Where does your passion for cooking
come from?
I was pretty much born with a passion for
good food. My grandmother was one of the
first people in our village to serve food in
her bar.
When did you realise that you wanted to
turn this passion into a career?
When I was a child, I constantly played with
pots and pans, and made my first paella
with mussels at just three years of age.
By the time I was twelve, I already knew
that I wanted to be a chef.
If you had to describe your cooking style
in three words what would they be?
Pure, exciting and contemporary. I focus
on the products and create exciting and
modern combinations. I like thinking ‘outside
the box’.
Your restaurant ‘Zarzo’ offers dishes that
are based on traditional Spanish recipes –
what do you serve up?
The dishes are a reflection of myself: classic
Spanish cuisine fused with French cuisine, as
I learned from top chefs. I’m not an ‘culinary
artist’. My dishes look great but they aren’t
Mondrians. It’s truly about the products.
Top left: the Michelin-star
chef makes his dishes from
a mixture of regional produce
and speciality products directly
from Spain.
Top right: Zarzo truly
appreciates the BORA X BO’s
performance. What’s more, the
look of the steam oven is the
perfect fit for his restaurant.
Buttom: wine is another of
Zarzo’s passions. He took
the opportunity to train
as a sommelier in the
‘De Librije’ restaurant.
Top: clear forms and
neutral colours – the
restaurant in Eindhoven
is stylishly furnished
with a minimalist design.
Buttom: welcome to the
chef’s table. Zarzo invites
diners on a culinary
journey of discovery with
an eight-course meal.
You enable people to see into the kitchen in
‘Zarzo’. One of the appliances you use there is
the BORA X BO, for show cooking. What made
you decide to use the steam oven?
The BORA X BO allows me to cook very cleanly without
generating any odours. We were also impressed with
the minimalist appearance, which goes perfectly with
our restaurant’s simple, industrial look.
Do you have a favourite function on the
BORA X BO, and what dish do you conjure
up with it?
Yes, we love using the steam injection function – for
our smoked veal fillet with puffed aubergine and
pickled egg yolk, for example.
You also use other BORA products – do you have
a favourite there?
I’m a big fan of the BORA Tepan stainless steel
grill as it enables me to prepare dishes in the way
I learned in Spain. For those of us who work in
professional kitchens, it’s important that appliances
are easy to clean and neutralise odours – and that’s
the case with all BORA appliances.
Does your menu include any dishes for
children?
Yes, sofrito! This is a basic sauce made from
garlic, onions, tomatoes, olive oil and spices.
It forms part of many dishes.
‘Zarzo’ has been awarded a Michelin star
eight times in a row. What makes your
restaurant so unique?
We always stay true to ourselves and we’re very
hospitable. We have an open kitchen, so diners
can watch my team freshly preparing all of the
dishes and see how hard we work to offer them
an unforgettable experience.
Biography
Born in Benaguasil near Valencia, Zarzo moved to the Netherlands
at the age of 12, where he later trained in gastronomy. His cooking
style has been shaped by his years working in Michelin-star
restaurants under Cees Helder (‘Parkheuvel’), Santi Santamaria
(‘Can Fabes’) and Jonnie Boer (‘De Librije’), as well as by childhood
influences. He opened his own restaurant ‘Zarzo’ in 2013, which
received its first Michelin star just two years later. Adrian has also
owned the restaurant ‘Zuid by Adrian Zarzo’ for several years.
“The BORA X BO impresses in terms of
both functionality and appearance.”
ADRIAN ZARZO
B O R A M A G A Z I N E
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