THE CHEFS

MARTÍN BERASATEGUI

“It’s not very difficult to get food right. You just need to know how to make the most of what you’ve got and improve it.”

Hailing from Spain’s Basque region, chef Martín Berasategui’s fate as a culinary force was set at a young age. At 14 he began what would become a life-long career, learning the secrets of cooking in his parents’ San Sebastian restaurant before spending the next 13 years studying haute patisserie and bread-making in France. Working alongside the country’s top chefs, he sharpened his charcuterie and cooking skills before opening his own namesake restaurant in 1993. That restaurant, bearing the proud mark of three Michelin stars, is one of 12 that Berasategui now manages, including The Ritz-Carlton, Abama’s two Michelin-starred M.B.

ERLANTZ GOROSTIZA

“The kitchen is not a job, it’s a lifestyle. Ninety-five percent of everything I do in my life is directly related to gastronomy.”

Growing up in a traditional family in the north of Spain led Erlantz Gorostiza down the path to becoming a chef. He spent time training in Michelin-starred restaurants under Spain’s most renowned chefs, including Martín Berasategui. Gorostiza is known for dishes rich in flavor and high in quality, a result of his respect and care for ingredients. He blends traditional and modern without compromising the elements of either, resulting in plates that are not simply food, but art.