06-07-2018
Josean Alija, chef at Nerua, inside the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, in the Basque Country, relaxing on the terrace of his restaurant after the hectic days of the World's 50Best (photo from Instagram/JoseanAlija)
In the days before and after the World’s 50Bestevent, it seemed that there were as many as three Josean Alija. A visit to the Basque Culinary Center? Here’s the chef in the front row. Dinner for Cantine Ferrari? He’s the one in charge. Gala dinner at the Euskaduna? He’s on the stage. A relaxing (for the guests) day-after buffet on the terrace of the Guggenheim? He’s setting the rhythm of the service. Dinner after dinner at Nerua? He’s always in the kitchen and in the dining room, for the pleasure of the many colleagues who paid him a visit (most of them in the 50 Best). And when he was not to be seen, he was hidden somewhere, being interviewed, solving unexpected issues, talking to his assistant Naiara Ortiz or organising the next steps with his Italian partner, Stefania Giordano. Both women were as ubiquitous as the boss.
«Before it all began», the cook says, now relaxing after the game, «we had a plan: we wanted to welcome everyone, one by one. We felt a big responsibility. We made a gigantic effort but we’re happy because everyone was happy».
Alija between the external relations manager Naiara Ortiz and his partner and maître, Italian Stefania Orlando (photo from instagram)
With Alain Passard, one of the many chefs who visited Nerua on the occasion of the 50Best
«These two cities have a different soul», points out Alija, «San Sebastian is rather classic in its beauty and has an important fine dining scene. Bilbao is a younger city, which is enjoying a strong generational change, quickened by a strong cultural mix. Many cooks open here: today it’s easier to do, compared to a decade ago, when the money was there, but nobody wanted to spend it».
Tomates en salsa, Alija’s now super famous dish
White beans with pearl of spherified calamari, one of the neatest dishes in the tasting menu at restaurant Nerua in Bilbao (16 courses)
Whatever the outcome, Josean will continue to do his part, serving dishes with his personal style, following nature, constantly developing the invisible potential of a vegetable (as we’ve often mentioned in these pages). He’ll continue to update his travel and food column for local newspaper El Correo, to tell his opinion on Onda Ceroradio channel, to present his ideas in Singapore, Istanbul, London and all the cities where he’ll find an audience.
Fried hake with txoricero pepper
«You cannot replicate Nerua somewhere else, because our work cannot be separated from our land», but this doesn’t mean it cannot happen, because «we can apply our knowledge and our know how to different cultures. There are places like Turkey or Italy that have magnificent products. One day, I’d like to take on this challenge».
Translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso
Gabriele Zanatta’s opinion: on establishments, chefs and trends in Italy and the world
by
born in Milan, 1973, freelance journalist, coordinator of Identità Golose World restaurant guidebook since 2007, he is a contributor for several magazines and teaches History of gastronomy and Culinary global trends into universities and institutes. twitter @gabrielezanatt instagram @gabrielezanatt