Popularly known as “the borage chef”, Rubén Martín defends, from La Flor de Lis and Tajo Bajo, a cuisine of roots, very visual, in which the maximum respect for the quality product prevails.
Trained at the Escuela de Hostelería de Miralbueno in Zaragoza, Rubén Martín worked in some of the best kitchens in Zaragoza – La Matilde, La Granada, La Bodega de Chema and Casa & Tinelo – before taking over the kitchen of La Taberna Flor de Lis in 2020 and two years later, of Tajo Bajo, Zaragozan restaurants belonging to the Vaquer Group.
With several awards to his credit, obtained in Zaragozan competitions such as the official tapas, croquettes or the Gastronomic Route of the Toro Beef, Ruben was elected the Best Young Chef of Aragon in 2021. Beyond his professional facet, he is a committed young man who shows, whenever he has the opportunity, a side of solidarity that translates into his commitment to causes such as the Inclucina Club, in which people with intellectual disabilities learn to cook alongside professional chefs to promote their social inclusion.
Linked since 2020 to the Vaquer Group, Rubén Martín worships Aragonese produce, with borage as the maximum exponent, both at La Flor de Lis and Tajo Bajo: “This is how I have always worked, enhancing Aragonese food, giving prominence to the producer and trying to contribute to the circular economy,” he assures.
When asked about the type of cuisine he believes in and defends in his day-to-day work, the first thing Rubén does is allude to his village in Lower Aragón, Fabara, to his family, to his grandfather’s vegetable garden, to his baker uncles… “perhaps that is why I have always been interested in the origin of the product, knowing where and how it is obtained”. In fact, he says, “I deal directly with many producers and I try to visit them to see how they work in situ”.
With this raw material of proximity and differentiated quality, in the kitchens of La Flor de Lis and Tajo Bajo he presents a proposal, he says, “always attached to the roots, although updated, especially in the presentations, very visual and with attention to detail, not only in the food, but also in the tableware and in everything that surrounds the dish”. To devise and execute his dishes, he says that he resorts to tradition, but without renouncing to new techniques, renewing traditional elaborations through the search for different textures, presentations, etc.
In his menus, the “borage chef” lives up to his title, placing the queen of the vegetable garden of Zaragoza at the center: “Of the 25 dishes we offer, 14 are with borage, we even have desserts made with this vegetable,” he says proudly. “We try to unify the proposals of both restaurants, reproducing in Tajo Bajo the success of La Flor de Lis, whose offer was very well received and was already consolidated”. However, there are nuances: “As its name suggests, Tajo Bajo is more carnivorous, our specialty is, of course, the low cut of beef, but we also offer meat dishes in high demand as the ‘tataki baturro’, explains Rubén.
With the opening of this design establishment, cozy and informal, in the middle of Plaza del Pilar, they pursued a double objective: “on the one hand, to be prescribers of the Aragonese product and cuisine, in the main tourist attraction of Zaragoza; but we also wanted the people of Zaragoza to come to have lunch or dinner in Plaza del Pilar and, in only two years, we can say that we have achieved both objectives”, he concludes.
