An unexpected result shakes San Sebastian’s gastronomic scene
The program Restaurant battlepresented by the chef Alberto Chicoterecently landed at San Sebastian with a clear challenge: finding the “best hake” in town. Four locals competed —Knocker, Usebi, Haizea Jatetxea And Azoka—, each defending their version of the dish, from the neck to the tail of the fish.
After the evaluation – in which the restaurateurs themselves and Chicote participated – the verdict exceeded all expectations. The restaurant Usebia family establishment, was declared the winner despite the lowest score: a 4.5 by the leader.
Why did Usabi hake win despite the bad rating?
The key lies in evaluating the whole: not only numerically, but also flavor perception, technical, service and the ability to transmit the essence of hake. In the words of Chicote, even if Usorbi “dazzles – perhaps only because of his lighting” – there is a steady hand in the kitchen: “Your son Jon has a good hand, he will get this rocket off the ground.”
The judgment highlights an interesting paradox: the “best dish” does not always coincide with the “best technical score”. He taste factorin this case, was decisive in the awarding of the title. Beyond the numbers, the global experience.
The mechanics of the challenge
In each edition, four restaurants face each other by creating a representative plate of your city or region. Their rivals evaluate what they are served, evaluating space, cuisine, food, service and prices. At the end, Chicote adds his own note. the winner takes €10,000.
On this occasion, the star dish was hake —a main fish of the Cantabrian Sea, symbol of Basque cuisine—, which raised the waiting of the duel between the participating premises.
Beyond the verdict: what matters to the restaurant
-
Authentic aroma, texture and flavor They can overcome technical or formal criteria. In this case, the flavor convinced more than the score.
-
He around, service And presentation they add to the overall experience; A good product or a precise technique is not enough.
-
This decision highlights that the judgment of taste This remains subjective: what convinces a palate may not convince a rating scale.
The result gives rise to reflection in the sector: perhaps it is time to give greater weight to the total dining experiencebeyond the conventional scales. And he values the role of modest restaurants whose focus on product and flavor can shine even in a competitive format.
About The Author
