Jóvenes talentos en la gastronomía de Marbella (II)

Over the last few years, and beyond Michelin stars and Repsol suns, the proliferation of hospitality groups such as Mosh, Dani García, or Rachel's, which have joined others already established such as Trocadero or Casanis, and the arrival of big brands such as Nobu, Cipriani, Roostiq or Coya, in addition to the strength that the hotels have in the city, is generating, as Fernando Alcalá, chef of Kava, says, that "the Puerto Banús model is expanding throughout Marbella."

In his opinion, amidst all the luxury beach bars, little attention is being paid to these small green shoots that breathe life into Marbella's gastronomic offering with their own businesses, very niche, but which beat strongly and are, in the end, the ones that give character and culinary personality to a city.

If in the first part of this selection La Casita de Jesús Muñoz, Cotxino and Kava de Alcalá and Vermú were addresses to take into account, the journey continues with four others that, in addition, also have it in their blood.

Marcos Nieto of Ikigai Izakaya. Carlos Mackintosh Crossing, 3

Marcos Nieto, recently in his thirties, has mastered the grill, which, as in a good izakaya, is the heart and soul of the kitchen. From his robata grill come vegetables, meats, and fish that create dishes previously unavailable in Marbella, expanding the horizons of the city's Japanese culinary offerings.

Nieto is a descendant of the owners of Antonio y Salomé, the fruit and vegetable stall in Málaga's Atarazanas Market that specializes in exotic and unusual ingredients. His early exposure to Asian vegetables was a good starting point for the chef's culinary approach, which was further defined after his time in London restaurants such as Barrafina, Aquavit (two Michelin stars in New York), Sosharu, and Coya.

The menu features an entire section dedicated to vegetables, which Nieto accompanies with rich sauces and dressings so delicious you could easily dedicate an entire lunch to them. The shimeji mushrooms with toban djan aioli are outrageously simple, as are the wok-fried eggplants with miso and kewpie aioli, which he smokes beforehand.

Two must-tries: their potent grilled oyster with miso butter and the Japanese pork cheek curry that revives the insides. They've established Ramen Mondays, offering a different regional ramen each week, far removed from the usual options. The broth is simmered for three days, seasoned with all the culinary literature the chef absorbs (and savors) about Japan.

A semi-hidden spot, like any good izakaya, where the energy never lets up. The Polish Justyna Kus, Nieto's partner and a goldsmith by trade, expertly runs the show, crafting an experience worthy of the finest eateries. The cuisine is bold and flavorful, featuring popular Japanese dishes. And it's definitely meant to be shared: the portions, to the delight of those who occupy one of its few tables, are as generous as the staff.

Luis Arriaga and Begoña Fuentes of Mi Casa Es Tu Casa. Av. Antonio Belón, 26, Marbella.

The fact that it's a specialty coffee shop (the only noteworthy one in the center of Marbella) might lead one to underestimate the culinary offerings of Luis Arriaga and Begoña Fuentes' establishment. Because yes, there are toasts with tomato, olive oil, avocado, and excellent bread from Maleva Bakery, but also a generous and nutritious selection of Mexican dishes served from breakfast to lunch.

It's more common than you might think to arrive early at this place located just a few meters from the seafront and find customers juggling their morning burrito: a homemade tortilla filled with scrambled eggs, bacon, beans, cheese, pico de gallo and homemade salsa.

As the hours pass (or not), esquites (corn kernels) and quesadillas appear, among which the birria de ternera (beef birria) quesadilla stands out, along with carnitas tacos Michoacán-style (where Luis was born), where lard and orange are key, sumptuous enchiladas, and tortillas with grilled octopus. Don't miss their daily specials: go for them without hesitation.

Before settling in Marbella, they spent several years in Australia, where Luis specialized in the world of coffee. He's Mexican, but it's Begoña, from Granada, who's in charge of the kitchen: “She's always been the one with the most experience in cooking. During our time in Australia, she studied Mexican cuisine and learned to prepare it from my mother.” And together they've established what is now the city's best option for savoring the richness of Mexican gastronomy.

