After the previous nervousness, the excitement of those who managed to wear the white jacket of the Michelin Guide and a gala that lasted more than two and a half hours – with an uninspired Jesús Vázquez and the lyrical acrobatics of the Sohrlin team, the Malaga space directed by the entrepreneur Domingo Merlín and the multifaceted actor Antonio Banderas -, what all the guests were waiting for finally arrived: dinner. But no one imagines a typical banquet, but rather a standing cocktail party with various food stands where everyone helps themselves as they wish. The same goes for drinks. It’s time to say goodbye, to hug each other again, to take selfies and to exchange impressions on a ceremony marked this year by the theme of the evening: the absence of the new three stars in the Michelin firmament, despite the 30 new red awards – 25 with one and five with two – and the five green ones awarded.
There were some long faces, but it was time to have fun and try what the Malaga chefs had carefully prepared. Benito Gómez, from Bardal (Ronda, two stars), and Mario Cachinero, from Skina (Marbella, two stars), with the participation of the latter’s owner, Marcos Granda, were in charge of coordinating the evening. Gómez prepared two dishes: an oyster in butter colorá and a cold squid in yellow. Cachinero offered a poor quality gazpachuelo with cuttlefish and potatoes and a chocolate and banana dessert.
Eight more cooks joined the deployment. José Carlos García (Málaga, one star) presented an anchovy with pipirrana and mango and a version of the zurrapa from Malaga. Emiliano Schobert, from Blossom (Málaga, one star), surprises with a venison tartare with chive foam and a corn ice cream with creamy toasted kombu and crunchy corn.
Dani Carnero, from Kaleja (Málaga, one star), opted for pochas aliñás with white porra and green pepper, and white prawns with cauliflower, raifort and broccoli. Diego Gallegos, from Sollo (Fuengirola, one star), served smoked eel with Iberian consommé, pears and pickles, as well as a red tuna tartare marinated in cutlet fat, tiger milk and fish roe.
Mauricio Giovanini, from Messina (Marbella, one star), prepared sea urchin micuit with celeriac water and sea bass with parsnip cream and seaweed juice. Manuel de Bedoya and Alberto Igeño, from Nintai (Marbella, one star), presented aubergines with sesame, miso and shiitake shirumono, and a bite of koji-cured A5 wagyu on matcha tea brioche. Finally, David Olivas, from Back (Marbella, one star), proposed chicle-foie with pickled partridge and pistachios, and Malaga goat cheek with Andalusian curry and rice and coconut spaghetti. Of course, there was no shortage of freshly cut Iberian ham, Balfegó tuna or Barquero cod.
At the gala, wines were toasted, selected by Luis Gutiérrez, Robert Parker’s taster in Spain, from Viña El Corregidor de Carrascal (Bodegas Luis Pérez, Jerez), Mountain Blanco (Telmo Rodríguez, Málaga), Stardust (Forlong, VT Cádiz) and Navazos Niepoort (Navazos, VT Cádiz); Manzanilla Pastora (Barbadillo, Jerez); Amontillado Gran Barquero (Pérez Barquero, Montilla-Moriles); Sedella Tinto (Sedella, Málaga); Atlántida Tintilla (Alberto Orte, VT Cadiz); and, to close the desserts, Molino Real (Telmo Rodríguez, Málaga).
