“I don’t believe in walls, I believe in longer tables.”
-José Andrés
José Andrés was destined to be a chef from a very young age; he enrolled in culinary school at the age of 15. Even when Andrés—who was born in Mieres, Spain on July 13, 1969—needed to fulfill his mandatory service for the Spanish military, he served as the admiral’s cook.
Andrés’ philosophies on food mixed with the empathy he gained for other people during his time in the military. After the Haitian earthquake in 2010, he founded World Central Kitchen, which provides food and humanitarian aid to disaster zones struck by natural and man-made catastrophes. The organization has worked on domestic food insecurity in the United States by opening soup kitchens across the country during financial crises, even going so far as to enter active war zones, including the Gaza strip and at the Ukraine-Russia border.
José shows us how food is not only an everyday ritual for us—it’s a symbol of hope in desperate times. Those who are grief-stricken by tragedy or displaced by disaster can find peace and even just a sliver of comfort in one warm, filling meal.
Besides a philanthropic career in helping give back to his fellow man, Andrés also boasts an impressive resume of high-profile restaurateur success. His famed minibar only serves 12 guests at a time with a prix fixe menu, in something a little reminiscent of the film The Menu (my favourite thriller, by the way)—without the offing of the guests at the end, of course.
One of Andrés’ restaurants in particular stood out to me: Bazaar Meats, which has locations in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Andrés is credited with bringing the small plate “tapas” style of eating to the USA (or, at the very least, popularizing it). This restaurant features rare cuts of imported meats, such as the famed wagyu steaks and jamón ibérico, which is a cured pork cut from a specific Spanish pig that has been specially fed acorns to improve the taste.
The tapas aspect refers to the smaller, but still sharable, portions of food. Dinner should be an event worth savouring, especially amongst friends, and the process of dishing out food for each other over a longer period of time is something to enjoy thoroughly.
The molecular gastronomy of his dishes is something to marvel at, too. What do you mean you’ve made a foie gras cotton candy? Why is there caviar in a teeny tiny ice cream cone? I can’t answer these questions, but it doesn’t matter because the food tastes amazing.
I can relate to this love of food and bringing people together, even in hard times where hope is hard to come by. Whether it’s in a dangerous disaster zone or in a Michelin-starred restaurant, Andrés will give diners a heartwarming experience with bold and colourful flavours.