Paco Morales (NOOR, two Michelin stars)
At just 19 years old, he has already reached the podium in a cooking contest. Since then, the awards have not stopped happening for Paco Morales. Among others, he has been named Best Chef of the 21st Century by the Royal Academy of Gastronomy, Great of Tomorrow for The Best of Gastronomy, Chef of the Year by Esquire magazine and Best Chef of the Year by Madrid Fusión.
The recognitions that he has achieved for his NOOR restaurant are not far behind. In addition to the two Michelin stars, which he achieved in just three years, he was the only Spaniard in the top 10 coolest restaurants in Forbes magazine and the Best Creative Cuisine Restaurant in the Salsa de Chiles Awards; and has the endorsement of National Geographic for its gastro-archaeology work.
With NOOR, Paco Morales inaugurated a culinary school through which the History of Gastronomy is rescued and cooking is done in a current key.
With dishes in which clean and intense flavors coexist with a refined aesthetic; the chef has the respect of the public, critics and profession beyond our borders for his combination of technique, adherence to tradition and creativity. It is not for less: in addition to appearing as one of the youngest chefs at elBulli, he has been responsible for R & D and head of kitchen at Mugaritz.
“Create your own cooking style, different. Easy on paper, very difficult in reality. If, in addition, the chef manages to achieve excellence, we are already talking about exceptional cases. Cases like that of Paco Morales”. Carlos Maribona, food journalist for ABC.