Chef of the Week Sponsored by Pure Ionic Water: Lara Norman Chef Patron at Euphoria
Chef of the Week sponsored by Pure Ionic Water celebrates the chefs that embody Pure Ionic Water’s core philosophy of ‘enhancing the culinary experience‘.
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Sat Bains, Chef Parton, Restaurant Sat Bains, 2 Michelin stars
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How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
I launched Euphoria 4 years ago. We specialise in immersive multi-sensorial dining experiences and pop ups, while being a bespoke events and catering studio, creating culinary experiences for private clients, brands and international collaborations. Tied to Euphoria’s ecosystem, I recently co-founded Mise en Play, which offers global consultancies for cruise ships, boutique hotels, theme parks, restaurants and retail environments.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
My passion came from growing up around food and foraging… coming from a Spanish home, meals are sacred! My mum used to put me in the kitchen since I was a toddler, allowing me to get messy playing with ingredients. I’m grateful to have always known that cooking was my medicine. I trained through working in kitchens since I was 14, including my time in Michelin brigades, and developed my style through experimentation, storytelling and working across both fine dining and event spaces.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
The ability to create emotion through food. If done right, we can bring dopamine to people and that’s a beautiful thing. I also love building experiences that people genuinely connect with, giving them a little escape from reality and leaving them with something they remember.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Salt, onion, don’t make me choose between olive oil or butter!
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
Knives. The most essential tool.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
People want more than just dinner now, they want connection and experience. There’s also a real shift towards open fire cooking, sustainability, fermentation and a greater awareness of the importance of the quality of the ingredients and knowing exactly where they come from.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Personally, the ego, technically, overcomplicating dishes… Technique is important, but flavour and balance should always come first.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
I don’t have a favourite, each season has its own character. I love all seasons because you adapt to the natural rhythm. Each one brings something completely different to work with, that’s what keeps cooking exciting.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
Each dish has its own meaning but “Day Dreams” is special to me. It pushes you to reconnect with childhood imagination. Inspired by Banksy’s Girl with the Balloons, it reflects the loss of innocence, hope and freedom in today’s society. In my interpretation, the white rabbit holds the balloons, the dessert is presented as an interactive 3D experience. Guests receive a helium balloon filled with popping candy and strawberry powder that melts back to liquid on the palate. The dessert itself is plated inside a picture frame: rhubarb and strawberry sorbet spheres, strawberry mousse with rhubarb, strawberry and rose compote, vanilla crémeux, amaretto-soaked almond sponge, and almond feuilletine crunch, finished with our yuzu meringue white rabbit. Guests pop the balloon over the “painting,” revealing the final component and completing the dish.
What I love most is the reaction it creates. For a moment, no matter who they are, you see their inner child come alive again. People stop simply observing and become part of the experience.
How do you come up with new dishes?
Usually through a concept, theme, emotion or memory. I often begin with a story or meaning and then build the seasonal flavours, textures and overall presentation around that. It’s all about layering.
Who was your greatest influence?
It’s really a combination of many influences and experiences throughout my career, starting with the mentors and chefs I’ve worked with along the way, as well as the people I’ve met at different stages of my life. Tracing back to some core memories from my childhood, I remember one of my first cookbooks was by Juan Mari Arzak, and I was completely captivated by how creative food could be. On the other hand, the movement led by Ferran Adria and the team at El Bulli redefined what was possible in a kitchen, opening my eyes to what food could truly become… When visiting the UK, I also used to watch Heston Blumenthal TV shows, and I can still remember the sense of awe they sparked in me. That feeling has never really left, and in many ways it continues to inspire how I approach my work today.
Tell us three chefs you admire.
It doesn’t feel right to name just 3, there’s too many! But the closest to my style, I’d say… Heston Blumenthal, Jordi Roca, Dabiz Muñoz
What is your favourite cookbook?
Again, too many to choose from… but I love “The Art of Science of Foodpairing”, it is a must have bible for chefs.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
In general, I think chefs creating experiences with a strong personal identity, who stay truly authentic and loyal to their vision with sustainability at its core, are the ones really shaping the future of hospitality right now. Also the ones who are adapting to the current financial times we live in.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
It launched mid 2024 but a restaurant I really admire is Plates London. I think what Kirk and the team has done for the plant-based world is incredibly exciting and admirable.
