Eating Out in Benidorm Changing Dining trends
Cast your minds back 20 years, to the new craze that was sweeping Britain and holiday destinations like Benidorm, dining out! Going along to the local for a beer to discover that food was now being offered in Benidorm bars and at your local. Chicken and chips, scampi, fisherman’s platter, served in a basket with chips. I remember chewing on paper serviette which had stuck to my chips in the bottom of the plastic basket, mmmmmm! This was the start of a new dining revolution, called eating out.
Over the years trends have certainly moved on very quickly and no more so than in the many Benidorm restaurants and pubs. Along came the Levante steakhouses, which at the time was like haute cuisine. Back in the UK used to look forward to popping down to the local beefeater inn, on a Sunday evening, for deep fried mushrooms with garlic dip, then a rump steak, with peppercorn sauce, with 1 peppercorn in it, which, incidentally had been made in a factory unit down the road, and supplied in individual bags, which could be warmed in hot water. This was garnished with half an over grilled tomato and watercress that had wilted on the warm plate. Oh, don’t forget the tinned mushrooms too.
Then the pizza and pasta revolution came in along with KFC, and the burger chains which sprang up all over Benidorm to feed the 4 million plus tourists who visit our resort every year. Some people love it, but, I am certainly not sure. I find most of these retail offerings are not particularly good to eat, and the temperature of the food, certainly could, and no doubt, should be hotter! My favourite trend then came in. Chinese and Indian restaurants and the take away were appearing on the high street and across Benidorm too! What a fantastic concept it was. Out for a good booze up at Café Benidorm then stop off for special fried rice or a Kebab on the way back to the hotel!
My career was certainly changing with these trends too. Even people coming to restaurants wanted food with the ethnic influences. When I moved to the Millennium Stadium as the Executive Chef, retail food was certainly looking for the ethnic and middle eastern touch, as opposed to the Pie, pasty and sausage roll diet, the punters had been used too – especially in Holiday hot spots like Benidorm. One thing I had to realise was that, whatever we did, it had to be available to 74,000 people, during a 15 minute window at half time. The idea we came up with was, wait for it, a Chicken Balti Pie!
Now, I am living here in Benidorm, Spain, and with all the experience of the last 20 years behind me, it’s back to creating dishes with a twist. To me, it’s very important to take a quality ingredient, be it a Tuna steak, breast of chicken or a fillet steak, cook it as quickly and as simply as possible, well seasoned, then plate with some nice quirky leaves or shoots for garnish. What we are using at the moment at Esteban´s restaurant are continental leaves like Rocket, Frissee, Oak Leaf and Lollo Rosso. These are readily available at the Benidorm markets and supermarkets, and are a step up from the iceberg lettuce, tomato wedge and lemon wedge, which used to be the standard garnish for everything. They are a so much fresher taste to the bog standard lettuce, and certainly enhance the appearance and taste of any dish. We are also using fresh herb oils, balsamic syrup and different shoots, like pea shoots, alfalfa sprouts, baby basil sprigs and garlic sprouts giving our dishes that special unique Esteban´s touch! Certainly different to the chopped curly parsley of the old days! All these ingredients are great to use and readily available to the professional chef in Benidorm and house cook too. Try a few of the above leaves and dressings with supper tonight, you’ll be pleasantly surprised how fresh and zingy everything becomes.
Next time you do a salad for dinner, put a simple dressing over it before you serve. It will certainly lift the salad. Dressings are so easy to make. Take an empty washed out Jam jar. Squirt some honey in, a teaspoon of grain mustard, squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper, then some extra virgin olive oil. Put the lid on, shake really well, pour over the salad, toss, then serve. Any dressing can be kept in the jar, in the fridge. When it’s finished, wash the jar and keep for the next dressing.
So there you have it a little history of dining trends and how thing have changed over the past 20 years or so both back home and in Benidorm. It has taken a little longer for fresh ideas to reach the kitchens of Benidorm pubs, cafe´s and restaurants, but if you ask around great food is out there in holiday Benidorm. Seek and you shall find and enjoy good food.
Author – Steve Jones – Creative Chef – Estebans Restaurant Benidorm
To book a table at Estebans in Benidorm and to see this seasons menu please visit their website at www.realbenidorm.net/estebans
Add comment March 3rd, 2010
