A collection of guides, reflections, and resources on Gastronomy and Life in Spain.
The Perfect Birthday I Didn't Plan: Four Days, One Celebration, and the Gift of Being Exactly Where I Am
Sometimes the universe conspires in your favor in ways you could never orchestrate. My birthday this year didn't just fall on a day…it fell on the eve of San Sebastián's biggest celebration, the Tamborrada, gifting me a four-day weekend and a cascade of moments that reminded me exactly why I'm here.
I spent it wandering alone through morning streets, treating myself to an omakase dinner at Kai Sushi, sipping a mezcal martini at the legendary Dry Bar in Hotel Cristina (where staff surprised me with champagne and cake), meeting friends for craft beer at Baga Biga Faktoria, and walking home along the quiet Urumea River. When I arrived, a gift from friends back home waited on my doorstep, tangible proof that love travels across oceans.
This is the story of celebrating a birthday abroad: grateful and homesick, solo and surrounded, honoring both the life I chose and the people I miss. Because pursuing a master's degree in a foreign country means learning to hold contradictions, and finding beauty in both.
How a Solo Birthday Omakase at Kai Sushi Became My Most Meaningful Celebration Yet
The best birthday gift I've ever given myself came served on a wooden counter, one deliberate piece at a time, in a small sushi bar in San Sebastián's Centro neighborhood. No fanfare. No crowd. Just me, a master chef, and the quiet celebration of choosing myself.
When my birthday arrived this year, I faced a question many of us encounter while living abroad: Do I wait for the "perfect" celebration, or do I honor myself exactly as I am, right now? I chose myself. And in doing so, I discovered that solo dining at Kai Sushi wasn't just dinner—it was an omakase experience in trust, presence, and radical self-love. Here's what happened when I sat at that sushi counter alone, surrendered to the chef's expertise, and learned that the most profound celebrations don't require an audience.
Celebrating my birthday alone with an omakase tasting menu at Kai Sushi in San Sebastián taught me that solo dining isn't lonely, it's radical self-care. A personal journey through Japanese-Basque fusion, mindful eating, and the transformative power of choosing yourself. Plus practical tips for your own solo dining experience.
Designing Delicious: Why Sensory Science Is the Most Underrated Food Technology
Sensory science turns “cool ideas” into food people love. Here’s how GOe approaches sensory evaluation, chef panels, and consumer insight to design delicious outcomes.
Sensory analysis, GOe Tech Center, consumer science, chef panels, product development, flavor perception, San Sebastián
Fermentation Is Technology: How GOe Turns Microbes Into Flavor, Sustainability, and New Possibilities
Fermentation isn’t a trend, it’s a technology. GOe is using microorganisms, labs, and culinary creativity to design foods that are delicious, healthy, and sustainable.
Fermentation, GOe Tech Center, microbiology, flavor innovation, sustainable food, gastronomy technology, San Sebastián
GOe in San Sebastián: When a Building Becomes a Food Innovation Ecosystem
San Sebastián just gained a new kind of landmark: GOe, Gastronomy Open Ecosystem. It’s not only a building; it’s an ecosystem that connects education, research, entrepreneurship, and public engagement to build a more delicious (and more sustainable) future. Here’s what GOe is, why it matters, and what I’m learning from being in this environment.
#GOe #SanSebastian #FoodInnovation #Gastronomy #FoodTech #SensoryScience #Fermentation
Inside GOe: Where Architecture Meets Gastronomy on the Camino de Santiago
The newest landmark in San Sebastián isn't just a building. It's a statement about the future of food, designed by one of the world's most visionary architects and positioned along one of Europe's most historic pilgrimage routes. GOe, or Gastronomy Open Ecosystem, opened its doors in October 2025 as the Basque Culinary Center's ambitious expansion into the Gros neighborhood, and it represents a radical reimagining of what a culinary research center can be.
The Christmas Market: What Seasonal Food Spaces Teach Us About Belonging
On a crisp evening by the river, the Christmas market felt like a temporary world made of lights, roasted chestnuts, cider, and music. I walked through it thinking about seasonality, comfort, belonging, and how food spaces can hold you when you are far from home.