That Álex González opens a mega restaurant called Rhudo in the most elegant neighborhood of Madrid, Salamanca, with Paco Roncero, Antoine Griezmann, Marcos Llorente and Miguel Ángel Silvestre as partners, is not because he wants to be a Michelin chef or is considering leaving his Actor career. Rather, it is an uncontrollable desire to learn and take risks.
Álex is creative, calm but quick in his responses, he speaks softly, he smiles a lot, he likes to talk and cook. Before Rhudo's grand opening party tonight, he talks about his melon, cucumber and apple salad.
Is this your first business with partners?
Yes, I knew Paco Roncero and obviously Miguel Ángel Silvestre, but Antoine Griezmann and Marcos Llorente came from this year and a half of creating Rhudo.
Do you not heed your father's advice to invest in brick?
There are conservative profiles and others that are more risky and I, like everything in life, take risks. Sometimes it turns out very well and other times it turns out badly, but in Rhudo there is a measured risk. I always ask myself three questions: Where am I going? When I have it clear, I do the following. With who? With these wonderful partners it was clear. And for what? To be happy. If the answer to the last question is not happiness, then change course.
You become an entrepreneur, are these signs of change?
Being an entrepreneur is very big for me and yes, I admit that at first I was a little afraid of moving away from my profession. I immediately found the link; enjoy. Being an actor is all about people enjoying themselves and this restaurant is an experience to enjoy.
Your favorite dish?
Turbot and baked fish in general. He would also say the rice dishes but I leave that to Miguel Ángel Silvestre who embroiders them. A curious thing happens at Rhudo, of the partners that we are, each one has a specialty. The rice for Miguel Ángel, the fish for me and Griezmann and the wine list for Marcos Llorente. Llorente knows so much that the selection of our winery has been, to a large extent, his decision.
And Alex González's star recipe from Rhudo's menu?
Although my star recipe is baked turbot, I have now incorporated the cucumber, apple and melon salad, which seems easy but it is not, and I have also proposed a bite of lobster in bao bread that is having enormous success. They say that creativity is one of my strengths and it occurred to me to merge two dishes when we were creating the menu, and that bite of lobster came out, which is delicious.
Does red predominate, are they all colchoneros?
It is pure coincidence because the green dominates in the background and the blue above, but there is a peculiarity and that is that the footballers cannot have dinner after the games, everything is closed. They gave us the idea of having the kitchen open until five in the morning. And also to create a private club for 50 members with independent entrance from the garage. It is not clandestine but it is private and very discreet.
Perfect for your new conquests, for example.
Ha ha, they always catch me and nothing happens because I don't hide and it's nice that they see you accompanied and happy. Otherwise, being alone, would be very sad. I am very transparent and clear in everything.
What dishes do you make your conquests happy with?
The truth is that I am vain about few things, but I will tell you that I am very good at cooking. So with anything because I like it a lot and I make them a baked fish or a chicken strudel that I have been perfecting since I was twenty. I have cooked it for Miguel Ángel once and he always laughs and calls it the “chicken student.”
Don't beat around the bush. Besides Michelangelo, who has he conquered with his strudel?
The thing is, if I tell you names, you're not going to know any of them. There are no well-known names that I have conquered with strudel. It's more for having dinners with friends. I'll tell you that women have never cooked for me. They say you conquer through your stomach and I personally don't care about that.
So, where do you get conquered?
It conquers my head. I don't care about the profession, but a good conversation and a sense of humor win me over.
Do they beat you up a lot on the networks?
No, I have been very lucky with that or I have not seen it and I have not found out. In general the public is very kind and affectionate on the networks and on the street, I am very lucky.
I see you as a candidate for Master Chef...
They have never offered it to me and I would only accept it for the pleasure of learning, although here with Paco I learn every day. For example, I have never been good at rice dishes but Roncero is teaching me, although I will never surpass Miguel Ángel, who is his strong suit.
