Foodie Confidential: Authentically Spanish

Foodie Confidential: Authentically Spanish

Bubbly Mikel Badiola, the chef de cuisine of Element on Tras Street, attributes his high energy levels to his passion for cooking.

"Because I'm young, I still have a lot of energy. Also, I like to joke and have fun in the kitchen. I know when we need to play and when we need to be serious."

The Spaniard started his culinary odyssey at seven, when he helped his housewife mother Raquel Azpiazu, now 53, to peel potatoes.

Asked about the first dish he made, Badiola, who turns 23 next month, says: "My parents gave me a pastry book and the first thing I made was sponge cake. It was the best cake I had ever tasted."

When he was 14, he accompanied his dad Edorta Badiola, 54, who now works as a manager of a sports complex, to a txoko, a traditional gastronomic society characteristic of Basque culture, where male members come together to cook, socialise and eat.

"You go there with your friends and family members, pay a small amount of money, take your own ingredients and cook there. They have basic necessities there. The food ranges from porterhouse steaks to Basque seafood soups. There is no specific dish to cook," says chef Badiola, who has an older sister, Naiara, 25.

Born in San Sebastian in the Basque region of Spain, he graduated from Aiala Catering School when he was 18.

His work experiences range from short week-long stints at friends' restaurants during his holidays to training for a year at the prestigious Martin Berasategui Restaurant in Lasarte-Oria, which holds three Michelin stars.

Of his experience working under chef Berasategui, he says: "He told me I needed to travel and explore the different cultures out there because I'm still young and, if I ever needed a job, I could always turn to him, provided I teach him all I have learnt from my trips."

What are Element and Element on Tras Street all about?

Element is a restaurant-bar that serves an international buffet and all-day dining menu.

It also offers appetisers from Amara's Thanying, Silk Road and Cafe Oriental, Toby Estate's coffee and a la carte Basque cuisine by me, featuring specialties such as Marmitako de Atun, a Basque tuna stew with potatoes and peppers. Element on Tras Street is the new alfresco area that connects Element to Tras Street.

What are your favourite cuisines?

I love Basque and Japanese cuisines. My favourite Basque dish would be the Kokotxas, a gelatinous emulsion of the small gelatinous pieces extracted from a fish head, cooked with garlic and oil.

What I like about Japanese cuisine is the way they work - the technique, the precision and the work ethic. After cutting up a fish, the table is still so clean.

Why did you move here, and what do you like about Singapore?

I moved here because I felt it was a good opportunity. Chef Berasategui was also very supportive. My girlfriend had been here for a holiday and she said it was a really nice place. I like Singapore very much. I love the weather and how it's a big city but is still quiet at night. It is also very safe.

What is your take on the local cuisine here?

I have yet to explore much of Singapore, but I've eaten at Maxwell Food Centre.

Usually I forget the names of the dishes I eat. I like how you can eat everything here, with many influences.

But my favourite local cuisine would be chicken rice from Cafe Oriental here in Amara Hotel.

Sometimes when I'm free, I'll go over to help them make chicken rice.

What do you consider comfort food?

Charcoal-grilled porterhouse steak. In Basque, it is very typical to eat this cut of beef.

Where does your creativity stem from?

I like traditional food. I like to cook food in traditional ways and give it a more modern presentation. My inspiration comes from chef Karlos Arguinano, who owns the culinary school I come from, and chef Berasategui.

What is your cooking philosophy?

To me, cooking is not an art, it's not a philosophy. It's just all that I love, from my heart.

Have you ever thought of fusing local dishes with Basque specialities, such as chicken Kokotxas?

Haha! No, no. I don't have much influence now, but when I work here for a longer time, I may use regional ingredients in my dishes. Right now, my food is still very authentic.

Any advice for aspiring young chefs?

Think four times before becoming a chef because as a chef, you have to work when others are taking the day off. You must be sure, determined and passionate.

If you could eat with anyone, dead or alive, who would you eat with, and what would you eat with them?

I would like to eat with my girlfriend and my paternal grandfather, two people I love a lot. I would have Kokotxas, charcoal-grilled snapper, porterhouse steak and a gin and tonic. It's a very big meal but, in Spain, we eat more than that.

How do you manage to keep so fit and lean despite your large appetite?

I exercise a lot. I go to the gym every day. In Singapore, I go running and swimming. Back in Spain, I would surf during summer and snowboard during winter.

What would your last meal be?

I will have Kokotxas, charcoal-grilled snapper, porterhouse steak and a gin and tonic.

This article was published on April 27 in The Straits Times.

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