A Bronx diva, a night in the Barrio de Salamanca and a chef who likes things “wild”. Jennifer Lopez closed her time in Madrid as the manual of international celebrities who have already been here: letting herself be seen -as Margot Robbie did last week in Arzábal- in one of the most Instagrammable, juicy and explosive temples of gastronomy in the city.
And no, it wasn’t DiverXO. It was its younger brother, StreetXO, Dabiz Muñoz ‘s restaurant where haute cuisine is humanized.
The place, located on the third floor of El Corte Inglés de Serrano, has been for years one of those places of pilgrimage for lovers of Asian fusion well understood, but with muscle, humor and spice. If you go, do not expect formalisms: you will see neon lights, cooks shouting and dishes that seem to come out of a cross between a Bangkok street market and a science fiction kitchen.
JLo dined there. But not at just any table. In the secret booth inside the restaurant, a space away from the eyes of others where things, according to the chef himself, get “wild and wonderful”.
It was Dabiz Muñoz himself who shared the photo on his Instagram profile: a smiling pose next to Jennifer Lopez, with the following caption: “A clandestine night at @streetxo.madrid with @jlo. Life gets wild and wonderful as soon as you walk through the doors of StreetXO.”
All you can eat at StreetXo
What was the American artist able to dine? The exact menu has not been leaked, but if she let herself be advised, the normal would have been a combination of local hits such as Croquetas de la Pedroche (tuna sashimi, sheep’s milk, kimchi and Lapsang Souchong tea), the legendary Peking Dumpling with crispy ear, strawberry hoisin and aioli, or the explosive Carabinero Singapore, with rigatoni and bean sprouts in Asian street food style.
On the menu there are dishes that border on the performative: from the Korean lasagna of old Galician cow with wonton, to desserts such as the Brioche Pedroche with vanilla cream and chopped mango or the recent millefeuille of waffle ice cream with violet caramel, which is like snacking inside an umami-flavored cloud.
The average ticket is around 70-80 euros per person, although in the reserved area -like the one occupied by the singer- you have to count on a minimum of 600 euros for six diners. Add to that the cocktail bar, which is another world: from the Huevo de la Pedroche to the DiverXO Líquido Madrizzzz, including the Kioto Matcha Gin Tonic, served with tea ceremony included.
StreetXO has become, without the need to hang the medal of three Michelin stars, a place of worship in Madrid. A restaurant that appeals to chefs, foodies and celebrities who are not satisfied with a proper dinner. Jennifer Lopez has not been the only one: Ed Sheeran or Naomi Campbell have been there. The rest of the mortals, if they are lucky with the waiting list or queue, can sit at the bar and watch the fires and dumplings fly.