Noor, the two Michelin stars from Córdoba that "emotionally knocks out" the diner

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Modernity and evolution are concepts that seem inseparable from haute cuisine, but there is no avant-garde without following the path that others have set before them.

Paco

, who mastered the hospitality industry at home and learned from the best, had dreams gone more than a thousand years ago, to the Caliphal Córdoba that shone in Al-Ándalus, and they come true every day in

, where the Time, the ingredient on which everything revolves, seems stopped but, in reality, it flies.

"Time is fundamental in my kitchen, not only because of the hours after the preparation of each dish, but also because of what comes before: research, going to the historical legacy... cooking has always required time, but not only the one of now, also the one of always: a stew or a fabada is, in addition to its ingredients, time", affirms the chef, already relaxed after a food service in his

, the place where he pours hundreds of hours and that is the basis on which a restaurant of this category is sustained.

More than 20 people have worked to feed seven tables, practically one per customer.

A bet, an idea, in which Paco Morales feels very "comfortable" and that he convinced the Michelin Guide the first time, because eight months after the opening of Noor he recognized him with a star.

Morales - 'accompanied' by the historian

- returned to the 10th century of his city, governed by

and experiencing a moment of political power and cultural awakening, and forced himself to build a menu with the same ingredients with which their ancestors fed.

Several centuries were missing before the arrival in the New World brought to Europe ingredients that are now basic, such as the

or the

.

In Córdoba, oddly enough, salmorejo was still not made.

First tomato dish in Noor's history.

On his trip to the splendid Caliphate, Paco Morales collected products, flavors and customs of the time and worked them with the mind and hands that had shared the kitchen with

(Mugaritz) and

(elBulli).

The Michelin star and the success among the clientele forced a second return to the past, in this case to the 11th century, specifically from 1031, the year in which the Caliphate of Córdoba was divided into the so-called Taifa Kingdoms.

It was the so-called

, the iconic initial menu that placed the Cañero neighborhood on the Spanish gourmet circuit.

haute cuisine on the outskirts

In something as up-to-date as a

, the chef who cooks the past of his land, explained why a normal, working-class neighborhood,

, was the one chosen for locate Noor: "I wondered if one day I would be able to create something minuscule, something tiny, with my possibilities, something that would put a gastronomic stone in a city as historic as this one, can we attract attention from here so that Curious people come from Córdoba and abroad? That was the challenge, to have a project that fed back with the culture of the city and that is not in the town square, or in this case next to the Mosque".

Panoramic view of Noor's dining room.

It was inevitable to continue dreaming of Andalusian gastronomy and build a

-based on the heritage of the Almoravid and Almohad empires, 12th and 13th centuries- and a

-dedicated to the Nasrid kingdom, 14th century-.

Time passes quickly in Noor, and that seems stopped when we find ourselves in her dining room tasting some dishes whose roots are almost lost in the mists of time.

The gastronomy and history lessons that were Year 2 and Year 3, the latter incorporating Christian and Jewish influences into the then dominant Arab cuisine, hung the second Michelin star from the façade of Noor, a milestone for Córdoba and a new key moment for the restaurant.

Four seasons, two stars, it was necessary to take stock and present the definitive menu of this glorious stage:

.

The long-awaited proposal with ingredients from the New World finally arrived last fall.

After washing your hands in the Andalusian-style darkness and feeling the light that invades the impressive diaphanous space in which you cook and eat, the restaurant staff informs: the native foods of the America discovered by

already they are in Noor.

Timeline and foods incorporated since the opening of Noor.

That "transition from darkness to light" is, in the words of Paco Morales,

.

The diner will not only receive a succession of shows of the highest gastronomic level, they will also attend a choreography in which the room staff dance around them to the rhythm set by the chef.

"In such a long menu it is necessary that there is no down time. Without overwhelming, we are aware of all the details. We do magic without the client realizing it", assures the Cordovan chef, who

if he thinks the photo he's about to immortalize the moment will come out prettier with the placement he thinks is right.

It is probably impossible to get two Michelin stars without adding a bit of obsession to the talent and effort that is taken for granted:

, All this is as important to me as having soap in the sink and changing your napkin when you go to the bathroom".

Reach (and please) all types of customers

"Noor is a very themed restaurant, it is a gastro-cultural project where we try to be a place where all kinds of people can come.

, continues Morales, aware that although his restaurant has a philosophy and follows a very specific timeline, there are many customers who are not interested in what the people of Cordoba ate in the 12th century, what want is to eat well them today.

To avoid boring that percentage of the public, "at Noor we don't give the badge although of course if someone wants to know more they are happy to answer."

As usual, Paco Morales proposes menus of three lengths and, although it is difficult for him to stay with a specific pass, he admits that the

is the dish that "technically cost the most, the one that required the most thought; it was not easy to get hold of it point".

Karim of pistachios.

There is not a single bite that leaves indifferent, each ingredient is part of a whole full of harmony, color and flavor.

"We are inserting history into each layer of the menu," says Morales, very satisfied with the "many dishes that identify us and in which little things happen" in his

.

And to accompany such a memorable succession of recipes, nothing like putting yourself in the hands of

, a discreet sommelier, not at all invasive and a great connoisseur of the wines available.

She herself admits that, due to space, it is not possible for them to store as many references as she would like, but in her cellar there are splendid bottles and the occasional treasure.

The pairing that Vidal offers is comfortable and very satisfying, in which the selection stands out - palo Cortado, Amontillado, Oloroso, Moscatel - from

, the appellation of origin of Córdoba where truly unique wines in the world are made .

Six years have covered more than seven centuries of Andalusian gastronomy.

The kitchen is infinite and what has been achieved in Noor is already part of the history of restoration.

Neither a hypothetical third Michelin star nor the arrival to this day will be the ceiling of Paco Morales, a chosen one who 'only' needs time to continue making magic.

And after eating at Noor, where do we have dinner?

If Paco Morales invented Noor in a neighborhood far from the tourist circuit of Córdoba, for his bar,

, he wanted a much more central and accessible location to reach a wider audience.

A fun, varied menu, suitable for all tastes and pockets -with wines of all kinds and a variety of Alhambra beers- in which you can find some of the most typical dishes of Cordoba cuisine although, of course, with the chef's stamp :

, but orange and with smoked cod and cheese, and

, with parsley mayonnaise.

Tripe "in the style of my father", croquettes, beef tartar or hamburger are some of the proposals of the Bar de Paco Morales, another way to get to know the cuisine of this colossus of Spanish cuisine and a perfect plan to go to dinner something else light after a noon tribute at Noor.

Noor

Pablo Ruiz Picasso Street, 8 Córdoba Tel: 957 964 055

Paco Morales' Bar

Ronda de los Tejares, 16 Córdoba Tel: 957 977 421

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