Casa Julián Tolosa

My 2nd trip in Spain in a month started with eating in Basque countries. Visiting Casa Julian, one of the most important temples of steak, made me feel so blessed, because of the food and more.

I am not going to dive into the food too much as it has been written extensively. We all know the beef is phenomenal (you can also check #littlemeg_casajulian ). We had a Chuleta that was chosen so we could enjoy different flavors and textures, and incredible arrays of vegetables from tender leeks, uncious mushroom, and juicy white asparagus (with white asparagus sauce and onion oil). Piquillo pepper confit came sizzling hot and oh so delicious together with our steaks. I asked for the beef fat which usually got thrown away after grilling, and it was an evil indulgence just like the amazing egg yolk concentrated flan and top notched cheesecake.

What I found most touching was the fact that you see the son Xabi was still continuing the legacy of his father, legendary master Matias Gorrotxategi, helping him to run the business side by side. Even though Matias does not do grilling anymore, he is still in the restaurant every day, and the grandson was also there the day we visited, it was 3 generations together, a heart warming scene.

Do not take this for granted. In fact several local friends have told me about iconic Spanish restaurants closed / closing due to lack of successors. My favorite paella place, Paco Gandia (check #littlemeg_pacogandia ) had closed recently as the female master could not find someone to take over the place. Zuberoa closed in Oct 2022 when the old master chef Hilario Arbelaitz retired. Who knows what will happen to Etxebarri when Bittor decides to take time off. This is also a serious issue in Chinese cuisine, perhaps even a global problem in the culinary world.

When Aitor of Elkano saw the pictures of Matias and Xabi together, he said “this is a gift”, to be able to continue the succession of tradition. When you have the chance to visit these restaurants or shops that last for generations, remember to enjoy the food, appreciate the craftsmanship, treasure the experience. Because their presence is truly a present 🎁 Less