Gaig’s inaugural 4-hands collaboration presents creative interpretations of traditional flavours by young Spanish chefs.
When two young Catalan and Basque chefs met eight years ago, a steadfast long-distance friendship was forged. Chefs Marti Carlos and Iñaki Bolumburu found commonalities in their professional zeal. They pave their own paths in experiencing, learning from, and being inspired by their age-old culinary cultures.
While they are both deeply rooted in their traditions, they also believe in expressing their stories using progressive methods with great respect for the produce – a shared aspiration to celebrate their heritage through modern-day renditions of traditional dishes.
This August, Restaurant Gaig welcomes Chef Iñaki Bolumburu for the restaurant’s very first 4-hands collaboration dinner. On 23 and 24 August 2022, Executive Chef Martí Carlos Martinez and Iñaki Bolumburu – a self-described nomadic chef – come together to present a contemporary showcase of Catalan and Basque cuisines.
The tasting menu ($200++ per person) celebrates vibrant heritage flavours through four snacks and eight plates, expressed through innovative techniques and refined presentations.
Hailing from Derio, a small town on the edge of Bilbao, Chef Iñaki grew up in a family with a deep love for gastronomy. For generations, his family members have indulged in their passion for food through cooking, as well as the cultural traditions of farming, foraging, hunting, fishing, preserving, and fermenting. Having been involved in the family’s pursuits since young, a 15-year-old Iñaki decided to enrol in culinary school and become the first professional chef in his family.
The formative years in his career included stints in remarkable restaurants such as Mugaritz (San Sebástian, Basque Country), Pure C (Cadzand, Netherlands), Noma (Copenaghen, Denmark) and Nerua (Bilbao, Basque Country).
In 2019, Iñaki progressed to the next stage of his culinary journey – he became a nomadic chef. Ever eager to learn, Iñaki’s professional explorations have brought him to the different corners of Europe and Asia, ranging from the Baltic region to Bangkok. At each guest shift, Iñaki displays an eclectic cuisine strongly rooted in his Basque heritage and incorporates a sense of place through accents of local flavour.
A Contemporary Journey Reinterpreting Heritage Flavours of Both Cultures
Conceptualised by both chefs, the tasting menu at Restaurant Gaig encapsulates their memories of home and their journeys and leads guests on an exploration of the broad landscape of Basque Country and Catalonia.
Dinner commences with snacks such as charcoal grilled oyster with black trumpet broth and mussel croquette and oscietra caviar finished with lemon emulsion and seaweed powder – Chef Iñaki’s interpretation of his mother’s recipe.
The snacks are followed by Chef Iñaki’s vegetable-forward plates of vegetable casserole with Iberico ham broth – a modern take on the traditional menestra – and mushrooms with spiced hen stock and egg yolk. The mushrooms evoke nostalgic memories of foraging for wild fungi, while the egg yolk, usually used as a sauce by the Basques, is infused with an Asian-inspired blend of miso and parsley. Further Asian elements are introduced in the hen stock, made with cinnamon, star anise, black pepper, and lemongrass.
From Chef Marti comes two courses highlighting seafood – scallop, artichokes, and glazed veal sweetbread and cuttlefish stew with potatoes and green peas. The latter is inspired by a traditional dish from Chef Marti’s hometown and has remained as one of his favourite dishes from his childhood.
For the main dishes, the two chefs offer the traditional pairing of proteins from land and sea; a reflection of the regions’ diverse terrain of coasts and mountains. Hake, a favourite fish of the Basques, is prepared as battered pan-fried hake with choricero red capsicum and lacto-fermented tomato water – an homage to a simple traditional dish. Tender milk-fed lamb shoulder with trinxat brings together classic flavours of the Pyrénées mountains.
Chef Iñaki presents traditional Basque flavours in his dessert of goxua (‘sweet’ in Euskera, the language of the Basques) featuring lemon, honey, bee pollen, and hazelnut with alluring layers of textures and temperatures. Savour the creamy texture of Chef Marti’s white chocolate cheesecake made with Coulommiers cheese, white chocolate, and hazelnut praline.
Experience an immersive gastronomic display as the young chefs creatively demonstrate their love for their heritage – honouring their cultures through their culinary crafts and innovative renditions of traditional dishes.
a. 16 Stanley St, Singapore 068735
e. singapore@restaurantgaig.com
w. singapur.restaurantgaig.com
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