Elena Arzak facts for kids
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| Born | Elena Arzak Espina 4 July 1969 San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain |
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| Cooking style | New Basque cuisine |
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Elena Arzak (born on July 4, 1969) is a famous Basque chef from Spain. She is the joint head chef of the amazing three-Michelin starred restaurant called Arzak. She works alongside her father, Juan Mari Arzak. In 2012, she was honored as the World's Best Female Chef.
Elena Arzak's Culinary Journey
Elena started working at her family's restaurant, Arzak, when she was just 11 years old. This made her the fourth generation of her family to work there! During her summer school holidays, she would work for two hours each day. At that time, her grandmother was the head chef. Her father, Juan Mari Arzak, also started by working under his mother before becoming the head chef himself.
After attending hotel school in Lucerne, Switzerland, Elena's father sent her to train at other famous restaurants around the world. In 1989, she worked for six months at Le Gavroche in London. She trained under Albert Roux and alongside Michel Roux Jr.. She also learned from top chefs at places like La Maison Troisgros, Le Louis XV with Alain Ducasse, and Restaurant Pierre Gagnaire. She returned to Spain to work at elBulli.
Later, Elena became the joint head chef of her family's restaurant with her father. In 2011, she visited The Restaurant Show in London, England. There, she gave a cooking demonstration and helped open the show. Elena has said she doesn't plan to open another restaurant right now, but she hasn't ruled it out for the future.
Her Amazing Awards
In 2011, Elena was nominated for the Veuve Clicquot award for World's Best Female Chef. That year, Anne-Sophie Pic won the award. However, Elena Arzak went on to win this prestigious award in 2012, recognizing her incredible talent.
Elena's Family Life
Elena Arzak has two children, a daughter named Nora and a son named Mateo. She is also very talented with languages and can speak four different ones, including German.
See also
In Spanish: Elena Arzak para niños
