New Executive Chef Alberto Becerril Brings Fusion Twist to Spanish Cuisine at Agua
Nali Patio, known as the hub of the delicious Spanish restaurants in Sanlitun, is always our go-to spot for breezy brunches or dressed-up formal occasions. After the former executive chef Jordi Valles Claverol left Agua last August, a fresh vibe was brought in with the appointment of a new executive chef from Madrid. Alberto Becerri’s culinary experience is shining – he worked as chef de partie at 2-star restaurant El Portal de Echaurren, then sharpened his claws at Tickets of Ferrán Adriá and Albert Adriá in El Bulli, and at five-star hotels in Asia, South America and the Middle East.
Revamping the summer menu with 21 new dishes, some of them childhood favorites which were prepared by his grandmother, Becerri has added some twists from different cultures. He kicked off our meal with a local Madrid specialty tapas, bocatitas de calamares (RMB 48), a sandwich with black buns (colored with squid ink), filled with fried squid and seasoned with parsley alioli. This sandwich (or burger, if you share our zest for the burger life) is rich in flavor, the squid is tender with a crunchy crust, and the alioli is rich and creamy.
The Japanese tuna tarta (RMB 188) is a strong representation of Becerri’s new concept. The raw tuna is marinated in a kimchi sauce, providing spice with a hint of acidity, while the white sesame and cherry tomatoes bring more texture and nutty and fruity flavors. The portion is sizeable – you may want to add a bowl of rice to convert it into a poke bowl and call it a day.
But we hope you press on, as the marinated Japanese mackerel is our winner (RMB 298). The mackerel is cooked to perfection and seasoned with sea salt. The fish rests on a bed of jelly made of rebujito (a cocktail of sherry and soft drinks), which adds some boozy and aromatic flavor to the dish. The sauce elevates the dish to another level by adding some nori to accent the umami flavor. For steak lovers, the Wagyu tenderloin with glazed baby potatoes (RMB 318) will satisfy your carnivorous needs, rounded out by peanuts, praline and black truffle. The black sausage creamy rice with wild mushrooms and truffle (RMB 268) is full of earthy flavor and balanced with blood sausage, with rice cooked al dente with a rich flavorful sauce.
For dessert, we tried the cauliflower with vanilla and coconut from the tasting menu. The coconut and vanilla mousse pair well, but the flaked cauliflower still dominates the taste, for an unusual but intriguing combination.
To try his new menu, Agua offers a six-course tasting menu at RMB 498, including Marinated tomato tartar with garlic-almond velouté (ajoblanco); confit and grilled artichokes with roasted red bell pepper sauce and Iberico ham; and one of Alberto’s signature rice dishes – salmon creamy rice with mascarpone, seaweed and citrus zest; to codfish and cod tongue (kokotxa) with spinach and callos sauce; and Iberian oresa oork with grilled white asparagus, cured Machego cheese sauce.
The atmosphere at Agua is not pretentious, and is in fact very down to earth and muy delicioso. We can see ourselves making our way back here to try more dishes and desserts, and have some cava in the breezy al fresco dining area.
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Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
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Photos: Agua, Tracy Wang
