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Forbes
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Basque Cuisine Has A Japanese Soul At This Wildly Creative Restaurant
Chef Tetsuro Maeda in front of Txispa Mandrágora Fotógrafos Tetsuro Maeda is a man of eccentric stories. The chef of Txispa will casually mention a trip he made to Hokkaido, when, by the way, he was a top-ranked professional snowboarder in Japan. Driving around Spain's Basque Country near Axpe, he'll point out the route he followed when he spent ten years commuting by horseback to his job at Asador Etxebarri. Even simple conversations often spark to life with an unexpected detail. Perhaps that's why his restaurant, just up the hill from his former longtime workplace, Etxebarri, is called Txispa—the Basque word for 'spark.' The easiest way to sum up the restaurant is to imagine what Japanese cooking could have looked like 300 years ago, but made in the Basque Country with ingredients that thrive there. But that description sounds more like a thought exercise than an unforgettable meal. And Txispa is certainly unforgettable. In fact, there's something ineffable about the whole thing, something that can't be explained with a formula. There's a spark, a flicker of magic that's alchemical rather than analytical. As the cover page of the keepsake menu explains, 'Txispa is not just a name; it is the Txispa that transforms.' The road leading to Txispa Courtesy of the restaurant It continues with more insight into Maeda's journey. 'My teacher used to say: 'Txispa is missing,' reminding us that every dish needs that essence that elevates it. This is why we cook with passion, at the foot of the majestic mountains, deeply connected to the land where each dish reflects our authentic connection and the beauty in the simple.' Along with the snowboards and the saddles, that journey to the culinary big leagues followed a similarly unconventional path. In 2011, he bought a ticket to Spain using money he'd earned as a pharmaceutical guinea pig; an acquaintance in Japan had told him about an internship opportunity at the Michelin-starred Alameda in Hondarribia. This was the height of San Sebastian's reign as the European city with the most Michelin stars per capita—an era of relentless invention, experimentation and cerebral modernist cuisine. Maeda loved the artistry but found himself transported on a day off, when he went for lunch in Axpe. Chef Bittor Arginzoniz's legendary Etxebarri is the antithesis of all that—a fire kitchen where the grill is the centerpiece and the ingredients are pristine, where the ideas are simple and elemental, where the experience is almost primal: protein meets flame. Our lizard brains awaken. Maeda's certainly did. Aged and seared golden-eye snapper with perfectly crisp skin and lettuce Courtesy of the restaurant He learned enough Spanish to hit up Arginzoniz for a volunteer position, waited a year for it to come through, and then spent a decade at Etxebarri, where he lived in a former shepherds' shelter and rode that borrowed horse to work, even as he gained recognition as the grill master's most skilled apprentice and eventually became second in command. 'Etxebarri was the grill, nothing more,' he remembers. 'I loved it.' Now he's traded his horse for a Tesla, built a proper home for his family, and taken center stage in a restaurant of his own—one where he could be fully Japanese, not just trying to be Basque. It's the grill and a little more. Txispa opened in 2023 about 500 yards up the hill from Etxebarri in a gorgeous old stone caserío, or rural house with land for vegetable gardens. Maeda was drawn in particular to this one, which dates from the 18th century, because of the two mature cherry trees on the grounds. (Their fruits show up in the desserts.) Along with renovating the house into a seven-table, open-plan dining room with the kitchen—and especially its fancy Josper Basque grills—on display in one corner, he also worked with an agronomic engineer to recover about 2.5 acres of vegetable gardens, where he's planted shiso and mizuna alongside the Basque peppers and potatoes. Txispa occupies an 18th-century stone farmhouse Courtesy of the resturant That shiso is a detail that reflects Maeda's distinctive vision. The chef is proudly Japanese, something that shines through from start to finish, even as he's taking his place in a much larger, global fire dining movement. 'Fusion cuisine' sometimes gets a bad rap—gimmicks like biryani pizza, or al pastor sushi rolls deserve it—but Txispa is a blending of gastronomic cultures. It's not just one traditional, recognizable thing. It's a Japanese chef cooking Japanese cuisine with Basque ingredients, and all with the perspective of a 21st-century restaurateur but the constraints of a very different era—one with no DHL or FedEx. It's fair to say it's elemental Basque cuisine refracted through a Japanese lens. Or to describe it as Japanese food made in the Basque Country. A recent group of international diners called it Spanish kaiseki, a description Maeda quite liked. And whatever it is, it's very good, earning Txispa a Michelin star and a spot on the World's 50 Best extended list less than two years after opening. Basque sushi with fermented red peppers and rice