You're listening to Heritage Radio Network. Hi
everyone, welcome to Potluck Food Talks. Today
we have a special guest, Iñaki Bolomburu, straight
from Bangkok, Thailand. How are you doing, Iñaki?
I'm good, I'm good. I mean, can't complain, can't
complain. How are you? Great, good, good, good.
So Iñaki is a Basque chef that recently opened
Amalur, which is a Basque restaurant in Bangkok.
Amalur means Mother Earth, is that correct? Yeah,
well, basically Amalur is a goddess in Basque
mythology. It's the mother of the sun and the
moon. And basically, yeah, the meaning is Pachamama
or Mother Earth for us, for the Basque country,
but maybe with our mythological sense, let's
say. Okay, super interesting. So I wanted to...
Let's start with the beginning. I think it's
very interesting for me always to see... the
experiences of chefs that are mixing or exporting
their culture to other countries. There are always
some things that have to be adapted. But before
we get into that, let's start with the beginning,
with your beginnings. How did you start cooking?
When did you start? And how did you end up being
a chef? Even when I was very little already,
I was already sneaking in the kitchen. I was
very lucky to come from a farmhouse where all
the women of my family and even the men were
in the Basque Country. All the people know how
to cook something at least. So I've always been
very interested. Even I remember to be looking
at Carlos Arguiñano programs when I was a kid.
I was very much a student, if I need to say that.
A very productive guy, let's say. Well, I went
to culinary school in Bilbao, in Achanda. Learned
there, well, the basics. Again, I was not being
the best. I worked in some traditional places
in Basque Country. I was out inside the fine
dining, let's say. And one day I end up in Venta
Moncalvillo in Rioja, in a very little village
as a, well, as a commis chef, let's say. They
gave me the chance to work there. It was one
amazing start on that time. And then I realized
what was the fine dining and what was the creativity
inside the food. And I get like, wow, wow, wow.
This is amazing, no? After that time when I found
like, okay, I love this. I want to, you know,
to learn on this game, you know, get better and
train every day, spend hours. You know, this
is how you create a craft. And then I went to
San Sebastian. So in San Sebastian, I went to,
well, Bodebon Alejandro, more traditional. And
then 20 years old, I end up in Mugaritz. And
boom, they broke my brain, you know, everything
is possible. You know, like everything is possible.
Which year were you in Mugaritz? 2013. Actually,
it was with Phil. ah okay okay okay okay super
cool so yeah i mean there was like beautiful
to see the sense of community of teamwork of
you know like uh these things that they put you
like in a way horny you know like uh it's something
that gives you an extra energy to push every
day to be more perfect you know all the systems
all the details you know so then you get a little
bit addicted to this and you want more and more
and more And then you continue your travel, no?
Like, I'm a chef that, again, I tell you, I was
not the best student, so I learned English in
the kitchen, you know? After Mugaritz, I end
up in UC, in the Netherlands, because, of course,
but I like to get that job in that time, saying
that there was no one in English, so I arrived
there for working for Sergio Herman and Steve
Kovaker. Love you guys, because now they are
good friends. And I went there without English,
but knowing how to cook. And then I learned English
there, and I started traveling. So the next step
after there was... But when I went to Noma, you
know, like I was, I'm a guy that I'm always,
now it's true that I spend a lot of time in the
big cities, you know, like for work or whatever.
But I'm a person that I love forging nature.
You know, Amalur is all about that also, no?
Like you said, natural driving project, let's
say. So yeah, Noma was also one of the places
where more touched my creativity and also to
see, well, the level of teamwork that is there.
