A Basq Kitchen

A Basq Kitchen is a hidden gem on the International Boardwalk of the Redondo Beach Pier that has been drawing rave reviews since opening in 2015. Based on the famous pintxo bars of San Sebastian, owner Beñat “Chef Bernard” Ibarra brings the flavors of authentic Basque cuisine to Los Angeles’ Southbay in a casual, welcoming atmosphere.

Chef Bernard was born and raised in the Basque Country. He began his culinary career under the direction of Chef Arrambide at the (currently 2) Michelin starred “Hotel Les Pyrenees” in Saint Jean Pied de Port while simultaneously attending culinary school. He left Europe at 22 to further his knowledge of international cuisine. His first stop was Canada where he worked in various positions for Four Seasons Hotels in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Seattle and then Houston where he was promoted to Executive of Chef of the property before moving to Asia to open their first two properties in the Far East, Tokyo and Singapore and also served as the Executive Chef of the Shangri-La Resort Singapore. In 1997 he became the Executive Chef of the prestigious Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong where one of the highlights of his career was hosting the British government dinner during the handover of Hong Kong back to China. Following that, he moved to Las Vegas to lead the culinary program of the Mirage Resort and Casino for Steve Wynn and after eleven years there was given the opportunity to take on the new challenge of planning and opening the multi-billion five star five diamond Aria Resort and Casino in 2009. In 2013 he was offered the position at Terranea where he works currently and has elevated the resort’s food and beverage program with the establishment of a local produce farm, beehives and sea salt farm.

Jessica Ibarra is the daughter of Hong Kong immigrants and was born in Canada where she learned a deep respect for nature and appreciation of the culture of food growing up in Vancouver. She graduated from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA and got to work right away in both fields of design and hospitality, getting to do everything from designing theme park concepts to R&D for submersible fire shooters to being a casino host for notable companies such as WET Design and MGM Resorts International. Career highlights include overseeing the $40m Fine Art Collection at CityCenter Las Vegas and traveling to China with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on the 2014 Discover LA trade mission. None of them quite prepared her for owning a Basque restaurant. She and Bernard live together in Redondo Beach with Bernard’s 12 year old son, Keita and collectively they speak Basque, French, Spanish, English, Mandarin and Cantonese.

A Basq Kitchen is our family restaurant, a way to introduce others to Chef Bernard’s “home cooking” that explores the traditional family recipes of his native Basque heritage as well as his artistic take on contemporary local favorites. With respect for both the land and the sea, we strive for authenticity in all that we do, from showcasing the natural flavors of our ingredients in our food, to the way we treat our co-workers and guests.