‘This recognition took us completely by surprise and caught us off guard,’ confessed an injured Aitor via videoconference, recovering from broken ribs after an unfortunate fall. ‘When we closed Somni at the onset of the pandemic, we were in a very good place and felt we still had something to say,’ he says, adding that this conviction has been the driving force behind his motivation during the five years it has taken to get the new project off the ground.

Although he says he has taken fewer risks with Somni 2.0, Aitor has not been able to avoid the uncertainty of moving to a new city — West Hollywood — and admits that it has been a huge mental effort to deal with setbacks. Our constant motto has been 'Let's give it one more day,' and that's how we've got this far," he acknowledges, adding that he has learned not to get frustrated easily or set goals that are too far away in this process. He responded in this way to Benjamín Lana, director of San Sebastián Gastronomika, in an intimate interview in which he encouraged the younger generation “to lose their fear of making mistakes, persevere with their dreams and never lose perspective”.

A free cuisine, without labels or flags

Born in Barcelona but of Basque origin, the chef rejects any kind of classification. "My cuisine is very free and personal, with roots in my childhood and a lot of international influence. But what really defines us and sets us apart is the emotion we provoke around the table," he says. As in the small dining room at Somni, a direct and very exciting connection is established between the person who creates the experience and the person who receives it.

Aitor Zabala is the first Spanish chef to receive three Michelin stars outside of Spain. This achievement fills him with satisfaction, but he acknowledged that it also brings pressure, as customers have very high expectations. When asked whether he would ever return to Spain, he was emphatic. "I will definitely return. I love my country and my people. I will definitely retire there, and I have a project in mind, although I don't know what it is yet — it will depend on how things go,” he concluded.