Alberto Chicote facts for kids
Chicote in 2014
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| Born | 23 June 1969 Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain |
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| Education | Escuela de hostelería de Madrid |
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Television show(s)
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Award(s) won
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Alberto Chicote del Olmo (born on June 23, 1969) is a famous Spanish chef, restaurant owner, and TV presenter. He is known for mixing traditional Spanish cooking with new ideas and techniques. He helped start a style of cooking called fusion cuisine. This means he blends foods and cooking methods from different cultures, especially Asian, with Spanish dishes.
Alberto Chicote often attends big food events like Madrid Fusion. He also gives presentations, cooking demonstrations, and master classes around the world. On TV, he became very popular as the host of Pesadilla en la cocina (which means Nightmare in the Kitchen). This show is the Spanish version of Kitchen Nightmares. He also had great success with Top Chef. Since 2016, he has been well-known for hosting the special New Year's Eve show, the Twelve Grapes, on Antena 3 with Cristina Pedroche.
Contents
The Life of Alberto Chicote
Early Years and Training
When Alberto Chicote was 17, he started studying at the Escuela de hostelería de Madrid (Madrid Hospitality School). This school is located in Casa de Campo, Spain. In the 1990s, he worked in the kitchens of several famous restaurants. These included Lúculo, Zalacaín, and La Recoleta.
After training in Switzerland, he met Salvador Gallego, a chef who taught him a lot. For four years, Chicote was the head chef at a restaurant called El Cenachero. Here, he became known for creating a new style of Andalusian cuisine. This helped him gain recognition and success.
Becoming a Pioneer in Fusion Cooking
In 1987, Chicote became the chef at a restaurant called NODE Benjamin Streets. His goal there was to mix Spanish cuisine with Japanese cuisine. This made him one of the first chefs in Spain to try this kind of fusion cooking. In 1995, he returned to El Cenachero. He continued to earn praise for his fresh take on Andalusian dishes.
In 2005, he won the 'best chef of the year' award at the Madrid Fusion event. This was a big achievement for him.
New Restaurants and Media Work
In 2006, Alberto Chicote also started working as a chef at Pan de Lujo. This restaurant was known for its stylish look. He continued his style of mixing foods from different cultures. For a while, he was the executive chef at both NODE Benjamin Streets and Pan de Lujo.
He also wrote about food for the Sunday magazine of El País, a major newspaper. He even had a radio segment about food on RNE called Asuntos propios.
Rise to TV Stardom
In 2012, Alberto Chicote became the host of Pesadilla en la cocina on the TV channel LaSexta. On this show, he visits restaurants and helps their owners fix their problems. Some restaurant owners on the show have said he was too strict. However, the show became very popular, and Chicote quickly became a TV star.
At the end of 2012, LaSexta chose him to host the Twelve Grapes New Year's Eve show with Sandra Sabatés. He hosted the New Year's Eve bells again in 2015 with Andrea Ropero. Besides Pesadilla en la cocina, he is also a judge and presenter on Top Chef on Antena 3.
Opening His Own Restaurants
In 2014, Chicote opened his own restaurant called Yakitoro. The menu at Yakitoro offered his unique take on Japanese cuisine. It was so successful on Gran Vía that he opened a second Yakitoro restaurant. In 2016, he opened Puertalsol, a restaurant focusing on more traditional Spanish food. This was a partnership with the department store El Corte Inglés at Puerta del Sol.
Since 2016, Chicote has hosted the Twelve Grapes on Antena 3 with Cristina Pedroche. Their partnership has made the show more and more popular. They even had the most viewers on New Year's Eve from 2020 to 2024.
In November 2020, Chicote left Yakitoro. He wanted to start a new project with Inmaculada Núñez called Omeraki. At Omeraki, he focuses on using seasonal ingredients and creating recipes with a more personal touch. The new restaurant opened its doors on June 7, 2022.
Hobbies and Interests
Besides cooking, Alberto Chicote enjoys rugby and archery. He used to play rugby for the Madrid team when he was younger. He even played alongside the famous actor Javier Bardem. He had to stop playing rugby when he started his cooking career.
TV Shows
- Pesadilla en la cocina (2012–) on laSexta
- Top Chef (2013–) on Antena 3
- El precio de los alimentos (2015) on laSexta
Awards and Recognition
Alberto Chicote has received many awards for his work, including:
- Chef of the Year at the Madrid Fusion Congress
- Chef of the Year 2006 by the AMER
- AURA Award for being one of the most innovative chefs
- Chef of the restaurant in 2011 by El Mundo newspaper
- Madrid Fusion Award for the best artists of the decade
- Best TV presenter by TV Rioja
- 2013 Nécora Award for his travel and food character
- 2013 Qemos Award
- 2013 Festival Award for the program "Pesadilla en la cocina"
See also
In Spanish: Alberto Chicote para niños
