Items Selected:
House Made Bread…read moreRemirez de Ganuza Blanco 2014
Grilled Sardine
Grilled Octopus with Onion Confit and Mashed Potatoes
1.1kg Txuletoia with Salad and Fries
Grilled Rice Pudding
Grilled Torrijas with Bourbon Ice Cream
Suggested by a well traveled friend as "arguably the best Txuletoia in all of Spain," suffice it to say that Horma Ondo is not a 'user friendly' restaurant for those not native to Larrabetzu or the surrounding lands, but overcoming barriers in language, mislabeled phone numbers, and a location not easily located via GPS the experience of actually dining in the restaurant was undoubtedly a memorable one - mine the only reservation on a particularly stormy evening during which I was the restaurants' only guest.
Located off a golf course high in the hills above Azurmendi, a sign near the Michelin 3* space actually the only reason I was able to locate Horma Ondo since the addresses listed online lead to a small school in the city, it was just after 20h00 that I climbed the steep hill in low-gear and arriving in a foyer filled will cigarette smoke I was greeted by a gruff, rotund man who spoke no English - a man I'd later find to be exceedingly pleasant after his daughter arrived to offer interpretation, the two of them actually the owners of the restaurant along with the wife/mother as well as a son/brother.
A surprisingly grand space, two floors of polished wood and several linen-lined tables ready in waiting as if for a banquet, it was at a sizable table to the left of the space that I sat and unaware as yet that I'd be the only diner present the menu and several specials were presented, a glass of dry white wine left for my hosts to select.
Silent save for some light local music, the owner inquiring as to how I'd heard of the place since they apparently do not see many tourists save for those brought as guests of locals known to the house, both he and his child who would act as my server seemed tickled by comments relayed about the beef, a trip to the kitchen seeing glowing coals dance as the Chef showed me the raw cuts hanging in a small aging room.
Treated to housemade rolls that were wispy on the inside beneath a dense outer shell it was with a grilled sardine that dining officially got underway and although the light amuse was indeed pleasan it simply could not compare to the several plates that followed, the tender tentacle of Octopus thoroughly imbued with smoke as good as any ever tasted atop caramelized confit onions and satin pommes puree.
Warned not to additionally order the Tripe or Foie Gras as the smallest steak available weighed in at hefty 1.1kg, it was thankfully heeding this advice that a small wait took place before the signature Txuletoia arrived atop a bed of wood-chips and embers, the texture even more appealing than that at Nido while the presentation saw an initially red center slowly fade to medium-rare, each bite lively with grassy aromatics while warm wafts of smoke slowly filled the air.
Told that everything in house was made over the grill it was admittedly attempting to poke fun that I questioned if the comment applied to dessert, but answering in a matter-of-fact way that clearly missed the humor I could not help but double up my order, the steeped and smoked grains of rice exceedingly tender amidst a warm custard base while the Grilled Torrijas appeared both rustic and blackened, each bite seeing smoke give way to sweetness and creamy custard, the ball of bourbon ice cream melding everything together into what was undoubtedly the best dessert tasted outside the United States this calendar year.
