By A. Rangarajan.
After a major renovation, Les Ombrelles, has reincarnated itself as Etxea on the quaint Hooistraat. Etxea means “home” in Basque and the restaurant would offer modern cuisine with influences from the Basque region of Spain. They would offer traditional Basque dishes as well.
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On 23rd March in the evening, Etxea invited guests to reveal the new look. The astonishing makeover was helped by the Dutch Designer Jeroen Wand .
” A restaurant serving traditional ingredients with a modern twist”- that is how Etxea ’s team would like to see themselves. Sergio, the owner of Etxea, passionately describes the dining traditions of the Basque people as one of coming together, of friends and family where a big table is set and people spend hours talking, eating and sharing.
When asked as to what distinguishes Basque kitchen from the rest of Spain, he points to flavours being kept to their natural state, grounded in the land and surroundings, as a hallmark of the Basque palate.
Sergio is also quick to talk about kindness shown to animals in Basque and the attitude of gratitude towards them for being and providing food in many forms.
The guests seem to have enjoyed the evening- the drinks and treats did go down well with the discerning group of invitees. H.E. Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, President of the International Criminal Court, was amongst those who graced the occasion.
