Maestro Hoze, the chef who has shaken up the Japanese culinary scene in Europe, has just been awarded his first Michelin star for his counter in Gothenburg - now considered one of the most influential in the continent.

Behind the name is José Cerdá, born in Sweden to a Mallorcan father and a mother from Cuenca, during the time his father worked on Stena Line cruise ships. Shortly after, the family moved to Mallorca, where they lived until 1991, when they returned to Sweden for good.

From an early age, Hoze was fascinated by samurai and their history - one of his favourite series was Shogun 1980 - though he never imagined that one day he would dedicate his life to Japanese cuisine.

The first spark came during a school cooking class, but it was an experience in Mallorca that truly lit the flame: he was taken to a legendary pizzeria owned by a family friend, and wasn't allowed to choose his pizza. The pizzaiolo chose for him - and prepared the best pizza he had ever tasted. That night, he made a decision: he wanted to learn to make pizzas for the rest of his life.

He dove into books, techniques, and recipes. With Mediterranean roots, he became obsessed with Neapolitan pizza and enrolled in culinary school with a singular goal. But shortly after graduating, an accident severely damaged his shoulder and abruptly ended that dream.

Some time later, just when he felt completely lost, his cousin took him to her favourite sushi restaurant. While eating and observing every detail around him, he felt that familiar spark again - the same blend of precision, storytelling, and emotion he had once found in pizza. In one corner of the restaurant stood a samurai armor that took him back to the drawings he loved as a child. At that moment, he knew this wasn't a coincidence.

Since then, he hasn't looked back. He opened his own Japanese counter in Gothenburg, now recognised with a Michelin star, and has become one of Europe's leading voices in Japanese cuisine.

Today, Maestro Hoze joins KINU as partner and Head Chef, with a clear purpose: to bring his vision of pure and personal Japanese cooking to Seville - and to pursue a new Michelin star from southern Europe. The same rigor. The same devotion. A new chapter.