DiverXO

We are about to step into the crazy imaginative world of Dabiz Munoz. We are about to eat a 26 course menu influenced from all over the world. It is a gluttonous feast and we enjoyed every minute of it. Before being seated, we are led directly into the kitchen where we see the dish washing area first. They stress the importance of this area because of their unique plates and serving utensils. Then we move on to the cold room where we spot the chef himself surrounded by three chefs working on a dish. I couldn’t get a better picture of him but I like that after 12 years he still shows up every day overseeing his fantastical menu. Next, we see the plating area where the entire ceiling of the room is an exhaust system. You will see all the different plates that are used in the upcoming photos but the one on the end here is probably the weirdest: a pillow. We then are seated at our table, a large table for two that in most restaurants would’ve sat four. Each table is concealed by sheer curtains creating an intimate space. The rest of the decor includes plastic boney fish, black butterflies, pig heads and butts, ice cream cone wine coolers, and giant metal ants.

Anthony Bourdain came to DiverXO in 2010, when the restaurant had only one Michelin star (it now has three), and described Mr. Munoz’s high-wire presentations, weird pairings (wasabi ice cream, cornichons) and grab-bag of cultural allusions — Spanish, French, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Italian — as “something that should probably suck.” He then tasted a kind of shumai stuffed with black pudding and a quail egg, served in a dim sum basket that concealed a deep-fried pig’s ear. “I love my wife, I love my daughter, and then I love this,” Mr. Bourdain said. Once seated, our server asked us if we had any allergies or dislikes and then we were ready to start (the souvenir menu was given to us at the end of the meal).

We were poured a Egly-Ouriet brut rose grand cru (AOC Champagne) to go with our first three bites. A fun little starter to kick off our meal was the Cantonese chicken greaves and 5 Chinese spices lemon. We dipped the crispy pork fat chips in lemon foam seasoned with Chinese 5 spice. This was followed with a “Taco-crepe” of purple corn with crunchy duck tongues, cucumber & tonburi served on a pillow; along side a “Niguri-croquette” made of sheep’s milk and “milefeuilles” of madurated salmon in Jabugo fat, tomato & smoked tea marmalade served on a wooden platform. Almost every course had eating instructions: either order recommendations or letting you know if a liquid center required eating in one bite. Our instructions here were taco/wrap then salmon. I remember liking the duck tongue taco but it fades in comparison to the salmon.  I don’t like salmon. This was one of the best bites I’ve ever eaten. The aging in the Jabugo ham fat changed the flavor enough that it was more pork than salmon but you still could tell it was salmon. Again, this was one of the best bites I’ve ever eaten. The next course consisted of a crunchy ox tail sandwich with stewed black poblano mole and corn and Jalapeno chili gazpacho with “quisquillas de motril”, pumpkin flower, vanilla oil, bacon ice cream and coconut. This and the next course was paired with Maximin Grunhauser Abtsberg Superior 2008. I liked the ox tail sandwich a bit more than the gazpacho. I still have a hard time eating raw shrimp just because they taste so much better when they are cooked. Not only were the plates constantly changing, the utensils we were given also took many shapes. A recurring one with different handles and colors was the rubber spatula: a great way to lick your plate of all the saucy goodness.

The next six bites/dishes were referred to as “Trip to Goa Beaches…” His twist on Indian food was really amazing. It started with the ham topped bite called “Pani Puri” filled with New Delhi “Salmorejo” and “Joselito’s Coppa”. The second to last bite is also pictured here (I told you there were rules ). It is a Steamed cheese “naan” with truffle, corn and acidulated parmesan cheese. Continuing with the Goa Beaches: Roasted caviar in a “tandoori” oven with “Vindaloo” curry and Greek yoghurt; “Dal Makhani” with whey made from sheep’s milk & chlorophyll; Frog leg as “butter chicken masala”, pickled mint, “papadum” of lentils & mango chutney. The final bite from India’s beach was served on the back of this elephant: a Mumbai flower with pink pepper. The fatty ham over the soft cushion of bread filled with Indian spiced tomato puree was delicious. The vindaloo, frog legs and dal were all very good and the truffle naan melted in our mouths. The Mumbai flower was unnecessary as the naan bite was much better. If anything it could’ve cleansed the palate for the next course but the next one really didn’t need a cleanser…

…Frosted salad from the back of the fridge served with crispy barbecue grilled fish (three different ones: cod, halibut and sea bream). This was served with Didier Dagueneau Blanc Fume 2011 (AOC Poully-Fume). The smokey flavored fish were all delicious and I need to rethink my impulse to throw away wilted salad that gets too cold in the fridge. The salad was really refreshing. Served on giant “X” and “O” plates, the “Negora” (velvet swim crab) dumpling “chilli crab” version of chipotles with “kokotxa” in a Roman style of duck yolk had a nice barbecue flavor with a bit of heat. This and the next bite of Xialongbao XO — Iberian soup dumpling with aged beef rib & bone marrow were paired with Sake Dewazakura Ichiro Junmai Daiginjo. The soup dumpling was delicious. Creamy bone marrow melding with beef rib in the delectable bite.

