The Martín Berasategui restaurant in Lasarte, with three Michelin stars, has had two Lanzarote natives among its stoves for a few weeks. They are Yisel and Oswaldo Rodríguez, two brothers from Uga who are passionate about hospitality, he for the hustle and bustle and creation in the kitchen, she for dealing with customers and the hustle and bustle between the tables. After years of training and working in Lanzarote, they are now learning in the Basque Country with the prestigious chef, who has 7 Michelin stars to his name.
And they do it for no less than 15 hours a day, five days a week, which they spend working at full speed in the restaurant, which is "always full", as a "pure cook" and a "pure waitress". "You have to like it, you have to be clear that you are going to work 15 hours a day and at full speed, that's the first thing", explains Yisel, who, although she studied nursing, is very clear that her vocation is hospitality.
Her brother Oswaldo was the first to arrive in Lasarte. He studied cooking at Zonzamas and later worked at the Brisa Marina restaurant in Play Blanca. At a fair, "Juan El Majorero saw him, as they usually call the restaurant, and they called him", says his sister, who explains that "apart from the basic cooking, which is what he studied, he wanted to improve" and went to "all the fairs". Thus, through a contact very close to Martín Berasategui, he managed to get in, which is not easy.
"It costs a lot to get in, there is a list of up to a thousand people, everyone wants to, because of the title they get. A basic cooking title from Zonzamas is not the same as from a restaurant with three Michelin stars", says Yisel. When he arrived, "the first day he was shocked". "He called me and said: ‘Yisel, you have to come, this is very big, the waiters don't miss a single detail’". She, who was working, didn't think twice and, when they told her that she had been selected, she picked up her things and left. "I gave the company fifteen days' notice and here I am", she says, pointing out that it is a "very big opportunity, in a 3 Michelin star restaurant, which there isn't one in Lanzarote".
"One day I would like to be like him"
Although having direct contact with the Basque chef helped these two brothers, Yisel Rodríguez also emphasizes that in order to do an internship with Berasategui "you have to know a lot, because otherwise you'll be out on the street on the first day". "You have to have determination, enthusiasm and want to learn every day. And you have to have a good resume, otherwise you won't get in, because there are so many people waiting".
Now that both she and Oswaldo have achieved it, Yisel defines the experience as a "luxury". She says that Berasategui is "a lovely person" and that he strives to ensure that "we are all great professionals". In particular, she highlights his dedication. "He is always there, from the time the restaurant opens until it closes, always greeting people, making sure everything is going well", she says. "Because he has such a great name, he has never left the restaurant behind", she says, while admitting that "I would like to be like him one day".
Yisel Rodríguez finished her nursing studies last year, although she admits that before starting them "she already knew" that what she loves is hospitality. "For me, hospitality has always been something incredible, I like being in contact with customers, explaining what the dishes contain, what they don't... The hours fly by". Despite this, this young woman from Uga is also aware that "in the long run it burns a lot" and, for this reason, she decided to undertake other complementary studies and build an alternative.
"The more you train, the better"
Thus, in September she plans to do her nursing internship, although she is convinced that the 6 months that both she and her brother will spend with Martín Berasategui will help them to be "much better prepared". "You always have to choose the best and the more you train, the better", she explains.
Grateful for the learning they are experiencing, these two brothers, in a brief note sent to La Voz, were full of praise and gratitude to their family. "Being here is not just being at school and that's it", says Yisel. They do not receive a salary for the internships they do, but they have to face the expenses of the apartment, transportation, laundry for the uniforms, she lists. Their "courageous mother", as they define her, takes care of all this, aware of their effort, and to whom they are grateful for always being aware of "that we don't need anything". Also to her partner, Iván. "We don't have his last name, but he is our father. He has known us since we were little and raised us", they explain.
Despite the pace of work and the effort involved, Yisel and Oswaldo Rodríguez are enjoying and taking advantage of the experience. "We like it so much that time flies by and we give it our all". That means that they are "getting very good opportunities" there, although Yisel does not forget that they have their family in Lanzarote. "In the long run, we will decide".
