Power
MASTERS top chef: Adrian Zarzo Habraken
Ten years ago, Adrian Zarzo Habraken (Benaguasil, 1981) started his own restaurant in Eindhoven. With his cooking, an exciting mix of classic Spanish and French cuisine, he has now received one star. In addition to being a chef, he also remains an entrepreneur: “Cooking is my profession that I get a lot of pleasure from, and the fact that I can earn money from it makes it even better.”
Comments Bart-Jan Brouwer
Photography Esther Quelle
In the center of Eindhoven, a short stone's throw from the bustling Stratumseind, is Zarzo, named after the Spanish part of the surname of founder Adrian Zarzo Habraken. The Iberian influence is further visible in the sculpture of a bull at the entrance, behind which a serene lounge area awaits - perfect for an aperitif. A graceful one goes in the back chef’s table shelter, good for ten to eleven guests. The restaurant is located one floor lower in this open building, in a setting of raw brick walls, light-natural wooden elements and large-format works by local artist Christiaan Lieverse, which stand out for their depth of color and relief. The interior has also been enriched with lamps, tiles and pots from design studio Kiki & Joost, also from the City of Light.
The kitchen is open, there are no secrets. There are in the wine room, where red and white pearls are waiting for the big uncorking moment. Adrian's passion for wines is evident from the many climate chambers that are set up here and there. “I hardly lose the bottles anymore,” he sighs with a laugh. We sit down for an espresso, after which he goes back to his Spanish roots: Benaguasil, a village northeast of Valencia, where he was born in 1981. “I come from a real catering family. My grandmother had one of the first bars that served food in the village. It grew into a real family business: my father, mother, aunt and uncle also joined. The business was open from five in the morning to two at night. Everything was provided: from a croissant in the morning and homemade ice cream to a menu of the day and a gin and tonic.”
Pots and pans
His parents had met in Lloret de Mar. “A cousin of my mother was the manager of one of the main hotels there, Guitart Rosa. My father worked as a waiter, my mother was able to work there as a holiday job behind the reception desk in the summer. They liked each other and one thing led to another. In Spain, as a child you bear the surname of both your father and mother, hence Zarzo Habraken. My Dutch character traits are that I am direct and transparent, my Spanish that I am sometimes impulsive and temperamental – right there. The passion for good food was instilled in me from an early age.
My daycare center was opposite the family restaurant. My mother was sometimes told that I only wanted to play with pots and pans. Already at the age of three I made my own paella with shells. My mother even went to the doctor: 'He doesn't want to play with LEGO or cars.' The doctor said, "Just let it go, maybe it will work out." I couldn't stay away from the kitchen of grandma's restaurant and helped wherever I could: gutting rabbits, plucking chickens, peeling shrimps…” After his parents divorced, little Adrian, at the age of twelve, returned with his mother and brother to The Netherlands. “I experienced that as a kind of holiday, so the move was actually very easy. Moreover, we always went back to Valencia during the summer and winter holidays. I did have to get used to certain Dutch dishes. I really hated pea soup. We first came to the Netherlands to live with my grandparents for two months, then with an aunt. She attached great importance to the fact that I did an hour of homework with her every day after school. Eventually my mother got her own house, close to grandparents. She still lives in the same house.”
Perfection
In the Netherlands, Adrian goes to the School for Consumer Professions, now De Rooi Pannen. “I always wanted to be a singer or a chef. I had a good voice, but they thought it would be better for me to wait until puberty had passed before taking any singing training. Do I ever sing anymore? Only when I've had a glass of wine, haha.” Within the SKB he first does a two-week internship at the Collse Hoeve in Nuenen. “My supervisor wanted me to go into ministry – I had those skills, he thought. I came home excited and said to my mother: 'This is what I want, absolutely fantastic.' However, she advised me to take a look in the kitchen before I finally chose a direction. And so during my next internship, at the Luytervelde in Eindhoven, I could be found behind the stove. Apparently chef Michiel Verbakel was pleased with me, because after ten days he asked if I would also like to come and work there during the weekend.
I would do my first year in the Luytervelde: four days of work, one day of school. It was very family-like there, there was a relaxed atmosphere, I enjoyed being there and enjoyed working from ten in the morning to twelve at night. After that year I wanted to apply for a job at the Karpendonkse Hoeve in Eindhoven, but Michiel said: 'Yes, yes, nice and easy, by bike. No, friend, you should apply to Juliana in Valkenburg.' I followed his advice and was accepted. The first thing I did was call him from a telephone booth in Valkenburg. Juliana had one star, which was reflected in the discipline. It was all about perfection. For the next year I applied to Inter Scaldes, Toine Hermsen and De Librije. I received a rejection from Maartje Boudeling, Hermsen did not respond and Jonnie Boer allowed me to come for an interview. That took exactly three minutes. Michiel, with whom I have always kept in touch, was willing to throw a ball to his former colleague Niels van Halen, who then worked at De Hoefslag, also one star. That's how I ended up in Bosch en Duin. At De Hoefslag I did a lot of pastry work under the supervision of André van Doorn. That's where my love for wine started. It came about when I saw a documentary about wine: the auctions, the tastings, the chateaus... That touched me. I bought my first bottle at an auction when I was sixteen.”
MASTERS MAGAZINE #55
Want to read more of the article? The magical autumn edition of MASTERS Magazine is now available. Artificial intelligence has now become an indispensable part of our lives. But, is this development something to celebrate or fear? Will Terminators take over or will friendly robots make our earthly existence even more comfortable? In this edition, AI is examined. According to philosopher Rowan Williams, it is important to remember that whatever AI does, it always imitates. And that we as humans distinguish ourselves through ingenuity. A good example is real estate entrepreneur André Snippe, who is developing an ultra-modern city district in Hoofddorp. Or nautical designer Jurjen Eerkens, who has developed a groundbreaking boat with his Hytender that is leading the way in making the yacht industry more sustainable. These and more resourceful entrepreneurs grace the pages of this edition. Which also looks ahead to MASTERS EXPO | The MAGICAL Edition, our exclusive business fair also born from ingenuity.