It's very similar to Mogadishu with another point
of view, let's say. That was a little bit. Even
I spent some time with an Echo in Affirmendi
in my holidays when I was in Mugarit. So when
I was quite young, I already pushed my one that
is to the maximum level. And fuck, after 10,
15 years, I continue pushing me like a lot, sometimes
too much, let's say, no? But yeah, this was a
little bit the thing. Then after that, after
Noma, I end up in Nerua, in the good Camisier,
in Bilbao, go back home. Yeah, so you spent like
a fair amount of time in Nerua, right? yeah yeah
yeah in there i spent quite a lot of time and
uh because well i i'm very grateful it's one
of the mentors that they give me wings let's
say because well jose and take me if someone
of my mentors is uh the one that take me this
thing of traveling now because now a lot of people
know me i've asked about my pop -ups and about
being in this problem scene uh traveling quite
a lot posion was the one like giving me the confidence
to you know to travel with him to a lot of countries
and to develop creativity in another atmospheres.
So then I get addicted to that also, you know,
like, I also like traveling, of course, but then
like, you know, be out of your comfort zone is
sometimes very beautiful, you know, like, you
see, like something that we call force of creativity,
that is what we do in that in a model, for example,
like, we don't create this is because we want
to do something we excited or with potatoes,
you know, like, the potatoes tell us what to
do with them, you know, in a way like, so we
buy them and we start working with them and We
try to don't have a waste. So we don't like to
say waste. We like to say byproduct. So we try
to don't drop nothing to the, to the beans. So
we have an equation. Okay. What we can do with
these before it gets, uh, bad or in bad shape.
So oils dehydrate others, whatever. And then,
oh, we have a big production of this. Okay. Let's
start creating something about this product that
we have, you know, as a seasoning or a principal
product or whatever. So all these people like.
They add things in what is today Amalur or what
is happening with my pop -ups that have been
traveling already in more than 40 countries.
I still don't believe it. I feel lucky sometimes.
Can you tell more about these pop -ups? How did
you begin doing pop -ups? Which were the highlights?
I also saw some of you traveled. Well, so basically,
like, when I finished in Norway, I was having
a bad time in my life. You know, like, my mom
passed away. It was one of, well, it's your mom,
of course, but it's one of the persons that teach
me from scratch, like, cooking, the first things,
you know. Of course, it was a very big thing.
I was having a bad time, and someone told me,
hey, why you don't come to Estonia? Why you don't
come here and you do a pop -up? And I was like,
okay, like, yeah, why not? You know, I was out
of the kitchen for a few months. I was not feeling
very nice, you know, so I said, okay, traveling
maybe is going to be good. I went there, dropped
my style, of course, with influences of all these
restaurants that all of us we know and trying
to do my thing, the thing that they really support,
that they want to do. So then when I went there,
everything was very good, you know, like I have
very good feedback of some people that were there.
And then, I don't know, like I went to a stage.
that was Heston Blumenthal randomly was there
speaking, you know, like, I was like, wow, what
the fuck I'm doing here? You know, I'm no one
here. Of course, well, hey, he's a legend, you
know, what the fuck I'm doing here with Heston
Blumenthal. Anyway, like, I do my talk about
what was going to be in my mind, my next step
in the pop -up world or the events that I was
doing. On that time, I was planning to open my
restaurant in the next month in Basque Country.
And then I explained that before that, I was
wanting to do more pop -ups to learn a share
with another shares. Because, you know, when
you do a collaboration with another share in
another country, it's big knowledge in short
time. It's like, bam, bam, you get crazy. It's
like when I go to the wet markets in Thailand.
Vietnam in Cambodia and you know, like there
are crazy market this chaotic is sometimes even
disgusting but it's quite Inspiring is full of
energy, you know, so it's very immersive and
impactful. Yeah, absolutely Yeah, yeah, it's
like it's too much. It's like pom -pom -pom.
It's too much. It is hardcore and then you know
You get again like okay, let's do another pop
-up and then you see that in each pop -up your
knowledge doubles and the next pop -up triples
and then you learn a share and then you see a
chef using your technique and you have this connection
with the chefs that is all about community hey
how you was doing this can you give me the tip
you know like and you help each other and it's
super nice mood and then this starts getting
like in a small snowball so from this talk that
they did like i remember like they offered me
to do a gig in uh In Portugal, we do a nice pop
-up. In that time with Ona in Lisbon, we smashed
it. It was a super nice pop -up. Then from there,
two more. From these two, four more. It was like
a snowball. And then at that time, pop -ups were
already some chefs that they were following because
of the pop -ups. And I was very crazy about that.
