Pedro Subijana, Akelarre, San Sebastian, Spain

Pedro Subijana is a three Michelin-starred chef with 40 years practical experience since his restaurant Akelarre was opened in San Sebastian in 1975, a mecca for lovers of fine gastronomy within Spain. He is considered as the one of the leading experts of modern basque cuisine and was also a member of Euro-Toques (recognised by European Union as an organisation to defend the quality of food) in 1986 and was designated as president in 2003.

Akelarre (meaning a coven of witches) is seen to have revolutionised the new basque cuisine throughout the 70s, 80s and today. Pedro became a chef on a whim as he was set on starting at medical school but changed last minute to enrol within a hospitality school.

His dishes enjoy a world reputation for an interplay of the traditional and distinctive. One dish that is strongly recommended to try is the foie gras, which has pearls created from the foie gras itself and then pouring liquid nitrogen on the little balls so that they become hard; creating a crunchy texture on the outside with a creamy inside which is completely unexpected.

Another dish that showcases Pedro’s talent is a transparent fusilli which is made by creating the pasta out of vegetable gelatin that is then bound around a corkscrew and then filled with sauce.

Pedro also has an academic background as in 2011 he ventured into teaching by announcing his cooking school where you can discover, learn, cook, communicate and build up social networks with other enthusiasts.

The school was established next to the Akelarre restaurant area (on the slopes of the Monte Igueldo Mountain in San Sebastian), an ideal place for food adventurers and chefs to watch how Pedro and his fellow “witches” make their cuisine.

You are then able to sample the dishes made during the master class in the dining room and have a bird’s-eye view over Cantabrian Sea. Furthermore, Pedro is also on the Board of the Research and Science based Basque Culinary Center, managed by Mondragón University as well as publishing an array of cooking books.

Pedro’s academic experience is similar to his teacher’s. In the early years, Pedro was a student of Luis Irizar, who happened to be the first person to open a catering school in the Basque country. After completing his course, Pedro started to work as a teacher for some time, before studying under Luis Irizar, he was professionally trained in the Hospitality School of Madrid.

Like what Pedro once said, “Nowadays if you’re not involved in certain kitchen trends, you are disqualified before you even begin”, not only did he seize trends but also leads a new one.

In January 2015, he received ultimate accolade from Golden Drum which proved his ability once again.

By Liangying Wang