Iberian Odyssey: Sergi Arola Reinvents Spanish Gastronomy

"El Greco's art became more and more the art of joy and security and ease--the joy, security and ease of a craftsman, master of finally all his means."

--Leo Bronstein

 

Sergi Arola, like the Spanish master El Greco before him, has found his freedom of artistic expression by coming to terms with his inner vision of ideal simplicity of presentation and mastery of ingredients.

"In opening Gastro I have been able to explore my concept of tapas and to define more clearly what I want my guests to enjoy in the new frontier of Spanish cuisine," said Arola, who had worked at the great restaurant La Broche for 10 years, while also creating the menus for Business Class service  for Iberia.

The brave new world of Arola's tapas includes items like anchovies in a cornet (a tiny cone) served with bread and tomato. You will never forget the experience of what seems like a tiny anchovy ice cream cone, but with a burst of fresh flavor and sublime texture. Before you have much time to recover from this sensory experience, a beautiful plate arrives with beetroot sashimi, served as if it was ahi tuna, but in truth composed of only the freshest local beets and served with avocado ice cream (in place of the wasabi).

And yet the traditional Spanish cuisine is later represented in Arola's nightly menu with a delicious plate of red mullet, served with beans and peas, black sausage and Iberian ham. "I want to be completely honest in my cooking," said Arola, "and that means respecting the ingredients but being creative with the preparation and presentation."

Over a bright-white-cloth-covered table in the back of the kitchen at Gastro in Madrid, Natural Traveler's roving reporter asked Arola to share his wisdom on cooking for Iberia Business Class passengers, his new business plans, and his love of rock n' roll. 

 

Natural Traveler: How can you translate your cooking style in Spain to the flying kitchens of Business Class service at Iberia? That must be a challenge.

SERGI AROLA: "This project with Iberia started in 2005 and the goal has been to present the most traditional elements of Spanish cuisine so the passenger feels as if he or she is actually dining in Spain. The attitude of my staff at Iberia is incredible. I have thousands of people looking at my face on the menu and so I am responsible for making sure the product is excellent. And so I will travel on Iberia every month to a different location to work with the staff to ensure the absolute authenticity of the cuisine. I'm happy to say that this partnership is working beautifully."   

NT: You changed restaurants recently and opened Gastro in Madrid. What was your motivation to make this major step at this time?

AROLA: "Life has many different steps to climb. After 10 years of working in La Broche I needed to make a change. I needed to make a more personal statement about my food. I was working with my wife for the past 10 years in La Broche and after that much time you have a very clear concept of the service, the food and what it takes to make a great restaurant. We wanted to have more control over all these different aspects of the business, and that meant starting our own restaurant. When you are working as the chef in a high-end level of gastronomy the business becomes very personal.  I wanted the freedom to make certain decisions, to be able to change the floor, or change the menu, the plates or the glasses. We have a very successful restaurant in Barcelona and another one that's 20 kilometers outside of Lisbon, Portugal, that has done very well. I'm proud of those restaurants, but this one here in Madrid is very special because it reflects my personality and philosophy about food and décor and design.  This is my vision and my ultimate expression of my artistry."