San Sebastian - A town for creative foodies...

As an artist, I acquire inspiration from my every day life experiences, particularly from my travels. I have been fortunate to have the opportunity of exploring beautiful wonders around the world: to see, touch, feel, smell, and taste things inherent to each place. Speaking of the five senses, I’d like to share with you a trip of mine to one of the world’s top gastronomic destinations, where I tasted foods that make my mouth water just thinking about: San Sebastian. Boasted as one of the best in-city beaches in Europe, San Sebastian is located in the Basque Country in Spain. It is a small city that features many fish restaurants, pintxo bars, several beaches, and designer clothing shops.

Although tapas were originally invented in Andalucia, they became perfected in San Sebastian, where they are called “pintxos.” Pintxos are eaten differently here than they are in other cities in Spain. They are featured in two types: cold and hot. You can find numerous pintxo bars as you walk through the old town.

San Sebastian is the food Mecca of the world with the most Michelin-starred restaurants per capita. Among them is the highly awarded and acclaimed Martin Berasategui Restaurant (My personal favorite). Thousands of people from all over the world come and dine at this “gastronomic temple” every year to experience the divine taste, and pleasure, of Martin’s palate-enticing cooking. It was a true treat for me to dine at such an extraordinary restaurant while in San Sebastian. Martin Berasategui, the cook connoisseur himself, has truly cultivated a holistic experience out of his cooking by transmitting his knowledge to new generations.

To me, cooking in an art form that fully captures our senses. It becomes much more than merely eating a meal when one adds some creativity and ‘spice’ into it. It is the passion and courage to be adventurous and take chances, fueled by inspiration, which makes a true artist.  

I invite you to learn more about this enchanted coastal city of San Sebastian and its world acclaimed restaurants. Tantalize your senses just a bit…