Basque-ing in the Glory of Spanish Cuisine

Basque Fusion

Txirimiri
Calle del General Díaz Porlier, 91

Metro: Diego de Leon
914 014 345

by Ben Dornan

Sometimes Madrid can get you down a little. Sometimes
you think what the hell am I doing in this locura
of a city where the stress and the daily grind seem so familiar from back home
but being an expat and dealing with it all is just that little bit more of a
hassle. In moments like those I take una
pausa and wander down to my local tapas bar. Stepping into Txirimiri is
enough to restore anyone’s faith in the Madrileño way of life.

This small, tidy but unassuming
locale opened 5 years ago and has been an unqualified success practically from
the off. Two years ago a franchise was opened in La Latina but the
(authentic and superior) original is this one. The clientele is almost exclusively
well-heeled thirty-something locals from the surrounding barrio Salamanca and from
Wednesday through Sunday the place is packed full from 9:00pm, when the kitchen
opens, until 12:30 when, in theory, they close, but don’t be put off. Half of
the fun is balancing a caña in one hand, a tapa in the other while being gently
bumped about by a friendly crowd of young professionals unwinding and partaking
in the delights of the nueva cocina española.

For those who simply can’t cope
with this peculiarly Spanish pastime of standing, eating, drinking and
socialising in extremely cramped surroundings then there is a seated
dining room downstairs but that’s a bit like going to a bullfight and sitting
in the shade – to fully appreciate the experience you have to be prepared to
suffer a little.

The
menu is chalked up on the walls and impressive reading it makes. The food is
basically a fusion of classic Spanish dishes, traditional Basque recipes and
other world cuisines – Italian, French, Japanese and Mexican. Dishes like
Fajitas of ox carpacio and Bacalao in tempura batter are particular fusion
successes and the beef carilleras are officially award winning, having carried
off the second prize in the feria de tapas last year, but the truth is
that it’s hard to go wrong with anything here.

The menu changes with the seasons
but the house classics remain throughout the year. My favourites are the warm
broadbean salad with foie, and the “Unai” hamburgers which are
battered deepfried steak mince seasoned with citrus and served on bread with a
sweet balsamic reduction. The selection of croquetas – bull’s tail, truffles,
and Serrano ham – is also excellent and the pinchos fríos displayed on the bar,
in classic basque style, make a great stop gap if you happen to arrive before
the kitchen opens.

The absolute star performer,
however, is the tortilla – tortilla like you’ve never had before. On the
outside everything appears perfectly normal but on the inside they somehow make
the caramelized onions fuse with half cooked eggs so that it’s a runny caramel
goo barely holding together the soft potato slices. My description certainly
doesn’t do it justice but please trust me – it’s a must. If you think you’re
over tortilla then come here and get into it again.

The
food upstairs arrives astonishingly quickly, from an unfeasibly small kitchen,
and the staff are dedicated, bright and friendly. The wines are also very
recommendable. A small but savvy selection of mid range reds and whites from
all over the country, all available by the glass for between €2 and €3.

It’s hard not to get excessive
when ordering because the you’re tempted to try all of the intriguing dishes on
offer; however, portions are pretty generous and prices are fair but not cheap
so it’s best to order selectively and come back regularly to try what you
didn’t get around to last time. It’s also worth keeping some room for the
divine deserts. My personal favourite is the mango sorbet. It’s so mangoey,
it’s like God tried this sorbet and was inspired to create the mango.
Txirimiri, by the way, is Basque for a type of drizzly, misty, rain that they
get up in Euskadi quite a lot. Go figure…