For example, Nuno Mendes from Lisboeta, he was
doing pop -ups at the time. But there were just
a few. And then see how... all these years everything
developed like fuck there are a lot of shares
that there are no much shares that there are
itinerant shares now it's a normal thing you
know so yeah that was a little bit the clue you
know i still like using this in my my actual
restaurant and and concepts to to to continue
like working on that at the end of the day we
treat the restaurant as a controlled pop -up
you know in a way Okay. So you also did a collaboration
with Vasco Coelho? Was it a pop -up? Not yet,
not yet. I'm going now in September. I'm now
in Bangkok right now. On the, well, all the September,
I have like a big tournée during all Europe.
And one of them is going to be with Vasco that
also, well, it's a person from Mugaris that we
haven't met in Mugaris, but Mugaris have this
special thing, right? Like all the people that
have been there, we... we have something in in
common in a way and vasco well i'm very glad
to say that vasco is a very good friend already
a brother of mine and we were talking about doing
this collaboration for time now i was having
time so yeah on day 10 of september and cooking
there in oscalduna i eat there years ago and
it's lovely i love these guys and i love portugal
so i'm really really looking forward Yeah, there's
an episode coming with Vasco. We already recorded,
but there were some technical problems, so we
have to do it again. But yeah, super interesting
guy, super creative person. I really admire him.
Amazing guy. I love you, Vasco. Why Bangkok?
Let's get into Amalur. How did you end up there,
and how did the project develop? Yeah, well,
I mean, yeah, that was not on the plan, if I
need to tell you. I'm very, like, impulsive in
a way. And the people that know me, they know,
like, it's full of energy, always good. And I
always try to, yeah, let's make it, you know.
Well, some people will know, like, I was having
my last restaurant was in Amsterdam. Like, we
was, like, already, like, getting quite big there.
It was a very big project. And then, well, very
suddenly, we need to stop the relation because
we have a problem with the landlord. It was not
business -wise oriented positively. So we decided
to start with that project. It was sad. I continue
having connection with Amsterdam because it's
a beautiful city. And I really think they have
a big potential soon. We are going to talk like
Amsterdam, like the last year's Copenhagen, let's
say, in my opinion. You got a recognition from
Best Chef Awards. Was it in that project in Amsterdam?
Yeah, it was. We contrasted Amsterdam. We were
saying it was a beautiful project. It was very
personal. No menu. Only the price. The first
question was, well, welcome to the restaurant.
What you don't want to eat tonight? Well, you
cannot eat tonight. And then after that, it's
our game, no? Like your home, gallery of art,
some race under the boat, you know, like was
a boat in Canada, two floors. Super cool. And
I'm still like very like romantic with the fact.
But, well, at the end of the day, like, I'm very
passionate, but we always need to figure out
that this, at the end of the day, is a business,
no? But, yeah, we was, like, in a very good shape,
huh? Gambero Rosso, Gormillo, the best chef of
all. Well, all these recognitions that, well,
for the ego of a chef or for people like us,
we are, like, well, always trying to be the best,
let's say. Like, there are things that they tell
you, okay, you are in a good way. So, of course,
it was very nice. It was very nice to... To be
invited and when I finally do tell you when I
went to the restaurant, I was saying, OK, what
the fuck I'm doing here. You know, I was drinking
a beer in Dubai. I mean, I saw my fucking face
in the monitor and said, what the fuck? And the
people were like, you know, so, you know, maybe
the people think that I'm like, yeah, you know,
but now I'm very down to earth on that. And now
what happened is like, well, this year I started
a year without restaurants. It was a little bit
low on. positivity, let's say. And I always,
when I'm a little bit sad, I always try to, you
know, turn it over, double the bet. So I started
the game with the pop -up game because it was
already like a few years, well, focused on just
one restaurant, one project. And I started popping.
