Chef of the Week: Mattia Ricci Head Chef at Sexy Fish in London
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
A total of 5 years.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
I grew up cooking with both my grandmas, that is where my passion came from and my skills grew at the same time as the passion!
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
Handling any kind of food.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Salt, cheese and basil.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
My knife.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
Famous dishes recreated in different shapes.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Overthinking.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
Summer, as I love raw seafood and considering where I come from, it’s the best moment to have it fresh!
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
All the ones I make or collaborate with.
How do you come up with new dishes?
I put things together according to flavours, senses and seasonal options.
Who was your greatest influence?
Bjoern Weissgerber.
Tell us three chefs you admire.
Ferran Adria, Massimo Bottura and David Munoz.
What is your favourite cookbook?
El Bulli.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Terry Giacomello and Floriano Pellegrino.
The Chefs’ Forum Expands Employer Showcases with Chotto Matte Soho Lunch
The Chefs’ Forum is set to continue to expand in 2024 following several successful ‘Employer Showcases’ in 2023. The first lunch of 2024 was on Monday 15th January at Chotto Matte (Soho) with several group chefs involved in showcasing the unique Nikkei or Japanese-Peruvian style of the group.
The employer showcase lunch format is simple. A major restaurant or hotel group plays host to a lunch organised by The Chefs’ Forum. Key chefs from varied group sites “show off” the skills and signature dishes of their restaurants and invited guests and industry professionals sit down to a top lunch. In 2023 The Chefs’ Forum perfected the format with key events for, among others, D&D London, Eden Hotel Collection, Radisson and Hotel du Vin & Malmaison.
Having been privileged enough to visit Chotto Matte’s Miami site last month, we continued our Chotto Matte tour at the Marylebone site, where Team Chefs’ Forum met with Head Chef Santo Pate, who gave a fantastic tour of the venue and created some wonderful dishes to film and photograph. We also had the pleasure of meeting Head Barman Marco Passarella who created a duo of delicious cocktails El Caminho and Wabi Sabi for us to try.
The following day, 70 industry guests attended the lunch at the Frith Street site of Chotto Matte where group chefs from Soho and Marylebone demonstrated the global menu and style of Chotto Matte.
These included:
- Jordon Sclare, Global Executive Chef
- Santo Pate, Head Chef at Chotto Matte Marylebone
- Keita Sato, Executive Head Sushi Chef at Chotto Matte Soho
- Alvin Contawe, Head Sushi Chef at Chotto Matte Marylebone
- Chris Woodford, Head Chef at Chotto Matte Soho
Chotto Matte Founder, Kurt Zdesar took the mic to tell the guests about the Chotto Matte group and global career opportunities if chefs and industry professionals were to join. He celebrated the young talent from West London College who helped cook and serve the special Nikkei lunch.
The students got to work with wonderful Australian beef and lamb, the freshest Royal Greenland prawns and seafood, as well as octopus and truffle, which college budgets don’t tend to stretch to.
First Choice Produce supplied all of the fresh produce for the event, which is always of the highest quality.
Kurt said
“It really is fantastic to welcome so many of our industry peers here to Chotto Matte Soho today and so amazing to see how well these young students are working with our team of chefs. We are growing, with new sites planned for Riyadh and Manchester and more to come. There has never been a better time to join Chotto Matte with our international network of restaurants and the opportunity of travelling for work which I have enjoyed throughout my career. We pride ourselves on a real sense of family and friendship among the team.”
Group Executive Chef, Jordan Sclare has been extremely supportive of The Chefs’ Forum over the years, he said
“Today’s event has been a huge success. My career with Chotto Matte has spanned over a decade and I really enjoy travelling with Kurt to research and open new sites. It is really important that we nurture and support the next generation of chefs and the opportunities we can offer them to work across our sites and hone their skills in Nikkei cuisine. I have been really impressed with the students today and they really have got stuck in and given 100%. We have many success stories across the group of students who have joined us on leaving college and I can’t wait to see if any of today’s students join the team and I once they have completed their courses at West London College.”
Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs Forum, said:
“This lunch was absolutely epic and continued the fine work we started in 2023. Recruitment at the top level in both London and throughout the country is hard work but our employer showcases are an excellent way of demonstrating the unique skills and opportunities that hotel and restaurant groups have. Chotto Matte put on a fantastic lunch, we absolutely love working with them and today showed exactly why they are a leading light in Nikkei cuisine here and across the world.”