Luis's conversation is accompanied by the mural painted by the Mexican artist Genaro García, which they reconstructed here piece by piece and which hides more than one symbol referring to the couple, and the beauty of the tableware, also by García, with which they work.

Pablo Rebollo de Candeal. Plaza de Blas Infante, 1, ground floor

One of the latest arrivals is Pablo Rebollo with his Candeal, his first personal venture. Previously, his career took him from his native Valladolid to Gipuzkoa restaurants like Andoni Aduriz's Mugaritz and Daniel López's Kokotxa. He came to Marbella through a hotel group. However, today he leads his most personal project in a hidden square on the outskirts of the old town: Candeal, a Castilian restaurant with nods to the Basque Country and the Andalusia that has embraced it.

The name is a direct reference to the Castilian loaf made with this wheat. In fact, this bread is featured in one of the courses of their tasting menu (7 courses, €69), accompanied by extra virgin olive oil from Jaén (Elizondo) and homemade hare pâté. Rebollo assures us that the bread, which is addictive, "has traveled the longest in Spain." Every week, the half-baked loaves travel 800 kilometers from the El Castillo bakery in Peñafiel to end up in the oven of the Marbella restaurant, which has been designed to recreate the atmosphere of the famous cave houses of Valladolid.

The candeal bread perfectly complements the dishes where Rebollo's culinary flair truly shines, those slow-cooked to perfection, such as his superb baby squid Pelayo-style, bathed in its own sauce and accompanied by a stew of melt-in-your-mouth veal tendons, or cod cheeks in green sauce over chickpeas from León. The classic Castilian lamb skewer, grilled over vine shoots, is also present, albeit in a more refined and lighter version, "a tribute to my childhood visits to Mesón Carlos in Traspinedo", but surprisingly, it appears as an appetizer. A clear statement of intent.

His work with reductions and homemade ferments, along with the inclusion of fruits and nuts in his recipes, defines the menu, although his à la carte offerings promise a wider range of textures and flavors, and a growing refinement. Rebollo also pays close attention to the wine cellar and the dessert menu, where his pumpkin ravioli filled with mushroom cream, porcini ice cream, and wild mushroom stands out.

Carlos García Mayoralas de Areia. Calle Ramón Gómez de la Serna, 23.

Having the Saddle brand behind it speaks volumes about what to expect from the restaurant that Carlos García Mayoralas opened in Marbella in 2022. The former director of the celebrated Madrid restaurant, and before that, of Dani García's restaurants, has opted for high-level classic cuisine based on ingredients that lend themselves to the rituals of luxury. It's no coincidence that its exquisitely designed dining room, which can be quite imposing, is located on Marbella's famous Golden Mile, which already hints at the restaurant's average price.

The menu, created by Pablo Berzosa (formerly of the Dani García group and Camarena's Canalla Bistró), features products such as Ancelin oysters, Oscietra caviar, truffles, foie gras, and Mont Royal pigeon, as well as seasonal ingredients. "We wanted to play with classic roots while also incorporating seasonality into other aspects of the menu," explains García Mayoralas, "which is why we change the menu every three months."

The line-caught fish are brought directly from Galicia, the shellfish from nearby (the prawns are from Motril, the shrimp from Málaga). Their dishes show a marked French influence, evident in increasingly sophisticated sauces such as mignotte, matelote, beurreblanc, and Périgourdine, in a simple yet decadent mashed potato, or the Rossini sirloin steak, which here, finally, lives up to its name!

The fact that several dishes are finished tableside, such as the veal shank, glazed in the style of Santi Santamaría and carved with a reverential bow to the animal, or the steak tartare (a must-try), are rituals that the team performs with skill and ease. “From the beginning, I wanted the message to be consistent between the front of house and the kitchen” he explains. Indeed, their front-of-house service is one of their greatest strengths.