So in January, at the end of January, I was already
in Asia. I'm in Bangkok. I live here. I have
a lot of friends and we're in all Southeast Asia
and we're quite well connected, let's say. So
I always drop some pop -ups during the year,
you know, like I use it as also a kind of inspiration
because it's not the same to go to the market
in Guernica or to go to the market in Bangkok,
Tron Toi wet market. It's like, wow, you know,
if you are vast, this thing is going to make
you crazy. And if you are from Thailand and you
are used to the wet market, you go to Guernica
market and say, wow, you know, so it's like,
is this fine? So at the beginning of the year,
I was here doing a pop -up and then. Just randomly,
I saw a friend of mine that he was having a location
that they was having a restaurant that they closed
because they moved the place. And I was there
before, you know. I said, what are you doing
with the location? You know, yes, the day when
I was traveling back to Europe, I said, man,
it's a stop. I said, well, hey, I'm doing some
pop -ups this year. I don't want to invest again,
you know, because I'm a little bit Chinese for
these things, you know, like. When I don't like
the number, like 2035, for example, it was like,
hmm, it's in part, you know, like I got paid.
No, yeah, I'm very like superstitious for other
things in a way. It's quite a retarded thing,
right? But yeah, it's the truth. It's the truth.
I say, I'm not going to invest any money in the
year. Let's make it happen for 2036. Let's use
the year for learning what was wrong, what was
good, what can be better. Let's make healthy.
because of course like well a lot of chefs that
maybe they are hearing this like having a project
in amsterdam that was very big with very low
team and trying to make be the best like also
your your healthiness a little bit you know you
know low hours of sleeping too much coffee too
much tobacco you know so this year i say okay
january is of tobacco detox you know like getting
trained every day so it's go back in track just
to be better the next time And then randomly
I say, oh, should we take over this place? So
we take now a mallour in Bangkok, in Soy 51,
second floor of a crazy location. You saw it
from outside and it looks like we are selling
drugs, you know? I see the picture. It looks
really like a joint in Bangkok. Yes, it looks
like. But also, this is the beauty of Bangkok,
because Bangkok is not, if you are not a tourist
here, you see Bangkok as a controlled chaos.
You know, it's a chaos. It's crazy. It's crazy.
But it's controlled. All works, you know, in
a way. And this is Amalur, in a way. Outside,
it's like, what the fuck is this? It's very difficult
to find it. We don't have parking. We don't have
a host. And it's something that I wanted to make.
Like, now, Amalur is a very casual thing for
Bangkok. But Amalur, how I want it, it's like,
it's a... nomad itinerant project, let's say,
where we are taking over spaces and making the
concept that fits for the area, the neighborhood,
or even the restaurant where it's happening.
So for now, actually, the next week is going
to be the last week of this little short -time
residency of two months. But it is true that
I'm already thinking in making it longer because
I need to be back in September in Europe. But
I'm really thinking to make it open for long,
for good, from October. We are already working
on that. Because I was not expecting the very
good feedback of the guests here. Because, you
know, Asian guests sometimes can be amazing and
sometimes can be something that they cannot.
My state of kitchen is not that. For example,
I remember... Years ago, in one of my pop -ups
here in Bangkok, the people were asking me, can
you put me Trafford with caviar and uni? And
I said, I'm not this kind of chef. It's fine,
I respect, but it's not what we do here. It's
not what we do in Amalur. So basically, in Amalur,
we are trying to bring the philosophy of the
Basque choco. We are very inspired of the choco,
of the Basque society, where we talk with the
guests, and we try to say to him, I always say,
the first rule is just have fun. We like to go
home, but we have another rule on top. Behave
and don't give us problems. You know, so that's
normal. You go to a home with your friends, you
do that. And then now people, I say to them,
you know, people, they came and say, I went to
it, but I say, sorry, I'm not bringing fees from
overseas, you know, from Spain or Europe. You
know, yes, I'm bringing fees from Japan because
it's like, what, three hours fly, four hours
fly. And it's like also talking about sustainability
is also something that we found. And we always,
we are working in that, found things in the local
market that, for example, now we are working
with amazing bonito and fits with the bonito
season of Basque Country. Also, we are getting
heirloom tomatoes from some friends that I met
them three years ago that I started a beautiful
project in Chiang Mai. They are very nice tomato.