The lunch in full:
Royal Greenland Snow Crab Dragon Roll
Salmon, avocado, unagi sauce
California Roll
Royal Greenland Snow crab, avocado, cucumber, tobiko
Chotto Ceviche (served in a Wedgwood Gio bowl)
Royal Greenland Halibut sashimi, leche de tigre, chive oil, sweet potato, Peruvian corn, coriander
Warm Aussie Beef Fillet Tataki
Seared beef, smoked aji panca, passion fruit salsa
Aussie Wagyu Beef Gyoza
Shiitake, sesame, teriyaki veal jus
Royal Greenland Prawn Truffle
Truffled shiitake mushroom, spring onion
Chuleta De Cordero Ahumada
Marinated and smoked Aussie lamb chop, coriander, Peruvian chilli miso
Panela Caramelised Apple Dream
Caramelised Asian pear, vanilla ice cream
Thank you to our sponsors: MCS Technical Products, Aussie Beef & Lamb, Off to Work, Chef Works, Brown Brothers, Wedgwood, Royal Greenland, Saucery, First Choice Produce and Vellamo.
10 Years to Hit the Top
Group Executive Pastry Chef Mohan Boddula
Sexy Fish Group Executive Pastry chef Mohan Boddula left West London College in 2013 after completing a postgraduate course in pastry. 10 years later he’s travelling the world teaching pastry at all the Sexy Fish restaurants as well as designing all the desserts on the various menus. On top of that Mohan is joining the judging panel for this years Student Pastry Chef of the Year competition.
Head Chef Mattia Ricci
The Chefs’ Forum recently visited Sexy Fish in Mayfair to meet Chefs Mohan and Mattia Ricci (Head Chef) to meet the team and sample the wonderful menu.
Following lunch at Sexy Fish in Mayfair Chefs’ Forum Director Catherine Farinha caught up with Mohan. She said:
“Mohan is such a great example of a chef who has come through the college system. He has applied himself and reached the top of the tree. We couldn’t be happier for him. It just goes to show what a college education can do. At The Chefs’ Forum our academies work with restaurant groups and hotels to showcase the best careers and job opportunities for young chefs.”
Head of Curriculum at West London College, Denise Charles, who was also present for the lunch at Sexy Fish, said:
“Mohan did a postgraduate course with us and his lecturer, Yvan, is still teaching today. It’s a great course and we’re so proud of Mohan.”
“We’re thrilled Mohan is joining the judging panel of the Student Pastry Chef of the Year,” Catherine Farinha concluded. “All his desserts were amazing!”
“It was also amazing to meet Mattia and invite him to join our wonderful brigade of guest chef lecturers who regularly teach at the college as part of The Chefs’ Forum Academy, now in its fifth year, designed to bridge the gap between education and industry and introduce our student to high profile employers.”
What was on the menu at Sexy Fish?
Here are Mattia’s dishes:
- Eringi Mushroom Tempura with truffle sour cream
- Kombu cured Tuna Belly (Ham) with squid ink cracker and mustard
- Gillardeau Oysters with smoked chili sauce
- Lobster tempura, smoked Maryrose and green tea salt
- Wagyu beef and foie gras gyoza, ume, wafu dressing and black truffle
- Scallop Carpaccio with Caviar and gold leaves
- Sushi platter (o toro sashimi, uni gunkan, wagyu gunkan and truffle, scallop roll with caviar)
Chilean sea bass with ramson miso, pickled cauliflower and truffle- Grilled asparagus with smoked creamy dashi and bonito flakes
- Wagyu sirloin, smoked kimchi and Nikka whiskey hollandaise
- King crab, bone marrow and truffle
For more information on Mattia, check out this week’s Chef of the Week feature – CLICK HERE – and follow his progress as he prepares to enrich the learning of students at West London College in teaching in The Chefs’ Forum Academy.
The Sexy Fish desserts that were on display:
- Sea Shell Tart (yuzu curd, yogurt sorbet, lemon drizzle cake and Sobacha crumble, sea shell made from Opalys Valrhona)
Vanilla Cheesecake (strawberry calamansi sorbet, cream cheese ice cream, milk crumb and red rose petals dusted with cold)- Selection of ice cream and sorbet (coconut lemongrass, bubble gum, jasmine and honey)
- Cinnamon doughnuts (exotic fruit curd & chocolate sauce)
- Sexy Chocolate Pot (which is vegan and gluten free, contains chocolate mousse made from Amatika 46% vegan chocolate, pecan praline, banana bread crisps, banana sorbet and coconut caramel served on the side in sea shell)
Tony Rodd – Restaurant Closures at a Ten-year High
Chef Tony Rodd has taken the agonising decision to close his Copper & Ink restaurant in London’s Blackheath. A master chef finalist in 2015 Rodd opened the restaurant in 2019 with his partner Becky. Together they survived the Covid pandemic and lockdown but recent rising costs crippled cashflow and finally the pair had to accept defeat.
