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The fourth edition opens the competition to Europe

Seven international experts will form the jury

L’Ametlla de Mar will host the grand final

ITAMAE Balfegó will hold its fourth edition on 28 September, marking a decisive new step: for the first time, the competition is open to sushi chefs from across Europe. The final will take place in L’Ametlla de Mar, strengthening the international profile of a competition focused on technique and bluefin tuna.

A new dimension for the competition

06/09/26

After three editions, ITAMAE Balfegó is entering a new phase. The competition is expanding its reach and opening participation to professionals from across Europe, making this fourth edition its most international to date.

The grand final will take place on 28 September at Balfegó’s facilities in L’Ametlla de Mar. Ten finalists will compete in a day centred on Japanese gastronomy, technical expertise and knowledge of bluefin tuna.

The competition continues to focus on recognising mastery in the handling of bluefin tuna within Japanese cuisine. At the same time, it provides a platform for professional exchange between different techniques and culinary approaches.

Two challenges built around technique

The competition will begin with the sound of the Taiko, the traditional Japanese drum. Competitors will face two timed challenges designed to assess precision, skill and creativity.

The first combines sashimi cutting with the preparation of a trilogy of nigiri. Competitors will work with three of the principal cuts of bluefin tuna: Akami, Chutoro and Otoro.

The second challenge focuses on signature maki. Each participant will present three freely conceived creations. The judging will consider balance, assembly and the overall coherence of each proposal.

The programme will also feature technical workshops covering sake, rice, fish ageing and bluefin tuna cutting techniques. The day will be complemented by the Balfegó Experience and the traditional Kaitai, the Japanese art of tuna butchery.

An international jury

The competition’s European expansion is also reflected in the composition of its jury. Seven professionals from the worlds of sushi and fine dining will assess the ten finalists.

The jury will include Hideki Matsuhisa, from Koy Shunka in Barcelona; Yoshikazu Yanome, from Kaido in Valencia; Kazutoshi Endo, from Endo at The Rotunda in London; Alon Than, from Alon Omakase in Warsaw; Masashi Suzuki, from IYO Omakase in Milan; Emanuele Bombardier, executive chef at Matsuhisa Paris; and Van Giang Nguyen, head of Chang Restaurant near Munich.

The panel brings together professionals from Spain, the United Kingdom, Poland, Italy, France and Germany, including specialists in the Edomae tradition, one of the historic schools of sushi.

The day will conclude with the Kaitai, the awards ceremony and the announcement of the winner. The champion will receive a gastronomic trip to Japan for two, €4,000 and the official ITAMAE Balfegó trophy.

The 2026 winner will follow in the footsteps of Steven Bosen Wu Zheng, winner in 2022; Masayuki Narumi, who won in 2023; and Sergio Solís, winner of the most recent edition in 2024.

🔎The Gourmenials perspective
The opening of ITAMAE Balfegó to European professionals reflects the growing level of specialisation within Japanese gastronomy across the continent. High-level sushi is no longer simply an internationally established format: it has also become a field of technical knowledge, precision and professional specialisation.
Holding the competition in L’Ametlla de Mar also strengthens the connection between the international development of sushi and bluefin tuna, which has become one of the central products in Balfegó’s gastronomic positioning.