João Kather
One of three young chefs who opened Tetsu, a teppanyaki restaurant in Madrid's Recoletos, after training together at the MOM Culinary Institute.
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João Kather, from Brazil, is one of three young chefs behind Tetsu, a teppanyaki restaurant in Madrid's Recoletos neighbourhood that he opened in January 2025 with Miguel de Aguilar and Sergio Tamayo. The three met as students at the MOM Culinary Institute and had previously worked in the kitchens of Enigma, Ugo Chan, Boragó and El Celler de Can Roca. Tetsu earned a mention in the Restaurante Revelación category at the 2025 Premios Metrópoli.
Biography
Early years
João Kather is from Brazil.
Career
Kather and Miguel de Aguilar met as students at the MOM Culinary Institute, where they trained before opening a restaurant together; both had previously worked in the kitchens of Enigma, Ugo Chan, Boragó and El Celler de Can Roca. In January 2025, the pair opened Tetsu, a teppanyaki restaurant in Madrid's Recoletos neighbourhood built around a counter of chrome griddles, together with fellow MOM Culinary Institute student Sergio Tamayo. Tetsu is Michelin Selected and earned a mention in the Restaurante Revelación category at the 2025 Premios Metrópoli.
Philosophy
Tetsu pitches its cooking as one where Japanese tradition and creativity go hand in hand, an idea that plays out across the teppan: clams under a bell with beurre blanc dashi and fennel oil, sea bass cured in shio koji and served with Madrid stew broth and chickpea purée, and wagyu A5 with Galician sea urchin.
Restaurants
João Kather in our guides
Editorial guides featuring João Kather’s restaurants.
Frequently asked
Who are the chefs at Tetsu in Madrid?
Tetsu's kitchen is led by three chefs, Miguel de Aguilar, João Kather and Sergio Tamayo, who met as students at the MOM Culinary Institute and opened the restaurant together in January 2025.
Where is João Kather from?
He's from Brazil, and trained at the MOM Culinary Institute alongside Miguel de Aguilar and Sergio Tamayo before opening Tetsu.
Where did João Kather train before Tetsu?
He and Miguel de Aguilar had worked in the kitchens of Enigma, Ugo Chan, Boragó and El Celler de Can Roca before opening Tetsu together.
What is Tetsu known for?
Tetsu is a Japanese restaurant in Recoletos built around teppan-griddle cooking, blending Japanese tradition with a Mediterranean pantry.
Has Tetsu won any recognition?
Tetsu earned a mention in the Restaurante Revelación category at the 2025 Premios Metrópoli, and is Michelin Selected.
When did João Kather open Tetsu?
He opened it in January 2025, together with Miguel de Aguilar and Sergio Tamayo.