A4mans restaurant’s history
A4MANs’ history begins with chef Edgar Quesada Pizarro, who currently owns the restaurants: “Girona by Sobremesa” and “A4MANs”.
Since childhood, there has always been a passion for good food and the exploration of new recipes at home. It was his mother who, from his early years, instilled in him the passion to try new tastes and experiment with new recipes. Over time, he felt the need to improve his culinary skills in order to provide a more exceptional dining experience for the people around him. In this trajectory, he discovered that satisfying the desires and needs of others through the kitchen provided him with unparalleled satisfaction, and in doing so, he revealed the chef he had always carried inside.
His professional career took shape when he met, by chance, Christine, a French woman with more than 40 years of experience in the restaurant world. She, as the first chef, gave him all the support and encouragement necessary to take the first steps on this exciting path.
His training began at the Escola d’Hostaleria i Turisme de Girona, followed by the Masters in vacuum cooker. During this stage, he had the opportunity to learn from distinguished professionals in the culinary industry, such as Carme Picas, Salvador Brugues, Miquel Costabella and Juan Roca (who currently holds three Michelin stars).
Chef Edgar enjoying cooking with his family
After a summer of internship at the Fonda de Can Xesc (awarded with a Michelin star), Edgar dedicated himself to working in several restaurants in the regions of Girona for more than ten years. This way, he accumulated more than two decades of experience in the sector, forging a valuable career path. During this period, he held various roles in the kitchens, starting as a kitchen assistant and working his way up to head chef. In addition, he had the opportunity to enrich his experience by working in renowned restaurants, such as “AKELARRE” (with three Michelin stars) in San Sebastián, and also exploring international cuisines in France and Australia.
Restaurant Soremesa – Seoul, South Korea
Edgar felt, and still feels, a burning passion to discover new flavors and explore gastronomic delights. He found inspiration in nature during his walks in the mountains, which often gave rise to new culinary ideas for his gastronomic restaurant “Sobremesa” (in Seoul), which he still tries to reflect in his tasting menus.
In the middle of his career, Edgar had the honor of meeting his mentor, Toni Sáez, a highly talented traditional chef. Our chef collaborated with Toni on several gastronomic projects and restaurants, and will always be grateful to him for everything he learned in his company. Without a doubt, Toni Sáez was the most influential figure in the development of his signature cuisine to this day.
“I have always believed in the power of reaching happiness through gastronomy.”
– Edgar Quesada Pizarro –
Following this philosophy, he always strived to ensure that his customers experienced maximum pleasure and had the best possible experience, a commitment that he has maintained over time.
12 years ago, he fell in love with a young Korean woman and entered a world completely unknown to him. Over time, there arose the desire to publicize the gastronomy of his native land, which was practically unrecognized in this country. In this process, together with his wife Junghyun Kim, they founded the Sobremesa restaurant in Seoul, where they offered a unique culinary experience. Later, they developed the concept of “Girona by Sobremesa”, a more informal proposal with the aim of reaching a wide variety of audiences.
Winning a competition among international chefs to promote the cuisine of their respective countries in South Korea (Hello Plate) gave him the confidence to continue spreading the cuisine with new flavors, no matter the place.
Now, back in his homeland, and remembering his roots, he rediscovers his original cuisine. His aim is to incorporate elements of Korean gastronomy and, together with Junghyun Kim, to create an intercultural gastronomic space. This space offers signature cuisine with traditional foundations while presenting dishes that many consider unknown, but which have an important meaning in Korean gastronomy. Edgar, with his wife’s cooking, has always experienced the best flavors of Korean cuisine. Therefore, they have developed a joint proposal based on local cuisine, honest with ingredients, quality, sustainable and healthy. In this process, they fuse flavors and recipes from around the world to offer a unique culinary experience.
Edgar has always been passionate about the idea that gastronomy can evoke memories, nostalgia and even forgotten feelings. He is dedicated to providing high quality cuisine and a deep respect for ingredients, making sure not to compromise the integrity of the products or to forget the original recipes. However, he always seeks to bring a fresh and unique perspective to each dish.
Restaurant Girona by Sobremesa – Seoul, South Korea
Despite everything, he does not believe that everything is already invented; rather, he believes that we must bring our own interpretation to each dish, and to each culinary technique, exploring and challenging the concepts established by customs, traditions and culinary cultures.
We hope you enjoy our dining table, which we understand as the art of savoring the conversation and company of others after a good meal.
We hope you enjoy our dining table, which we understand as the art of savoring the conversation and company of others after a good meal.