David Boldova, whose restaurant Novodabo won numerous awards, such as the Sol de Repsol, continues to defend from the same mansion, now converted into La Embajada, an innovative and attractive cuisine based on a differentiated quality raw material.
David Boldova got hooked on cooking when he was just a child, at the side of his grandmothers, Pilar, to whom he owes his love for seafood, and María, from whom he inherited knowledge of French cuisine. Trained at the Teruel Catering School, he soon began to travel to some of the best kitchens in the country, to soak up the knowledge of professionals such as Arzak, Abellán or Subijana.
He also worked in some of the most renowned Aragonese establishments, before launching his most personal project, Novodabo, in 2007. In 2014, he moved his restaurant to a beautiful mansion built in 1888, in the central Plaza Aragón in Zaragoza, a privileged setting to give free rein to his creativity and love for the profession. The following year, the Aragonese Academy of Gastronomy elected him Best Restaurant of Aragon, a distinction that would be joined by others such as those awarded by Horeca, by the Cook & Chef Institute Foundation, the Sol de Repsol or the recommendation in the Michelin Guide.
In 2024, David has embarked on a “very cool new project, very different”, although in the same location: the restaurant La Embajada, now run by the hotel groups Aura and El Cachirulo. “It has been completely refurbished, and the concept has changed towards a more informal, fun and fused gastronomic experience”, explains the head chef.
However, the imprint, not only of David in the kitchen, but also of his brother Alejandro, in the dining room, still prevails in a new project that has been very respectful with those who made Novodabo a reference in Aragonese gastronomy. “Our cuisine is divided into two aspects: Nikkei cuisine, for which we have specialized chefs, and the dishes that have always identified me at Novodabo,” David describes.
Fusion with knowledge
The introduction of Nikkei cuisine and with it, the combination of food from Aragon with others from different origins, is nothing new for a chef who has always liked to “fuse quality products from the sea and the territory”. Thus, his characteristic and imaginative “sea and mountain” dishes are still present at La Embajada with examples such as “the ‘Manolitos’, baby squid stuffed with Longaniza de Graus, Monreal del Campo chorizo with chilindrón or acorn-fed Iberian bacon with carabineros and passion fruit, which was already a classic at Novodabo”.
The team at La Embajada is also adding a new element to Nikkei cuisine, turning it into Peruvian-Japanese-Aragonese, “fusing Nikkei elaborations and techniques with local products such as sushi with caviar or trout from El Grado or the borage makis with Ternasco de Aragón that we are going to introduce”, says David.
And in both aspects of the menu -the Nikkei and the more personal- the season of the product is another determining factor. “Now, we have introduced for the winter months proposals such as artichoke hearts with amontillado and ham foam or borage in green sauce with thistle and red shrimp”.
A varied, innovative and quality gastronomic offer, which can now be enjoyed during uninterrupted hours, in a completely renovated space and to which other attractions such as cocktails, drinks, music by dj’s and a terrace where you can taste, throughout the day, the cold specialties of La Embajada are added.