I mean, like, you know, even peppers, whatever.
So we are trying to give the seasons of Basque
Country in the same timeline in Bangkok, you
know, with the same, it's like a chocolate, you
know, the people gets here, sometimes they bring
the wine. uh sometimes they ask hey can i have
like i don't know i'm i want to like a grouper
like full grouper whatever so we try to buy the
best every time so we spend a lot of time in
the market in the mornings the menu change daily
with the best things that we have because i really
believe that uh what we we we do is like i really
believe that in the boss of fish your only one
is the best right so we try to buy that one So
that's why we always have like three portions
of this, four portions of this. We work only
a la carte now. And I found it like, wow, very
inspiring. You know, I came from tasting long
menus, experienced forward restaurants or pop
-ups or fine dining and stuff. And now I'm doing
something more casual. Yes, down to earth. Yes,
product, good price. I mean, the people tell
me that I'm cheap, you know. And I say, no, man,
Bangkok is overpriced. That's the problem. But
that's a good thing. So that's why now, like,
even the people at the beginning, they was coming
to the restaurant. They were saying, ah, this
is a Spanish food. I say, no, man, this is Basque.
They say, what the fuck is Basque? I say, okay,
you can Google it, right? You have a mobile in
your pocket. And then the people start with that,
and I'm quite hardcore, you know? Like, sometimes
when you're having a fine dining restaurant,
all of us, we know that we need to be a little
bit chill with the guests. And, you know, I give
them all the love, of course, like, always. But
it's true that here we are using the concept
of the choco. So another day, for example, I
remember like I cooked them like a grill. One
second, one second. Let me, I wanted to get into
that for people who don't know. So Iñaki is talking
about chocos. Chocos is the way it's called in
Biscay. Here in Gipuzkoa, it's called Gastronomic
Society. These are basically supper clubs. So
you're a member, and as a member, you invite
your friends, and you're a host, and you cook
for your friends. And yeah, it's basically like
a private club that you have a space where you
can cook and host, and you, as a host, you're
responsible of your guests. So if anybody's doing
a mess... You kick them out or whatever, more
or less. That's how it works. And you have your
own cave of wine and you pay after the meal.
And it's something like it's very cultural in
the West Country and not all the people know
about. Like, it's crazy. For example, the one
of my father, just for you know, if my father
pass away, please know, never in life. But they
will call me the first person. And if I refuse
to continue his position, I will not be able
to join this place anytime in my life and go
inside. So in Vizcaya, they are hardcore with
this. Wow, okay. They are very strong societies
where the pictures of the guys, of the members,
they are in the wall, you know? And appears there
my father with a big mustache on the 80s, you
know what I mean? Like, this is fine. You know,
every time they call me, I go there to cook.
And then you are cooking with a lot of like,
well, elders, like... Basque, Basque, the idea
that one is a fisherman, one is a butcher, the
other one is a forager, hunters. And then you
start cooking, and they're like, what the fuck
are you doing? And man, I'm a professional chef,
you know? What the fuck are you doing? You don't
do things like that. Fuck off, you. Fuck me,
you know, like this time I got. So then the best
thing that you can do is grab your glass of chocolate,
step away a little bit, and just learn, you know?
So this is a little bit the idea, you know? I
mean, I completely recommend to everyone that
is showing this, you have a chance to go to a
Choco by you, because otherwise you can't go
by yourself. Do it, because it's like the most
true Basque experience ever. Yeah, it's a beautiful
experience. I love it. I became a member of one
not so long ago. And yeah, it took me eight years
living here to become a member of one, you know?
You don't just become a member of a Choco. Yeah,
it's like a thing. And you were saying that I
also find that very interesting. How is it to
cook Basque for an Asian audience? Because I
also think these are not the most compatible
cuisines, you know? Like Basque, I see it very
minimalistic. And on the other side, Thai cuisine
is very maximalistic. It's like a lot of spices,
a lot of everything. You need to, like, twist
your mind. And of course, look, I always say
one thing. And it's something that with more
years and more travel, I'm more sure about. Basque.
