Mimo Bite The Experience — Local services in San Sebastián

We were lucky. We were the only two people in the class, off-season traveling is the best. We were concerned they might cancel the class, but Patricio explained that they never cancel, even if only 1 person. He told us people plan their trips around the cooking classes and they cannot let anyone down. Sound business philosophy.

Our classes focused on authentic Spanish paella. We made one rabbit one squid paella and crème brûlée). Patricio had all the ingredients ready - although the squid was delivered fresh while we made our introductions.

This wasn’t just a cooking class, it was about the philosophy, passion, culture, and creativity of making something special. Basque cooking is focused on simple ingredients (e.g., not using many spices, if any at all). It is about quality and fresh ingredients.

We started focusing on the stocks. The squid had a fish (Hake, leek and parsley) based stock, while the rabbit started with caramelized onion, carrot and rosemary). We prepped everything else; squid, rabbit, onion, tomato, etc. We had never prepped either rabbit or squid. It was so enlightening how to prep each. We can easily do this at home (we live in San Diego, so have access to fresh squid - not sure about the rabbit, but can substitute chicken). We even learned how to properly dice an onion and tomato. We cook together nearly every evening and didn’t know the best way to chop an onion (as Patricio kept saying, “you’re not wrong, just doing it different”).

We learned a lot about Basque culture. Mostly because it centers around food and preparing food. The Basque philosophy of eating is eat small portions and eat often. We fell in love with this eating style as well as fresh, fresh, fresh ingredients. I think back on how Patricio dwelled on the freshness of the squid and how you can tell how fresh it is. My wife fully separated both the squid and the rabbit. She’s my hero. I took the pictures and video.

Our class was not about preparing the perfect meal, it was completely about us learning the nuances of cooking. Patricio went to great lengths to teach us the details and importance of each step. For example, stocks are the foundation of the dish - they use simple ingredients and from there you can build.

I spent about 15 minutes with a mortar and pestal grinding garlic into a paste for the aioli. My wife made fresh mayonnaise. We were both blown away by how easy fresh mayo is to make. The aioli was unbelievable… again, fresh simple ingredients.

I prepared the rabbit paella and my wife the squid. We worked every step with Patricio guiding us. His passion for cooking is so strong it emanates so broadly we were energized (yes, I went on Amazon and ordered a paella pan and emulsifier that evening).

After we cooked, we ate. It was such an enjoyable meal… it felt more like home than a class. Lara joined us and we chatted about many things, food a little bit - but mostly we talked about each of us. My wife and I feel blessed to have had that time and met two wonderful people in San Sebastián. We will be back, no doubt.

If you are considering any class with Mimo, don’t think too long - just do it. It is worth every cent and every...

My wife and I passed two glorious days in Mimo's fabulous kitchen in San Sebastian this July. The first day we were incredibly lucky to work with Chef Patricio (CEO) and make a multi-course medley of dishes with Basque inspired flavors. These included a mesmerizing Bacalao al pil pil (salted cod), the creation of which is genuinely a mixture of art and science, a delicious gazpacho style soup with chorizo and Ajoblanco Sauce and a decadent cheesecake. Patricio's attentiveness to us and his work, his storytelling, artistry and passion for what he does really touched us. On day two we worked with the very funny and talented Chef Miguel (and a fellow surfer like me) and another couple from the US to assemble a menu of Migas del Pastor (delicious bread with pork, chorizo, bacon and white wine) , a steak paella with truffles and a lovely apple custard style dessert with a creme brulee style crust. We stumbled out of the kitchen feeling very much part of the Mimo family, with recipes in our pockets, a list of San Sebastian's best pintxos restaurants (tapas) and instructions to visit some local wineries which we did the following day. A truly unforgettable vacation experience. We are already...

We had the pleasure of a tour with Verónica on a recent holiday in San Sebastián. It was practically a private tour as we were the only couple scheduled for the evening! Immediately it felt as if we were out to dinner with a friend. Verónica was so kind, so warm and welcoming, and had us laughing just moments into our evening. She is knowledgeable both about the food and the history of the area, sharing many insights as we walked along the route. While we expected a great tour based on other reviews, Verónica exceeded our expectations as her passion for food and pride of her basque heritage brought such an authentic and genuine element to the experience.

We ate so many spectacular bites over the course of the evening! In between stops Verónica shared tidbits about other bars we passed giving us more and more recommendations for our own pinxtos crawl that we undertook on our own the next evening.

We came away with many memories and an entire itinerary for our next visit. I wouldn’t hesitate to book another experience with Mimo in the future. We can’t wait to return for a cooking class or...