The premise of 2 Michelin starred Mugaritz is seemingly straightforward.
From November to April every year, the restaurant is closed so that chefs can work on next season’s menu.
This isn’t just a case of creating a menu showcasing seasonal produce. Mugaritz aims to evoke emotive responses out of its concept-based menu. It aims to do this without prejudice, creating a minimum 20 course degustration with alternatives to suit every known dietary restriction.
In one of the early scenes of the movie, you see index cards of ingredients, each representing a course, lining an entire wall. As you see the grid of cards, the enormity fo the task at hand hits you. And the fact that each course needs to be groundbreaking… terrifying.
Notorious for its dedication to the unconventional, Mugaritz invites audiences to bear witness to the creative process that brings eccentricity to the plate in this documentary by Paco Plaza.
It is a fascinating ninety minutes of being thrust in the centre of gastronomical creativity. So often, you think of the stereotypical passionate chef, pigheaded about attaining his vision.
But it is different at Mugaritz. Every team member has a quiet contemplative energy about them. It is almost therapeutic watching their dedication and finesse. It’s also heartening to watch them work seamlessly together. What a well-oiled machine they are, despite the chaos.
And it is chaos, even if not in the conventional sense.
The film has a disjointed quality to it. Too often, I found myself engrossed in what someone was saying before I was whisked off to a different work station. Two work stations later, and I’m back to the object of my interest but somewhat lost.
Perhaps this is intentional, so that viewers who can’t make it to Mugaritz would be able to experience it on the screen. If it is, I am not a fan of this directorial choice.
Still, if you’ve ever been interested in exploring the genius behind creative endeavours, Mugaritz: No Bread, No Dessert provides a worthwhile fly on the wall view.
Mugaritz: No Bread, No Dessert is now showing as part of the HSBC Spanish Film Festival