“It’s been a tough decision,” Rodd told The Chefs’ Forum. “It’s not what we want but the business is not in the shape it was. Customers are coming in to eat less and costs across the board are rising.
“I know I can hold up my head and know that I did what I could and always behaved in the right way. We paid good salaries and always looked after our suppliers. We’re not alone. In the last month I have counted over 100 restaurants that have now closed since Christmas. And they are not just at the higher end like us – they’re across the spectrum of hospitality. Even in Blackheath 12 restaurants have closed in the last 18 months. That includes a burger bar that was selling burgers for under £10. The heart is being ripped out of our local communities and once we are gone we won’t be coming back in a hurry.”
If any chefs are finding the current soaring costs stressful and are worried about the future, we are always here for a chat.
We would like to wish Tony all the very best for the future and thank him for shining the spotlight on the current scenario regarding restaurant closures in the UK.
Much more needs to be done to support the hospitality industry, as restaurant closures are at an all-time high for the last decade.
According to figures from accountancy firm Price Bailey, as of July 2023, 569 restaurant businesses filed for insolvency, bringing the total to 2028 closures in the 12 months previous.
This was a 55% increase on 2021, when 1,303 restaurants, an average of 3.1 per day were forced to close.
This month’s closures identified by Chef Tony, further attest to the severity of challenges faced by hospitality businesses.
Half of all restaurants are still trapped in high energy contracts taken out the previous year and energy costs for small restaurants have gone from being 4% of turnover to 14% of turnover. This has happened very quickly, making it impossible for restaurants to make a profit, let alone break even.
The government needs to be working with Ofgem on a recue remedy for hospitality and flatten the curve of closures and livelihoods being lost.
Chef of the Week: Antonio Cersosimo, Chef Patron at Casanova in Cardiff
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
I opened Casanova restaurant in January 2005, with the idea of blending traditional and modern Italian cuisine.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
The love of food and cooking comes from my family, I learnt traditional Italian cooking from my mother and grandmother. I started cooking when I was 6 years old and I’ve never stopped!
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
I love my job, being a chef is about making people smile and creating good memories through food, I guess I love making people happy.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
The main reason I became a chef is the possibility to work with some of the best ingredients, if I had to pick three ingredients only, it would be a top quality extra virgin olive oil, a well hung piece of beef and sourdough bread.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
A blowtorch.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
The most important as it touches all of us would be sustainability, we also have more and more places trying to grow their own produce these days which is a part of it.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
In my opinion too many chefs focus too much on aesthetics and technique rather than spending time and effort into finding produce of the utmost quality.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
At the restaurant we have a seasonal approach in our cooking, therefore I love the beginning of a new season as it brings excitement. I would say my favourite time of the year would be spring with the arrival of new season lamb, asparagus, peas, broad beans and artichokes.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
There are many traditional regional dishes and ingredients that are not widely known to a British audience (sarde al saor, N’duja, Calabria goat ragu’, pizzoccheri etc), these are the ones we are most excited about, especially if they receive glowing reviews.
How do you come up with new dishes?
Most of our menu is made of really traditional recipes that are mostly unknown outside of Italy but we also have signature dishes that are inspired by our travels, heritage and reading.
Who was your greatest influence?
The majority of my cooking is inspired by my mother and my family. My grandparents on my mother’s side were farmers and produced everything themselves, so I had the great fortune to learn how to make homemade cheese, hams, salami, sourdough bread, preserves and pickles.
Tell us three chefs you admire.
Alain Passard, Giorgio Locatelli and Fergus Henderson.
What is your favourite cookbook?
Made in Italy by Giorgio Locatelli.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Nathan Davies, Stephen Terry and Daniel Rogan.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Restaurant AO.
Food, Drink & Hospitality Week Launches to Celebrate Industry Innovation
IFE Manufacturing, IFE, The Pub Show, HRC and International Salon Culinaire have joined forces under a new over-arching brand – Food, Drink & Hospitality Week – marking a significant evolution in the collaboration and crossover between the popular event brands.
Food, Drink & Hospitality Week will be a celebration of industry innovation, quality suppliers and valuable business conversations, with countless opportunities to network, explore and discover thousands of products and services.
In addition to the core shows taking place on 25-27 March at ExCeL London, the Food, Drink & Hospitality Week brand will feature additional networking events, partnerships and conferences including the Campden BRI conference, the IFST (Institute of Food Science & Technology) conference and the Love Hospitality gala dinner organised by The Burnt Chef Project.
Over 30,000 industry leaders will have the opportunity to network with peers in food, drink & hospitality, learn from inspiring innovators and source quality products from more than 1,500 UK and international suppliers.