Cuisine can be only really executed in Basque
country. It's all about product. But yes, you
can bring the philosophy, right? Philosophy of
respect to the product. Actually, Basque cuisine
is very natural forward. It's a lot of forage
items, a lot of fish, a lot of farmer environment.
So this is what we try a little bit with Amalur.
We go to the markets, we found the best produce.
For example, now we are having beautiful bonito.
We have in bonito, we have in tomato. So we do
these games. It's difficult because here, for
example, like the people, the thing that we have
is that the people, for the people here, it's
salty, our food. It's salty. But then, of course,
like I cannot like slow it down. It's like correctly
done, whatever. Here they use a lot of like umami
and sugar and spice, and they don't get the salt
like we do, you know? This is the most tricky
part for that. But then if I need to tell you,
in Thailand, it's a lot of products. A lot of
products. For example, the only big struggle
that they're having these days is like finding
a fish that is very high in collagen. Or pill
sauce, for example, you know. This is one of
the biggest. But we are working now in some techniques
just to fix it. So we are like using balls of
very reddish broth. So we just get gelatin and
we use this as a little add. So, of course. As
I tell you, you can bring the philosophy, but
making vast food only can be in vast countries.
It's all about the produce and the process. I
guess that we can say the same about Japan, for
example. You are in Japan, you see the craft
and whatever, and founding this craftsmanship
in other places of the world is quite difficult.
Yeah, you can do a very nice Japanese restaurant
somewhere in the world. Of course, there are.
But you know what I mean, right? Absolutely.
I agree 100%. And this is what we are doing.
Again, the charcoal or the fire, the grill, is
a very big item in the restaurant. So let's say
that 70%, 80 % of the menu is toasted, but fire,
but charcoals. We don't have lagrima pea, for
example. When we have sugar, it's not pea. That
good selected, that good buy it, let's say. I
have some producers in Chiang Mai. They are doing
good stuff, you know, because here in Bangkok,
it's like a big metropolis. So you have... all
the foods will fall around, and you have chips
that fall around. So all of them, they bring
seeds with them. So now in Thailand, we have
a new movement of a lot of growers in Chiang
Mai, because Chiang Mai basically is the north,
is the mountain area. The weather is like summer
in Basque Country. During the day, it's hot.
But during the night, you need the jacket, man.
Like, really, in the mountains. So, they are
doing puntarelle, Italian vegetables, you know.
They are doing tomatoes, they are doing peppers,
you know. It's getting there. So, we try always
to analyze what we have, what we don't. For example,
we don't have, like, guindilla, like, dry guindilla
or dry chili that is not spicy here. It's spicy
as fuck. So, instead of putting four pieces,
we put one, you know. So, we try to play the
game with that, you know. And then, of course...
The fish here, well, it's not the best because
it's hot water, let's say. So we analyze what
we use. For example, here we use oysters just
for emulsion because they are not good for eating
raw, at least on my opinion. Okay for eating
them steamed, but we use them for basically emulsions
and things like that. So this is that. Analyze
each product for one technique. When we have
like big clam, manila clam, like... we cook it
in charcoal when it's later we use salsa verde
so this is how the menu goes changing and evolving
you know very naturally very organically you
know super cool super cool yeah i thought on
your social media that i don't know when maybe
a few years ago you you you collaborated with
with chelle in gallery chelle is a very good
friend and he said well josean was the first
the one taking me there to to cook in manila
with chelle a few times actually And, yeah, Shelley,
I guess, is a very, very good friend of mine.
I see this Hossian, and, well, Hossian is one
of the persons that introduced me to, well, a
lot of the gastronomic world. Today, we are friends
and brothers, let's say, and we collaborate a
lot. Yeah, because he's also a good example of
someone that took, like, Spanish cooking philosophy.
into the Philippines and yeah and it became like
its own new world. One of the first I would say
you know like when Chele was already in the Philippines
was like what 10 years ago now I mean like I
know you have a lot of projects there that are
amazing. I have been in a gallery by Chele or
his restaurant and it's amazing every time that
I have been there I have been like bam my blog.
