Eneko Atxa, the 5 Michelin star chef: "It's not about appearing on a list, but about convincing your customers"

Considered one of the best chefs in our country and in the world, Eneko Atxa is in the kitchen stratosphere. But he has simple tastes, he gets up early and...

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Considered one of the best

chefs

in our country and in the world,

Eneko Atxa

is in the kitchen stratosphere.

But he has simple tastes, getting up early and sleeping little, having dinner with the family and being in the kitchens of

Azurmendi

, the restaurant in Larrabetzu (Vizkaya) that he considers his home and the place "where he should be".

He has others in Tokyo, London, Lisbon, Bilbao, Seville and the last one for the end of the year in Madrid.

He has also been one of the youngest chefs to obtain three

Michelin

stars , for
Azurmendi

In total, he already has five, with another two for

Eneko

and Eneko Lisbon.

And among other recognitions, which are many, 'su casa' has been on the list of the

50 best

restaurants in the world for years, according to 'The World's 50 Best'.

His path to the top began in 2002, when he was declared Spanish Champion of Young Chefs Signature Cuisine, an award ex aequo with

Jordi Cruz

, which he won with a review of a baby squid stew, a cod and pumpkin dish and a farmhouse wrapped in nuts with leek juice.

What is the secret to getting such a

resume

before turning 45?

"The only thing in this job," he tells us, "consistency, enthusiasm, never losing the desire and being in the day to day with that concern of how I can do better tomorrow. This is 1% of

inspiration

and 99%

perspiration

," he jokes.

"Work is the only way to success, but this is not to appear on a list, which is something a bit subjective, but

to convince

your clients every day."

Their five

stars

show that they are more than convinced.

The first came in 2007, just two years after opening

Azurmendi

And even today he gets emotional when he remembers it.

"For me, Michelin has been and is the guide par excellence. It was super motivating for the whole team. It seemed to us..., wow! The prize really has to be day to day, that the customer who comes home feels who has lived a fantastic

experience

, but that November 22 has been marked in my professional and personal life as one of the

happiest

days . Very, very happy".

In a few years, up to five more.

Do all the stars taste the same or do you get used to it?

"No way, you never get

used

to it. The exercise you have to face when you open the doors of the restaurant is to

strip

yourself of all that you have achieved, because you have to conquer it again

every day

. That is the real challenge and the beauty of our trade. To get used to it would be to lose everything, it never crosses my mind, you have to

earn

it every day and one by one, client by client".

Honesty

in its purest form, just like his cooking, which is hard for him to define.

"Giving it a name is very complicated, because it involves looking at yourself in the

mirror

and saying what you see, and sometimes it's even uncomfortable. It's a kitchen that drinks from a

territory

," he says.

And that is inspired by its " culinary

heritage

and seasonality".

The magic comes later, from reaching into what he calls the "

tool

bag ."

"You have an immensity of techniques that help you transform the

product

and the idea you had into a new one, but we don't do that individually, we create a battery of dishes, bites, snacks..., preparing all the chapters that They're going to make up the

final

story ."

A story that began messing around in the kitchen with his mother and grandmother.

His first

recipe

for her was some petit choux, "pretty disastrous, but edible."

She was 16 years old.

"I was cooking at home the things that I put into practice in the hotel

school

and in the restaurants where I learned. Although they were not excellent, they were very

motivating

dishes for me."

Because his was not vocational.

"I was not very clear about what I wanted to do. This society forces us to decide what we want to be when we are only 16 or 17 years old. And at that age it is difficult to get it

right

. I was lucky, I found a small segment that seemed to me to have a lot of

connection

with the artisan world, because food is very present in our lives.

I tried it, I liked it and I was

passionate

about it .

And to this day I'm still passionate about it.

The world of gastronomy is wonderful and

magical

: food is a transformative tool."

In this

transformation

he is also a benchmark.

Azurmendi has been named the Most Sustainable Restaurant in the World, recognized with a

green star

, like Eneko, and with the Sustainable Sun from the Repsol Guide.

