz: a (non-cheese containing) fake blue cheese made with the same mold (brown spots) that is a major ingredient of Roquefort. By now it's clear things may not be what they seem.

Mugaritz: this "grilled squid" is nothing but. It's actually a genuine mochi.

Mugaritz: just when you think they have totally abandoned tradition, here is txuleta, a beloved local aged meat dish, which one might say is the Basque answer to Kobe beef.

Mugaritz: the cheese course comes wrapped in English translation of the story behind the supplier.

Mugaritz: the first of the refreshing and highly inventive desserts - frozen yogurt with blackberry and flowers. 

Mugaritz: a new take on Neapolitan ice cream with chocolate, cream and saffron layers. Not sweet at all but totally satisfying to someone with a sweet tooth like me.

Mugaritz: to top it off, we are served "seven cardinal sins," the details of which are skipped here.

After the meal, we spend time chatting with a young lady from the Philippines collecting ingredients from the garden. She is one of the 30 interns who come here from all over the world for a nine-month stint and will earn an important line on their resume.

Mugaritz: strolling through their vegetable and flower garden. The marigold (left) is used in the frozen yogurt dish above.

Mugaritz: the allium flower used in the txuleta dish above.

We normally have a brisk pace when eating a multi-course meal but even without a long delay between courses today, it still took nearly four and a half hours, certain the longest meal we have ever had. Part of the time was spent on conversing with the knowledgeable servers about many of the items. 

But it still leaves time to explore downtown San Sebastian, which after all we have not seen except the few pintxos bars! Our original plan was to check out the famous sculpture by Chillida by the water but right after we get off the taxi on the main beach it starts to pour. so we forego the 1.5km walk to the western end of La Concha and instead walk around the eastern end of the beach including the old town. This certainly has been a memorable day which did't get started until noon!

San Sebastian: La Concha beach is lined with the emblematic white wrought-iron

San Sebastian: seasonal nude bathers are gone and only surfers thrive.

San Sebastian: Alderdi-Eder Park with tamarind (or more accurately, tamarisk) trees. This row of apartments are supposedly the third most expensive real estate in Spain after Madrid's Calle Serrano and Barcelona's Paseo de Gracia.

San Sebastian: Mt. Igeldo on the west side is where we are heading tomorrow.

San Sebastian: Belle Epoch buildings in the Old Town

San Sebastian: back in the pintxos area but we can't possibly eat anymore after the long lunch at Mugaritz.

San Sebastian: Bridge of Maria Cristina

San Sebastian: across Urumea River sits the Kursaal, the main site for the annual Film Festival. (You can see it's the 63rd.) We will be there for the opening night tomorrow. French-style buildings are lining the river.

San Sebastian: the intern at the Mugaritz vegetable garden told us they just finished a documentary which will be shown at the film festival, and here it is (left). Hope we can catch it. The workers are still putting a finishing touch (right).

San Sebastian: time to catch the bus back to our airbnb after a day as satisfying to us as this grandfather probably. The bus stop is right here at Plaza de Gipuzkoa.