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> Blog de Sergi

Sergi was at the helm of La Broche in Madrid before opening his new restaurant Gastro, also in the Spanish capital. He’s also behind the kitchen of the Hotel Arts in Barcelona.

Your motto is that "the sky’s the limit. What are your goals?
To keep my creative freedom, my team and my family, to remain faithful to these priorities and, above all, to keep enjoying what I do. And if I can, to become a cool grandfather!

TV, radio, news, reality shows. You’re quite the celebrity chef. Are there any benefits for food when chefs become media figures?
I suppose we become arbiters of taste, like Armani, Dior or Roberto Verino are for fashion. In our case, moreover, we’re all about something as important as eating. Our work also strengthens Spain’s hand as a tourist attraction, complementing the magnificent cultural and lifestyle attractions (which would be nothing without food). And don’t forget that a cuisine that demands fresh and high quality produce, whether traditional or avant-garde,  also benefits farming, fisheries, livestock production, the food industry, both through the impact on the domestic market and as a tool for export promotion.

As in art, cuisine has its fashions. What is your opinion?
For me, cooking is closer to a craft or trade than to art. I accept that there is, or may be,  room for what some would consider artistic inspiration. You could say the same for watchmakers or ceramicists, but like them,  a chef is ultimately a passionate craftsmen. It’s not enough turn out a brilliant dish once... you have to be obstinate and perfectionist in every dish you prepare, regardless of your mood or your personal situation. You have to have, above all, professionalism.

What’s the personal and professional price you have to pay to be the best?
Since I don’t consider myself the best (nor do I have the ambition to be), I’m not really sure how to answer. But I’m convinced that no vocation is worth selling your soul to be the best, and I find it pathetic that anyone could do that... very sad!  

Why is Spanish cuisine so popular with the rest of the world?
It’s a cuisine of direct flavors and clearly defined produce ... with traditional roots and a creative, savvy, modern twist ... We also have Spanish chefs working in the area of tapas and the Mediterranean diet, two excellent gastronomic ambassadors.

You come across as an unconventional, modern man. So why do men have to wear a jacket in your restaurant?
I'm afraid you are misinformed ... that was only for the first two months. But anyway, If I go out with Sarah to a restaurant, I always wear a jacket, even if it’s with jeans or sneakers.

Your food is modern, innovative, intuitive. But what do you usually have yourself for dinner?
I have five small meals a day, from breakfast to dinner, trying eat a little of everything.

If you had to seduce your wife and closest collaborator, Sara Fort, what dish would you use?
Risotto of Idiazabal cheese with sea cucumbers, an old dish that captivated and still captivates. But to be honest, if I set about trying to seduce her, I’d be the one getting seduced!

With Sergi Arola-Gastro, you say you’ve fulfilled your ambitions. It’s based on a tasting menu. Does the future of restaurants lie in abandoning a la carte and offering only a seasonal menu?
Life is made up of many stages, and there’s no doubt that having my own restaurant is the most important. I could never have imagined something like this. That's why it’s so important to me. We lead such hectic lives and sometimes we don’t stop to think about where we came from, or what we dreamed of doing when we first started.  Believe me, I've exceeded all my expectations, so now I just get on with enjoying what I do and try to be as happy as possible. On the subject of the tasting menu, I think that's the point of going to a restaurant like mine. That's not to say it’s either better or worse than any other option. Rather, it’s simply the most logical one in this case, and I think that in restaurants like mine, lengthy menus will disappear, allowing chefs to concentrate on offering only the very best to diners.