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MANILA, Philippines - Who is the Spanish celebrity chef whose Mugaritz restaurant has been described as  “the most important gastronomic phenomenon on the world scene in recent times” by the international gastronomic press?

He was born in San Sebastian in the Basque country of Spain in 1971.  He began his  career in the kitchen of a pizzeria where he worked in between studies, he graduated from the School of Hotel in San Sebastian.

He then went on to work for Spanish culinary greats Ramon Roteta, Hilario Arbelaitz, Jean Louis Neichel, Juan Mari Arzak, Fermin Arrambide and Pedro Subijana. 

In 1993, he joined the team at El Bulli under Ferran Adria, and in 1996 he moved to a chef position under Martin Berasategui at the chef’s restaurant outside San Sebastian.

Two years later, he began working on his own at Mugaritz,  the hyper-seasonal, high-concept restaurant he has been running since 1998.  Mugaritz means oak border in Basque and is considered one of the 10 best restaurants in the world.  It has two Michelin stars.

Located atop a green hill just outside Errenteria, Mugaritz is a perfect blend of rural and cosmopolitan influences:  a traditional Basque farmhouse containing a small, simply designed dining room served by a very international team.

The garden grows the herbs, flowers, and vegetables that are served at their freshest in the restaurant, as well as wild, local flora.  The whole area is wrapped in a mantle of silence and aromas, helping set the scene for a very unconventional chef.

Poetry, philosophy, science, knowledge, and nature all participate in the creation of a very personal concept.  “Haute cuisine is achieved when nothing stands out and there is balance,” he likes to say. 

He has gradually developed a new approach to the task of the restaurateur saying in the prologue of Clorofilia, one of his books, “improvement and perfection means making the technique so much a part of the dish that it is no longer noticed . . . It is natural, the reflection of something that must in itself be simple.”

Despite these culinary advancements, no innovation has been so iconic as his development of potato stones and chocolate bubbles.  One of the first chefs to work with clay, he presents simple potatoes that resemble tiny rocks, but actually have a creamy texture and luscious taste.

His bubbles, on the other hand, are crafted using Xantham gum and a fish tank bubbler.  Always entertaining, these airy spheres maintain their shape on the plate long enough to be served, and then burst playfully over the dessert they were hiding.

Such is the essence of his cooking: adventurous and amusing, with an enduring focus on flavor and experience.

Beyond his culinary expertise, he is the creator of Dialogos de Cocina, a biannual international meeting designed to promote the exchange of ideas between haute cuisine, high end catering, and various consultants, thinkers, networks, and research groups.

A prolific author of books, articles, and even a kid’s culinary magazine, he sits on the board of Euro Toque, an international association of European chefs and the Innobasque board of directors,  an intra professional group uniting the Basque region’s top technological, business, scientific, and creative leaders.

In 2002, he was awarded the National Prize for Gastronomy, and the Spanish guide Lo Mejor de la Gastronomia named him Chef of the Year and Patissier of the Year.  In 2003, the Basque Gastronomy Academy awarded him the Euskadi Prize for Gastronomy to the Best Restaurant.

Through all this, his motto remains the same, “We  want to steal our diners’ hearts.”

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Last week’s question:

Who is the Korean born, American-based celebrity chef who is behind the famous Benu restaurant in San Francisco and is a goodwill ambassador for the city of Seoul?

Answer:  Corey Lee

Winner: Gerry Suello of Mandaluyong City

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Text your answer to 0915-6486414 with your name and address. One winner will be chosen through a raffle of texts with the correct answer. The winner will receive P2,000 worth of SM gift certificates for use at Our Home, SM Department Store, or SM Supermarket. They can claim their prize at Our Home in SM Megamall. Call the store manager at 634-1943. Bring photocopies of two valid IDs and a clipping of the Design Quiz issue in which you appear as winner.