I remember the first time I ate like mantis you
know it's like a kind of a Not the langoustine,
but like a kind of big, long shrimp that looks
like a mantis, but in a shrimp shape. I tried
it there and it was like, boom, mind -blowing.
Even like the river prawn and all that stuff.
So these kind of travels, they really mark me
like a lot, you know, because Chelly is like
the best embajador. I don't know how you say
this in English. Ambassador. Ambassador of Philippines
and in Spain, in Philippines, you know, he's
amazing, you know. He's super fun, actually.
I love him. Yeah, also super funny guy. Yeah,
as far as I know, like, I think that there are,
like, three restaurants playing that game. That
would be Gallery Baichele, The Wakan, Paidaren,
and Locavore, right? Like, those three in Southeast
Asia. Oh, the Locavore guys, man, like, wow,
wow, wow. I mean, the Locavore guys, this is,
like, a history, man. Like, I was, well, before
coming to Bangkok now, like, I do a residency
also in Indonesia, you know, and I lost Iceland
there in Zumba, where we was working with. only
natural product, changing the menu every day
with one of the pop -ups. Maybe this is for another
time of recording this. But we do, well, Elke
and Ray, they are very good friends of mine also.
Actually, we cooked together in Manila, at Cel's
place one time, with Josian, with Julien from
Ovet in Singapore. And from there, we are very
good friends. So I was there, and then my brother,
Iñaki, came here. I was in Bali the last time,
like seven years ago, in the old Locavore. I
fucking loved it at that time. It was a little
space, like, very good tasting menu, fine dining,
all local source. Okay, I went this time because
they moved location. And I was like, man, I arrived
there, these guys, they do like 10 steps now,
100 steps level up. Like, they move from a little
location of 30 couverts to something that is
like a, wow, huge restaurant with fermentation
lab, mushroom lab, super old cycles. totally
sustainable 97 i think of the waste changing
into new materia the water everything these guys
i park man like i was there i'll say guys like
this is insane insane about the investment here
like there is everything you know it's a very
big place you know and these guys i love them
everything is local you found a little like jungle
garlic, like little garlic. You found things
that, again, like traveling is this, you know?
I think they are doing a very good work for the
community, man. Everything that they are using
is like crafted there in the Iceland. And we
have a collaboration there where it was like
black boxes. So basically you team up with a
chef that you don't know. By sorteo, you know,
by, you know, playing the name of the papeletas.
I don't know how to say that. Yeah, you gamble
it, yeah, like a contest. Gambling, no? And then
you have a box, and then I open it, and what's
there? Like sea cucumber and scoby from the kombucha,
no? So you need to use this in your dishes. But
then another share, they get, like, I don't know,
a snake and whatever. You know, it's almost like
that. So it was a play of crab. creativity, but
again, forced creativity. You know, someone is
putting you like, okay, jump, create, you know,
and then we are going to sell a menu in 10 hours
to a packed restaurant of 80 comers, you know,
that they are expecting the best of all of you
motherfuckers, you know? So it was a beautiful
experience, man. I loved it. Yeah, everything
I've heard about Locavore, it's like you were
saying, like, they're really like game changers
in the region and everything they do is really
admirable. Which are going to be your stops in
your Europe tour? Are you coming to San Sebastian?
I will try my best, but if I need to tell you,
I'm tired as fuck this time. I will be like,
so, this is going to be fast because I have all
this in my brain. Day three, I fly from here
to Transylvania in Romania. We are going to expose
what we are doing with Amalur because at the
end, Amalur has a nomad beginning, let's say.
