Bobby Flay requested key ingredient before dropping $7.6M on California estate

When it comes to houses, celebrity chef Bobby Flay appears to be extremely picky – especially when it comes to kitchens.

Before the Food Network star dropped $7.6 million on an estate in the Bird Streets neighborhood of Los Angeles, Flay asked Michael and Arya Martin, owners of an interior design firm as well as the previous owners of the house, for a simple request: build him an outdoor cooking area, multiple news outlets reported.

“The 5,700-square-foot single-level home includes four bedrooms and five bathrooms, with each bedroom opening onto a private terrace,” Architectural Digest described the stunning house.

“The free-flowing, open-plan house also features a sleek kitchen and a cozy media room, a living room outfitted with floating shelves and custom stonework, and a high-ceilinged great hall that looks onto an interior atrium containing an olive tree more than a century old.,” Architectural Digest reported. “Much of the hillside home’s living spaces include glass walls looking out onto the secluded backyard, which holds a swimming pool, outdoor entertaining space, and formal gardens.”

While the house itself is quite gorgeous, Flay is known to be in love with outdoor kitchens especially, so he collaborated with the Martins to build his dream one, according to People.

“We were introduced to Bobby through realtors Branden and Rayni Williams and struck up a conversation about outdoor kitchens and how we found it so hard to make one that’s modern and refined but with the functionality that a chef needs,” the Martins told People .

“Bobby and our team started a dialogue and ended up coming up with an idea for implementing his new outdoor kitchen that’s truly going to be one of the chicest anyone has seen,” they told People. “We are combining all the cooking requirements of a truly iconic chef has but in a sleek and modernist outdoor setting that befits the style of this incredible house.”

According to the Wall Street Journal, the kitchen is nearly completed, the Martins said.

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“Sometimes, with outdoor kitchens, they lack a certain design aesthetic,” Michael Martin said to the WSJ. “We’re creating something that’s highly functional for a chef of his level, but at the same time something architectural.”

Flay has hosted numerous Food Network television shows and owns several restaurants including the Mesa Grill in Las Vegas and Bobby Flay Steak in Atlantic City.