crackers Courtesy of the restaurant Lunch—and the restaurant is open only for lunch, as Maeda considers the view of the stunning Axpe valley an essential part of the experience—begins, as so much fine dining does these days, in the kitchen. In late spring, the first bites were from a small wooden box of garden-fresh teardrop pea pods, which diners opened with their hands and ate straight from their shells—an appreciation of seasonal purity that felt rigorously Japanese. From there, he presents what may be his most emblematic dish, a sliver of lightly seared tuna tataki with fermented tomato water, red pepper and onion, all on top of a thin rice cracker. The fermented vegetables bring the acid taste that would normally come from the vinegar in sushi rice, while the preparation is also part of the traditional Basque dish marmitako (tuna stew). He calls it Euskal sushi, using the native-language word for the region. The rest of the menu unfolds in about ten reasonable courses, all served to every table at once, with Maeda standing in the center of the dining room and explaining what's going on. After a while, guests are invited back into the kitchen to watch the main event: Maeda team raising, lowering and tilting the racks above the coals on the grill, carefully executing a choreography between the proteins of the Galician beef and the flames that transform it. Maeda at the grill Courtesy of the restaurant Along the way, the dishes appear to have a strong Japanese DNA: Prawns are presented with nukasuke (pickles). Eel is served kabayaki- style (butterflied and grilled in a sweet soy-sauce-based glaze). A dollop of caviar rests atop creamy tofu in a tiny hexagonal pot. Corn and beef tongue are paired with koji (a fermented product that's often based on soybeans). Many of the ceramics are imported from the chef's native Kanazawa. And here's where it gets interesting. Soybeans don't grow in the Basque Country. And while Maeda doesn't follow any kilometer zero dogma and allows himself to import some of the best of the best, like the unadorned, ember-cooked scarlet prawns from the Mediterranean, he's decided not to take the easy way out on the Japanese ingredients. (Remember his guiding image of a Japanese cook being plunked down in 18th-century Spain.) The team makes their versions of tofu, miso, soy sauce and other Japanese staples using chickpeas, various beans and other native crops. It's labor-intensive, but it's part of what provides the spark. 'The fresh things have to be fresh. Bringing in soy sauce doesn't make sense,' he says, emphasizing again the importance of Txispa's emotional terroir. 'A big theme is the happiness I have about living here.' MORE FROM FORBES Forbes This Maverick British Chef Is Rewriting The Rules Of Fine Dining By Ann Abel Forbes This Wildly Creative Restaurant Turns Campfire Cooking Into Fine Dining By Ann Abel Forbes How One Of Munich's Top Chefs Is Using Gastronomy As Cultural Diplomacy By Ann Abel
Time Out
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
The Spanish restaurant named second-best in the world in 2025
Time Out knows a thing or two about whipping up a list of the best cities in the world for food, but the best restaurants? That's World's 50 Best 's bag, and their ranking for 2025's most outstanding places to eat has just landed. The 50-strong roundup was unveiled at a ceremony in Turin last week, and you can have a look at the full, mouth-watering ranking here. And while a Lima restaurant might have taken the crown, almost half of the spots were claimed by European restaurants. The first of these, which claimed second place, was Asador Etxebarri, a stunning restaurant nestled in the lush Basque village of Atxondo. It's around a 30-minute drive from Bilbao and less than an hour from San Sebastian, but this restaurant is a destination in its own right. About Asador Etxebarri, World's 50 Best said: 'Food enthusiasts travel from all over the world to experience the culinary masterpieces created by chef Bittor Arguinzoniz. With the help of a little fire, he transforms simple ingredients like milk and beef into extraordinary and unforgettable dishes.' Three other Spanish restaurants, Diverxo in Madrid, Elkano in Getaria and Enigma in Barcelona, also made the top 50 roundup. Elsewhere in Europe, restaurants in Denmark, Italy, Portugal and the UK, among others, made the list. Read on for all the European entries, and have a look at the full top 50 roundup here. The 23 European restaurants that made it into the World's 50 Best list for 2025 Asador Etxebarri, Atxondo, Spain Diverxo, Madrid, Spain Alchemist, Copenhagen, Denmark Table by Bruno Verjus, Paris, France Plénitude, Paris, France Ikoyi, London, United Kingdom Lido 84, Gardone Riviera, Italy Reale, Castel di Sangro, Italy Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler, Brunico, Italy Elkano, Getaria, Spain Le Calandre, Rubano, Italy Piazza Duomo, Alba, Italy Steirereck, Vienna, Austria Enigma, Barcelona, Spain Frantzén, Stockholm, Sweden Septime, Paris, France Kadeau, Copenhagen, Denmark Belcanto, Lisbon, Portugal Uliassi, Senigallia, Italy Arpège, Paris, France Vyn, Skillinge, Sweden Kol, London, United Kingdom Jan, Munich, Germany Did you see that the best pizzerias in Europe have been crowned for 2025?