The next course was “Tortiyaki” made of potatoes, pickled chicken juice, black garlic, fried chicken and white truffle and next to it Soaked croissant crumbs from the bottom of the chicken roast. This was paired with Domaine de Villeneuve Les Vieilles Vignes 2013 (AOC Chateauneuf-du-Pape). I was glad we got a pot licker (my mom’s name for a rubber spatula) with this dish because the sauce was amazing. And look at all those white truffles! Above are two images of the Roasted langoustine course (one without and then with its Bordelaise sauce), black garlic butter, kimchi, XO sauce and Botarga. It was truly a work of art and the flavor of this complex dish was pretty great too. The next dish was the only one that didn’t do much for me as it was a bit too fishy. It was the Chargrilled Espardenyas in the Robata with a “pil-pil” sauce of “Aji Amarillo” (yellow chili pepper), warm “leche de tigre” made of red mullet, fried red mullet and smoked eel. It was paired with Domaine Macle Cotes de Jura 2014 (AOC). The next course, on the other hand was so so good. It was Crunchy “canape” of suckling pig skin, little squids, mature tomatoes & dried little squids marmalade, chargrilled “habanero” chilies puree & idiazabal cheese, frozen green lemon with coriander root. I loved the coriander green lemon little popsicle. This was paired with Ycoden Daute Isora 2017 from Tenerife. At this point in the meal, I am starting to slow down a bit. I am getting full and I’m warring with that feeling and the want to try every amazingly inventive and tasty bite. We were next served Steamed foie ramen, guinea fowl’s bones soup emulsified with its foie and roasted yolk in a coconut shell. Paired with this was a dry Tokaji: Szent Tamas 86 2012. We were encouraged to scrape and eat the coconut pulp with the soup and we definitely would’ve eaten all of this if it had been our first course, heck, even if it was our tenth. As it was more than halfway through and close to our final savory, we saved room.

Our final savory course of the night was Silk in your mouth: “Txuleton” & tamarind meuniere, wagyu from Kagoshima roasted and marinated in toasted “mojo”. Paired with Sake Yasu Yoshida Tedorigawa Umaika Old Vintage 1996. This was served with a rice noodle dish that had Buffalo Milk Skin, Sake & Yuzu-Organic Vietnamese steamed rice with sake, green tea and bamboo. The description does not lie, this was silk in your mouth. Amazing. The noodles were also so very good making these two dishes my favorites of the night. This palate cleanser of a dish was the first one listed under a group called “Animated Cartoons…Fantasy Sweet World…” It is “contesa” of chai tea, lychee and finger lime — yoghurt lassi and saffron. I was sooooo full that I struggled to get down the wagyu but this cleanser was so light and refreshing that I ate all of it. It worked wonders too because I ended up eating all of the desserts to follow! The first dessert was Coconut ganache, black garlic, blackcurrent bubblegum, basil & licorice — coconut-yuzu ashes ice cream and was paired with Doktor Bergweiler Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese 1976.  I loved this dessert. Not too sweet, not too licorice-y. The blackcurrent bubblegum pieces (not really gum — more a skittle-like treat) were so good (one is on the bottom left and two more were hidden under the licorice. It reminded me of an “Oops I dropped the Lemon Tart” only a bit darker. The next dessert was Corn, lulo, vanilla and the leftover milk from the bottom of the cereal bowl. Breakfast for dessert: these were the fanciest and tastiest Frosted Flakes I’ve ever eaten! Our last plate was called “Slurping your Childhood”. It was paired with our final wine, a port: Niepoort LBV 2013. On top of the mouth bowl was Cotton candy flan, beetroot, vanilla and a touch of sriracha sauce. Our final bite of the evening was The afternoon tea — croissant & white cookie mochi. We were not given a utensil and told instead to slurp up the flan bite directly. I’ve never been a fan of regular mochi but the white cookie flavor with itty bitty croissant was really good. We incredulously licked every bit off the bowl as if we were starving. We were beyond full but didn’t want it to end.

What an amazingly inventive evening. DiverXO deserves all the accolades and all the awards. We will remember this night for a very long time; dreaming of flying pigs and giant ice cream cones and some of the best, imaginative, delicious dishes from all over the world.

DiverXO, NH Eurobuilding, Calle de Padre Damián, 23, 28036 Madrid, Spain; Tel. +34 915 70 07 66; Reservations required; Lunch: Tuesday to Friday: 1:30pm – 3pm; Dinner: Tuesday to Friday: 8:30pm – 10pm.