Chef Stories -

5 mins read

Behind Closed Doors: Discovering the Secret Culture of Basque Dining Clubs

December 17, 2023October 5, 2025 Erich Eichstetter0Tagged basque culture, chef inspiration, chef storytelling, community food, cultural gastronomy, restaurant culture, traditional gastronomy, txoko dining

In the world of Basque dining, there’s a fascinating and somewhat secretive tradition known as “Soziedad Gastronomika.” They’re like exclusive dining clubs, and while they may sound romantic and mysterious, […]

6 mins read

Bantxu: A Korean Reality Show in San Sebastian

September 24, 2023October 5, 2025 Erich Eichstetter0Tagged basque gastronomy, chef storytelling, culinary tv, Erich Eichstetter, food travel, fusion dining, global flavors, korean cuisine, restaurant culture, young chefs

Word had already spread in the streets, and it carried the funky smell of kimchi. “What’s that? A new Korean place opened? It’s part of a Korean reality show. With […]

Pot Luck Food Talks: Kitchen Stories From Behind the Pass

Two decades on the line leave scars, stories, and a way of seeing the world that doesn’t wash off with the apron.

Pot Luck Food Talks is where the chef lifestyle gets laid bare—raw chef talk, the kind you don’t hear in PR interviews.

Phil & Eric aren’t here to romanticize. They’re here to trade food stories that smell of sweat, butter, and burned fingers. Stories about the beauty and brutality of restaurant culture, the quiet rules, and the loud disasters.

It’s the truth about Michelin Star kitchens, the whispered restaurant secrets, the victories no one tastes but the cooks, and the mistakes that teach more than any school.

If you want sanitized food media, go elsewhere. If you want chef conversations about life, gastronomy, and why flavor is the only compass worth following—pull up a chair.

🎙️ EP154 — Basque fire, Bangkok chaos: From Mugaritz to Noma and now the streets of Thailand, Chef Iñaki Bolumburu turns a 35-seat speakeasy into a traveling txoko where the market writes the menu, charcoal does the talking, and “waste” gets a second life.

🎧 Topics Covered in This Episode:

🏡 Basque Roots – Farmhouse life, family kitchens, and early sparks

🎓 Bilbao School Days – Bad student, good instincts

🔥 Mugaritz Breakthrough – “Everything is possible”

🌍 Learning English in the Kitchen – Cooking abroad without words

👨‍🍳 Noma & Azurmendi – Creativity and foraging on another level

🏛️ Nerua Lessons – Mentorship, travel, and purpose

✈️ First Pop-Up – Grief turned into motion

❄️ Force Creativity – From waste to byproduct to dish

🌪️ Pop-Up Snowball – 40 countries, countless ideas

🇵🇹 Portugal Collab – Cooking with Vasco Coelho Santos

🇹🇭 Bangkok Chaos – The accidental Amalur