Time Out
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
3 Tokyo restaurants named in the World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 list
Following Tokyo's strong showing in Asia's 50 Best Restaurants earlier this year, which included nine local entries, the highly anticipated World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 list has just added several more notches to the city's culinary belt. This year's rankings were announced at a ceremony in Turin, Italy on June 19 and include three restaurants in Tokyo and one in Osaka. Taking the top spot this year is Maido in Lima, Peru. It's run by Lima-born chef Mitsuharu 'Micha' Tsumura, known for his innovative take on Nikkei cuisine which blends the ingredients of his home city with the culinary techniques of Japan, where he has his roots. Maido was followed by Asador Etxebarri in Atxondo, Spain, Mexico City's Quintonil, Madrid's Diverxo and Alchemist in Copenhagen. Tokyo's highest ranking restaurant is Sézanne, which took the seventh spot, just behind Bangkok's Gaggan. Helmed by British chef Daniel Calvert, Sézanne continues to impress with its meticulous technique-driven cuisine highlighting seasonal ingredients sourced from across Japan. Elsewhere on this year's list, Tokyo's Narisawa re-entered the list in 21st place while Osaka's La Cime came in at 44. Florilège, which has relocated to Azabudai Hills, also secured a spot on the list, coming in at 36. Check out the full list of the World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025.
Euronews
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025: Who takes the top spot - and how does Europe fare?
The World's 50 Best Restaurants has announced this year's recipients of 'The World's Best Restaurant' - one of the world's most prestigious food awards. The awards ceremony took place last night in Turin, Italy, where the crowd gathered to celebrate the top restaurants and chefs for 2025. A panel of more than 1,000 experts, split into 27 regions around the world, came together to decide on the final ranking. So, what is the World's Best Restaurant this year? The accolade went to Maido in Lima, Peru – which was placed at number 5 in the 2024 awards and now unseats last year's winner, Disfrutar in Barcelona, Spain, to the top spot. Maido's Lima-born chef Mitsuharu Tsumura cooks a fusion of Latin American and Japanese flavours, and said: 'We talk a lot about sustainability of the environment, but we rarely talk about human sustainability. I think this industry can be an example of how we can bring people together with the power of food.' Every year, the panel awards special prizes to chefs, front-of-house staff, and activists who are leading the charge in hospitality in 2025. This year's special awards went to the Best Female Chef, Pichaya 'Pam' Soontornyanakij of Potong, Bangkok and Mindy Woods in Byron Bay, winner of the Champions of Change 2025 award. The World's Best Pastry Chef award went to Parisian chef Maxime Frederic, while the Estrella Damm Chefs' Choice Award went to Alberta Adrià, head chef of Enigma in Barcelona. The highest-ranking restaurants on each continent were given a special mention. Maido, as the best restaurant in the world, takes care of South America. Incidentally, Peru was well represented in the Top 50 list, as three other Lima-based establishments joined Maido: Kjolle (9); Mérito (26); Mayta (39). Tresind Studio in Dubai (ranked number 27 in this year's awards) was named the best restaurant in the Middle East. The best restaurant in Asia is Gaggan in Bangkok, at number 6, while the best restaurant in North America is Quintonil in Mexico City (number 3). The best restaurant in Europe is Asador Etxebarri in Spain (number 2 this year and last year). Spain also has DiverXO in Madrid in the global Top 5, retaining its number 4 spot. Elsewhere in the Top 20, Denmark's Alchemist (Copenhagen) ranks number 5 and climbs three spots compared to last year; France's Paris-based Table by Bruno Verjus drops to number 8 from its number 3 ranking in 2024, and Plénitude (also in Paris) has the 14th spot this year, up four compared to last year; and the UK's Ikoyi, which was ranked 42nd in 2024, jumps up to number 15. Italy is the European country with the most restaurants in 2025's Top 20 list, with Lido 84 in Lake Garda, Reale in Castel di Sangro and Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler in Brunico all ranking 16th, 18th and 20th respectively. Here is the full Top 50 restaurant list (European entries in bold): 1. Maido, Lima, Peru 2. Asador Etxebarri, Atxondo, Spain 3. Quintonil, Mexico City, Mexico 4. DiverXO, Madrid, Spain 5. Alchemist, Copenhagen, Denmark 6. Gaggan, Bangkok, Thailand 7. Sezanne, Tokyo, Japan 8. Table by Bruno Verjus, Paris, France 9. Kjolle, Lima, Peru 10. Don Julio, Buenos Aires, Argentina 11. Wing, Hong Kong 12. Atomix, New York, USA 13. Potong, Bangkok, Thailand 14. Plénitude, Paris, France 15. Ikoyi, London, UK 16. Lido 84, Lake Garda Italy 17. Sorn, Bangkok, Thailand 18. Reale, Castel di Sangro, Italy 19. The Chairman, Hong Kong 20. Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler, Brunico, Italy 21. Narisawa, Tokyo, Japan 22. Serene, Bangkok, Thailand 23. Boragó, Santiago, Chile 24. Elkano, Getaria, Spain 25. Odette, Singapore 26. Mérito, Lima, Peru 27. Tresind Studio, Dubai, UAE 28. Lasai, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 29. Mingles, Seoul, South Korea 30. Le Du, Bangkok, Thailand 31. Le Calandre, Rubano, Italy 32. Piazza Duomo, Alba, Italy 33. Steirereck, Vienna, Austria 34. Enigma, Barcelona, Spain 35. Nusara, Bangkok, Thailand 36. Florilège, Tokyo, Japan 37. Orfali Bros, Dubai, UAE 38. Frantzen, Stockholm, Sweden 39. Mayta, Lima, Peru 40. Septime, Paris, France 41. Kadeau, Copenhagen, Denmark 42. Belcanto, Lisbon, Portugal 43. Uliassi, Senigallia, Italy 44. La Cime, Osaka, Japan 45. Arpege, Paris, France 46. Rosetta, Mexico City, Mexico 47. Vyn, Skillinge, Sweden 48. Celele, Cartagena, Colombia 49. Kol, London, UK 50. Restaurant Jan, Munich, Germany
20-06-2025
- Business
Maido named World's Best Restaurant, 5 US spots shine in 2025 ranking
Lima, Peru-based Maido has earned the No. 1 spot atop the World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 list. The illustrious fine-dining restaurant, which serves up Nikkei cuisine -- a fusion of Japanese precision with vibrant Peruvian ingredients -- was given the award at a ceremony in Turin, Italy, on Thursday night. The annual event, sponsored by and Acqua Panna, celebrates the best gastronomic talent from around the globe. Below, read more about Maido and see who else made this year's World's 50 Best Restaurants list, as well as the extended 51-100 list. Maido becomes World's Best Restaurant 2025 Chef-owner Mitsuharu "Micha" Tsumura's famed restaurant serves an evolving tasting menu of more than 10 courses. The establishment rose from fifth place on last year's to claim the top spot at Thursday's ceremony. The Lima eatery, which takes its name from a Japanese phrase used to greet people, according to a press release, was followed in this year's ranking by No. 2 Asador Etxebarri in Atxondo, Spain, and No. 3 Quintonil in Mexico City. Maido took up the reins this year from 2024 winner Disfrutar in Barcelona, which now enjoys an elevated position in the Best of the Best hall of fame. Several US Restaurants among World's Best Several U.S. restaurants also shone on this year's World's Best list, highlighting the diversity and depth of the American dining scene on the global stage. New York City led the U.S. representation at No. 12 with perennial favorite Atomix, the two-Michelin-starred Korean hotspot run by JungHyun Park and his wife Ellia Park. Ahead of this year's ceremony, World's 50 Best also unveiled the extended 51-100 list for 2025, which features restaurants across six continents. According to a press release, the extended list was "compiled from the votes of 1,120 culinary experts, including chefs, food writers and global gastronomes." SingleThread in Healdsburg, California -- known for its intricate farm-driven menus -- came in at No. 80 on the list, while Chef Eric Ripert's three-star Le Bernardin came in at No. 90 Atelier Crenn in San Francisco re-entered the list at No. 96, and César in New York placed its debut spot at No. 98 on the list. Two more new entries from North America made the list this year, including Arca at No.67 in Tulum and Huniik in Mérida at No. 89. Pujol in Mexico City, which came in at No. 33 last year took the No. 60 spot in this list, while Alcalde in Guadalajara made the ranking at No. 51. Ten restaurants made their debut on the 1-50 list this year, including Potong in Bangkok, which was the Highest New Entry at No. 13; Nusara, also in Bangkok, at No. 35; Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler in Brunico, Italy, at No. 20; Mérito in Lima at No. 26; Lasai in Rio de Janeiro at No. 28; Enigma in Barcelona at No. 34; Kadeau in Copenhagen at No. 41; Vyn in Skillinge, Sweden, at No. 47; Celele in Cartagena, Colombia, at No. 48; and Restaurant Jan in Munich at No. 50. Elsewhere in the awards, Ikoyi in London took home the Highest Climber Award, moving up 27 places from 2024, and esteemed chef-restaurateur Massimo Bottura and his partner Lara Gilmore were jointly honored with the Woodford Reserve Icon Award for their visionary work and social impact at Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy, and beyond.
