Romancing the diner

BASQUE chef Eneko Atxa doesn't just run a kitchen - he's in the business of romance. "When planning my menus, I become different customers. I try to imagine how they are going to feel. Sometimes, I'm a couple in love, or a person who is coming for the first time, or someone who comes only for the food," he muses during his visit to Singapore last week for the Asia's 50 Best Awards.

"That's why we don't want to create a regular experience where people come to the restaurant, sit, eat and leave."

Instead, at his three Michelin star Azurmendi in Bilbao, Spain, guests are first personally greeted by chef Atxa as they wander through an greenhouse garden of edible treats before passing through the open kitchen en route to their dinner table.