Miguel, is Pikoteo “fusion”?
Well, it’s more complicated than “fusion”, because, typically, that approach is used more to confuse traditions than to diffuse, take them to new places. Pikoteo is fusion, but never by accident.
So how do you decide when to “diffuse”?
The inspiration comes from my travels. I’ve lived in a lot of countries, I’ve lived in Indonesia, in China, in France, in Austria, in Germany. From my mom’s cooking, my mom is a great cook. And from eating out a lot, to be honest, all over the world. Before cooking, I used to do something else, I used to work in Marketing. So I used to travel the world for twelve, thirteen years, and all those flavors come back in my food.
What do you get out of running Pikoteo the way you do?
The number one thing I get out of running Pikoteo is making people happy and getting people to try new things, new produce. I want to bring a little bit of weird stuff into the mix, which people are not used to, especially when coming to a Spanish restaurant.
So it’s very personal to you?
Pikoteo is definitely a personal thing, everything we do – both me and my partner – is personal, but me in the kitchen especially. It’s my personal influence and my personal taste that comes together in the dish. I’m not trying to replicate what other restaurants do, I’m trying to do what makes me happy. Pikoteo is extremely personal to me, I got involved from day one in making this an extension of my house, I don’t do things because they are fashionable or trendy, I do things because I like them.
Okay, you cook like a rock’n’roll guy, but what soundtrack would you have in the kitchen? Which band would be playing?
There’d be a lot of bands I’d choose… But let’s go with a combination of Dave Brubeck and Creedence Clearwater Revival.
We are here located in the West—what is this location for you? Why did you choose to settle down here?
Well, actually, I live really close by and, when I started to look for a place where I could run Pikoteo, I had it very clear in my mind that I wanted a place with a terrace which would get the sun in the low part of the evening. This means a lot to me, I’m really a West person in Amsterdam. And, since I work a lot, I only spend time here, so it’s very important that I live close by.
Cocktails are a signature of Pikoteo. What makes cocktails important for you when it comes to food?
Cocktails, like food, are a celebration. We don’t want to pair every dish with a cocktail, but we do believe that a complete experience starts with a cocktail and ends with a cocktail. Cocktails are part of Pikoteo in the same way that wines are. My partner, Florian, is one of the best cocktail guys in the country, so it’s extremely important.
When did cooking vegetarian dishes on the grill reallyclick for you? Was there a turning point?
To be honest, I think the grill is the most primal way of cooking. It’s more straightforward and I enjoy those pure, raw ingredients, plus the magic of the coal and the smoke. I’ve known this since I was very young.
Which restaurant(s) shaped you as a chef? Can you tell us a bit about the chef running it, where it was located, how it was to work there and what it taught you?
Actually, I am pretty much a self taught chef, and have only really worked for one other chef before opening my own restaurant. Now closed, Hugo’s Bar & Kitchen was run by a chef called Charles McGregor and he really inspired me to learn more about technique and ingredients. I only worked for him for a month but it made a mark on me.
So where do you source your ingredients, generally?
I am quite crazy with the sourcing of ingredients, I drive my administrative colleague crazy. I try to get the best, not the best supplier, but the best supplier for a specific product. That means I have three meat suppliers, two poultry ones, and so on and so forth. I am now trying to work more closely with local suppliers. To give you an example, the butter and some of the cheese we serve now in the restaurant come from cows in the Utrecht area.
