Aitor Zabala TFG creative team Chef Eater LA's "Chef of the Year, 2018"

As one of the visionaries behind ThinkFoodGroup’s Somni—housed within the SLS Hotel, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Beverly Hills—Creative Director Aitor Zabala redefines the standard of fine dining in Los Angeles. Somni, meaning “dream” in Catalan, is a high-end, ultra-ambitious collaboration between Zabala and Chef José Andrés, along with the TFG creative team, ThinkFoodTank.

A seasoned veteran of the Spanish fine dining world, Zabala was named Eater LA's "Chef of the Year, 2018" for his groundbreaking contributions to the city’s dining scene at Somni.

At Somni, Zabala orchestrates the weekly rotating tasting menu that highlights Spanish fine dining sensibilities, and the highest quality local and seasonal ingredients. Previously, Zabala led the now-closed SAAM as head chef. Both Somni and SAAM have been ranked among the top restaurants in the city in the Los Angeles Times’ lauded “101 Best Restaurants” list. Somni was awarded two Michelin stars in the 2019 California Michelin Guide.

Since joining the TFG team in 2010, Zabala has spearheaded numerous openings as the restaurant group's Creative Director, including Jaleo, é, China Poblano, and Bazaar Meat in Las Vegas, as well as played a key role in The Bazaar by José Andrés in Beverly Hills. Additionally, he has assisted Andrés in planning the curriculum for the chef’s ‘Science & Cooking’ course at Harvard University. Prior to working with Andrés, Zabala worked as a cook at his mother’s Basque restaurant for many years, before moving on to play an instrumental role at several Michelin-rated restaurants in Spain, including elBulli, which holds a record five #1 rankings on the World’s 50 Best list.

Recreate Chef Zabala's recipes with his favorite Regalis ingredients. 


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Best Jumbo White Asparagus photos by Regalis Foods - item 1
Jumbo White Asparagus

Jumbo White Asparagus is an entirely different vegetable from the traditional, skinny, green asparagus commonplace in the United States. Aside from its snowy color, this French variety is significantly larger, generally 16-22 mm in diameter, sweeter, more tender, and appropriately revered in European markets and kitchens. A sure sign of springtime, our late spring White Asparagus is harvested in Cambrai, northern France, where it grows in darkness beneath the soil until it is just about to emerge from the earth. Timing is critical, as excessive exposure to light will result in the formation of chlorophyll, which gives the vegetable a bitter taste reminiscent of traditional, skinny asparagus. If harvested too late, the white color will be overtaken by blushes of pink and purple, other symptoms of too much sunlight. Not only does this compromise the clarity of flavor, it also risks the White Asparagus being refused entry to the United States, which maintains extremely stringent importation requirements in an effort to protect domestic asparagus producers. In addition to this soil-grown White Asparagus from Provence, there is a significant amount of inferior White Asparagus grown in greenhouses elsewhere in Europe.

Once it has made its way to you, White Asparagus can be prepared more gently than you would traditional asparagus. In France, it is traditionally served lightly blanched, with Béarnaise. It is absolutely delicious when sliced razor thin and tossed with fruit-forward extra virgin olive oil and a touch of flaky salt. Alternatively, lightly boiling or steaming can soften the texture just enough to more easily incorporate it into a wide variety of dishes. Finally, an indulgent marriage of flavors can be coaxed out through a Confit preparation, which we've detailed below.

In addition to French cuisine, look to southern German recipes to find more appreciation for White Asparagus.

Offered in 1lb bunches

Cambrai, Northern France

Recipe for Confit White Asparagus

  1. Cook white asparagus sous vide in duck fat and lemon thyme at 180ºF for 15 minutes.
  2. Pour duck fat onto hot pan and sear for 3 - 4min on each side.
  3. Finish with shaved bottarga.


from $38.00
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Best Himalayan
Himalayan "Gucchi" Black Morels

Morels mix an eccentric image with a luxuriously glamorous reputation. They can be blonde or black in color, with spongey, honeycombed fruiting bodies that are notoriously difficult to discern amidst the brush and roots where they  sprout up each spring and early summer. In the foothills of the Himalayas, these mushrooms are called gucchi, meaning “intricate webbing” in a local dialect, despite its posh connotations to western ears. Consistently among the priciest, most precious ingredients in the world, Himalayan gucchis have a robustly woodsy character that infuse any dish with a nutty depth while maintaining a sturdy, meaty texture.

Aside from their rarity and excellence as an ingredient, Himalayan Black Morels sustain even greater clout because they have historically been regarded as impossible to cultivate. This may be part of their charm, but as farmers and researchers in China have made stunning progress on deliberate Morel cultivation, they have radically disrupted the global market, becoming the world’s largest exporter of morels. Despite being cultivated, these morels are every bit as excellent as those found in the wild, and they are still challenging and costly to produce. They grow outdoors, in carefully managed soils under canopy, imitating their natural conditions as effectively as possible and retaining their unmistakable flavor profile. These Morels are nutty, meaty, with an inimitable expression of earth and forest, and an umami depth that comes out decadently when seared with a bit of butter. What’s even lovelier about this cultivated selection is that it will ship to you far cleaner than most, avoiding the risk of water damage during the thorough scrubbing required for foraged Morels.

With their spirited scarcity preserved, our affection for these Morels is as strong as ever.

This item is 1lb fresh Morels

Sichuan, China

$60.00