Lunches, Valencian coca and even hamburgers made in Valencia. What is already considered the most modern basketball and concert stadium in Europe, hides a surprise that goes beyond the sporting or musical spectacle: its gastronomy.
The question posed by the comedians Jajajers (Alexis Martínez and Jorge García) in their recent video on Instagram sums it all up: wood-fired paellas in a basketball stadium?
You don’t need a game or concerts to enjoy the gastronomic proposal directed by chef Miguel Martí, because this space has become another “restaurant” to go to any day of the week.
The Valencian proposal of Miguel Martí
Far from opting for the big international franchises that populate this type of venues, the Roig Arena has made a radical bet for the local. Here there is no Caesar salad, no sushi. “In all the Arenas at the end you ate the same thing,” Martí comments in the video. “We believe in Valencia. We are Valencians, what better way to sell Valencia than by making paellas? And what’s more, we’re going to make them with firewood.”
Paellas ranging from Valencian to artichoke rice, putxero or baked rice, accompanied by an esgarret . While the process becomes a spectacle in itself.
The paellas are cooked on sight at Restaurante Poble Nou, and after the initial cooking, they are immersed in a water bath of ice to stop it dry, allowing the collagen in the broth to rest. The final touch, a last minute over the fire, seeks to create that longed-for crispy socarrat.
They even invite diners into the kitchen to participate in the ritual of throwing the rice into their own paella.
The local concept expands to “El Mercat” in the Arena, where it is accompanied by stalls run by successful Valencian brands such as Hundred’s burgers, Mesedora’ s sandwiches or Xé Chicken’ s fried chicken. The philosophy is clear: whatever you can buy in Valencia, you buy here.
As Miguel Martí says, “for us it wouldn’t make sense to make sushi here. We are proud of who we are and we want to transmit those values”.
Below you can see the full report prepared by Jajajers.