And in Transylvania, well, Romania, they have
a lot of like GFC. philosophy you know like it's
a thing there you know uh gypsy tradition or
whatever so we are going to expose it there we
don't know hunting a little foraging there like
the wildlife there is amazing then from there
we will go to porto to cook with vasco on day
10 of september from there i'm going to bilbao
just for three days very fast like my family
is gonna kill me i think but uh because my need
i have a new nephew so of course You know, sometimes
they forget that they have family. You know,
that's a big problem. So I'm going to be a nice
family member, go hunting with my father, some
foraging, some, you know, last summer time mushrooms,
let's say. And then after that, we go to London,
cooking in Carousel. A nice spot. I cooked there
a few times when I started with all these crazy
things, so the pop -ups. And it's a good spot
for pop -ups. So London is always very nice.
I hope to visit a lot of friends there. From
London, we go to Asterland, trying to fit something
else, but we are still not confirmed, but maybe
taking one week there. And then going to Angwerb,
also cooking there in a restaurant of a friend.
And then I'm going to Milan for the Best Chefs
Award. I think this year I'm going just to chill
and have some drinks with friends, let's say.
But yeah, just having some time for rest. I'm
not going to cook. I'm not going to pressure.
I don't have pressure on this year, so everything's
chill, you know. And then from there, going back
home. Stay a little bit with the family, just
out of the mobile, out of the social life, you
know, like just friends and family, choco, of
course, cooking a little bit. And then planning
to come back to Asia on, what, 8th, 15th of October
to make it a Malur for long. We're going to do
like, well, the plan is to do some renewals,
some new ceramic chains, so put it in. in really
like in a good shape to be like a top restaurant
in the city of Bangkok. How many are you in Amalur?
How big is the team? Myself, I mean, just for
the start, I take bookings, I put the marketing,
I mean, I'm doing quite of everything, you know
what I mean? So I'm myself plus Anne, that is
like I call her mama because she's like my manager
and she's amazing. She's also a very strong lady.
Tai, that is also a team. And then I have another
three boys. Another three boys that are not professional
chefs, but they are aiming to learn. And we are
doing this. We're giving opportunities to everyone.
And then the beautiful thing of Amalur is it's
a 35 -seat restaurant. Half of it is a counter.
So it's very nice. For one chef, I mean, I am
able to manage. With two chefs, like 300 chefs,
it's... super easy going, you know, like and
at the end of the day, we're doing just good
food, tasty food, nothing super crazy, a lot
of fire, you know, so I really love the location.
And two things I wanted also to ask, what about
drinks and desserts? What are you offering at
Amalur? Now I have only two desserts. Desserts,
we always have like an option of an ice cream.
Right now, for example, this week was a reduced
mint ice cream with fast pickled strawberries.
and salted cashew nut cookie let's say super
nice and then we are having like yeah we are
having always an option of a cake no not very
heavy like always is very light my dessert because
i'm not really a sweet tooth guy uh we're having
now this week was a cacao wet cake with olive
oil instead of butter and we bring some i bring
some um vanilla from my last travel to cambodia
it's amazing amazing quality polyphonia like
Super nice. So we're doing like a cream with
vanilla and some extra virgin olive oil. Probably
this week is going to be a coconut cake. You
know, like we get some nice coconut another day.
So it's a little bit how we work, right? Like
we go change. And then about the beverage access,
I mean, like it's amazing, you know, because
it's basically what they drink. So basically
25 labels of natural wine, natural, organic,
dynamic. All of them that are from Europe is
the only thing that we import is the preserves
or the liquors and things that they really can
be imported, you know, like no fresh stuff. So
25 labels that they go changing when I finish
or when I'm a little tired or bored, I ask for
another new label to my friend, Pablo, that is
my supplier here. He's a very good friend. He's
a spice also. And he sent me new things and I
love his space. He has wine bars here. It's amazing.
So we are also giving the offer of the 50 % of
the concept is natural wine, let's say. That
is how it should be. And then mixed drinks, only
the big classics and the things that they drink,
like nothing cocktails, like gin tonic, very
good gin tonic, and Negroni. Done. For the snaps,
Pacharan. Done. That's what we are. Perfect.
You don't need anything else. No, I mean, the
people are happy. They don't need to be thinking.
They go very fast. It's easy for them. Super
cool. Iñaki, thank you so much for sharing everything.
And I hope to see you soon in San Sebastian.
Please. That's it for this week's episode of
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