The latest award to arrive was one of the Five Oceans awarded by the MadBlue 2022 summit, for its contribution to creating a more

sustainable

, healthy and fair society through gastronomy.

A more modest award but that the chef also considers "a

push

towards something that we do not only as a restaurant, but as individuals. Our job is to create gastronomic experiences, to

feed

very well, but the knowledge that we have acquired to do it we can use it to achieve other

objectives

that are of the highest order".

As an example, the

Azurmendi

building itself , completely

sustainable

, with geothermal energy, photovoltaic panels and a system that recycles rainwater.

"It had to be the reflection of a house that intends to do things in that sense," he explains.

Along with this, innovation projects to give food a more useful life, a

seed

bank that has recovered 400 local varieties on the verge of disappearing, a system that converts

disposable organic material into

compost , local
producers

, orchard... ., "many small projects, probably imperfect, but with the aim of gradually transforming our microspace into a habitat that is as

sustainable

as possible," he says.

"We do not want to be

an example

of anything. We are insignificant on a planet that requires a unanimous effort, but it is nice that these actions that we carry out are

reflected

in a society eager to change things. Small gestures multiplied by many end up being an important one The awards are a

loudspeaker

that encourages people to launch, each in their discipline, in their profession, in their homes, this type of act that aims to

tie

the game: winning is not possible because we are late, we are carrying a wonderful planet".

Innovate without betraying the roots

The latest for Eneko is NKO, a project that brings together

Basque

and

Japanese

gastronomy , a cuisine that the chef discovered more than 15 years ago.

How is it possible to unite them when they seem so different?

"They have many points of connection. Imagine a ramen changing its broths for a

Biscayan

sauce , a niguiri where the washabi is replaced by a

piparra

paste or a tempura similar to one of the fried foods that we do so much around here," he explains.

In this sense, it is possible to

innovate

without betraying the

roots

that form the essence of your kitchen.

"Everything we call tradition today was innovation at some point. It's about continuing to evolve, keeping the

heritage

you've acquired, and then giving it the format you think is best to reach the public in the best way."

As they did before "

Juan Mari Arazk, Pedro Subijana, Martin Berasategui

and so many people whom I admire. I have had the opportunity in some cases to work with them, and in all of them to be close friends. Being next to living

legends

and having

luck

that they give you their friendship is something indescribable, a very beautiful relationship.

It must be similar to when you study history and travel to Rome for the first time."

Who would you like to cook with? I really like cooking as a family.

I am passionate about doing this exercise, because I believe that cooking is sometimes a tool for conversation and enjoyment.

A kitchen or a table is the ideal place, perfect, to share, listen and learn. Your dishes are recognized all over the world, who are you missing? Who would you like to cook for? To say that I prefer to cook for one would be lying, because for me it is an act of justice and responsibility to cook for everyone equally.

We live from each one of those who come to our restaurants, they are the ones who keep them alive.

It seems that the salaries are paid by me, but the diners pay them.

Actually, I cook with love for everyone, with great taste, precision and demand, because I always think that whoever comes to the restaurant has chosen our house,

has bothered to make a reservation, drives over there and pays.

And look how nice that they also thank us many times.

It is a wonderful thing that happens in very few trades.

I have to be grateful to all those who have come to Azurmendi and to those who intend to come. After the intensity of the restaurant, who cooks at home? When I am there, always me.

If I do it in the restaurant for my clients with all the love in the world, how can I not do it for the people who live with me.

I also think it's super cute, a way to share with the family and try to transmit love to them.

Cooking is like a caress, for me it's a way of saying 'I love you'. And what is it like when you sit at the table as a guest? Very easy.

I am a good diner, with simple tastes, and I always thank you very much.

The mere fact that someone cooks for me already seems like a luxury to me. Alberto Chicote always measures the level of a restaurant with croquettes.

What do you ask for in the competition? Nothing concrete.

I let them serve me whatever they want, I put myself one hundred percent in their hands.

Since I'm lucky enough to like everything, I prefer to be proposed, it makes me very happy that they cook whatever they want for me. Given the choice, what is the dish with which you are always won over? pil pil never fail, I've always been passionate about them.