The Hallucinatory Trompe-l'oeil Dishes of Andoni Luis Aduriz

In February, the candidates of season 12 of Top Chef France were set a major challenge: to impress Andoni Luis Aduriz. In his Mugaritz restaurant, located in Errenteria (not far from San Sebastián), the Spanish chef has made trompe-l'oeil one of his signatures. Frothy soap, mouldy white bread, rotten fruit... At first glance, most of Aduriz's dishes seem inedible. But they are delicious, and have won the two-Michelin-star chef the admiration of gourmands from all over the world.

Indeed, his approach is not only provocative or artistic. For him, these trompe-l'oeil dishes create a contrast between what the brain thinks it is eating, and the real taste of the dishes, leading to a real surprise when tasting and intensifying the flavours.

Check out some of the most mind-blowing trompe-l'oeil dishes served at Mugaritz.