Visitors to Food, Drink & Hospitality Week in March can expect insightful debates, chef demos, panel discussions and new product pitches across ten dynamic stages, plus over 100 live competitions taking place as part of International Salon Culinaire.
This year will see the launch of the World Catering Technology Awards, in partnership with FoodBev Media, the launch of the IFE Manufacturing Ingredients Awards, in partnership with the IFST, networking events hosted by HSPA, Arena and the FEA, the return of Chef HQ, in partnership with Chef Publishing, and much more.
Portfolio Director Philippa Christer comments: “The launch of the Food, Drink & Hospitality Week brand is an important step in an exhilarating period of growth for our March portfolio of events, expanding our partnerships with key industry organisations and diversifying our offering to the industry.
“Our vision for Food, Drink & Hospitality Week is a citywide celebration of everything that makes this sector unique: showcasing product innovation, connecting visitors with the trailblazers that can transform their business and providing a platform for discussions vital to the industry’s future.”
Food, Drink & Hospitality Week 2024 will include:
IFE Manufacturing
A bustling hub of NPD innovation, IFE Manufacturing is the ultimate product-sourcing platform for food & drink manufacturers and brand owners to do business. Visit the show to discover sustainable packaging providers, ethical ingredients brands, accreditation and product testing experts, food science and technology innovators, and quality processing equipment suppliers.
On the Trends & Innovation Platform, visitors will hear from leading industry experts on topics at the forefront of food science and food development, uncovering the most exciting trends and new advances in this fast-paced sector.
IFE
For over 40 years, IFE has been a trusted resource for buyers in retail, wholesale and hospitality to discover the latest new products, learn more about trends in food & drink and stay ahead of the competition in a market always seeking out the next big thing.
Visitors can explore the very latest new products in the Startup Market, hear directly from brand owners in the New Products Tasting Theatre, meet with suppliers from all over the world and gain key insights into the trends of tomorrow at the Future Food Stage.
New for 2024 is a dedicated Cheese Pavilion, a Fresh Produce Section in partnership with the Fresh Produce Consortium and a Producer & New Supplier Showcase by Aramark.
In addition, the Federation of Wholesale Distributors (FWD) will be hosting an exclusive Meet the Buyer event, the Exporters Hub will be providing invaluable insights into international trade, and the Distributor Discovery Hours will see presentations from major wholesale brands including Bidfood and Sysco.
The Pub Show
The only UK event dedicated entirely to the pub & bar sector, The Pub Show is a must-attend for owners and operators looking to network with industry peers, sample quality beers, wines and spirits and meet with a wide range of service suppliers to the sector.
In addition to popular returning feature The Taproom, The Pub Show will also be launching The Pub Stage in partnership with the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) and introducing new opportunities to network in a fun and informal setting in The Beer Garden, designed by Black & Stainless Creative Metalwork.
A bustling networking hub and meeting area at the heart of the show, the Beer Garden will play host to the finals of the Mr Gin Mixologist of the Year competition and will feature a unique pub quiz and bingo event from Hashtag Host.
HRC
The UK’s leading trade event for hospitality and foodservice, HRC is back and better than ever next year with countless new features, partnerships and networking opportunities. Visitors will have the chance to source suppliers across Hospitality Tech, Professional Kitchen, Foodservice, and Design, Décor & Tableware, and to explore the brand-new Light Equipment Pavilion packed with quality brands including Contacto, Signature and Denby Pottery.
Industry professionals can expect inspiring leaders in the UK hospitality sector to dive deep into the latest trends and best practice on the Vision Stage, designed by Harp Design, and on the TechX stage visitors can learn about the latest developments in hospitality tech and gain advice on how to elevate their tech stack and optimise customer experience.
The Networking Hub, designed by Design Command, will be partnering with leading associations including Arena, the Foodservice Equipment Association (FEA) and HOSPA to host networking events and opportunities to connect with industry peers.
Plus, 2024 will see the return of Chef HQ, curated by Chef Publishing, a demo kitchen, stage and networking area packed with leading chefs from the UK taking deep dives into a range of cuisines, trends and ingredients.
International Salon Culinaire 
Historic chef competition International Salon Culinaire returns to challenge and inspire chefs of all levels to demonstrate their skills and creativity. With over 100 live and static competitions taking place across three days including Sugarcraft, Salon Display, Static Display and the Live Theatre, the event is set to welcome up to 1,000 competing chefs for 2024 alongside new competition judges including Cherish Finden, Jason Howard and Afzal Khan.
New for 2024 is the Australian Wagyu Beef competition in partnership with Meat & Livestock Australia, Junior and Senior pasta competitions in partnership with Dell’Ugo and an evolution of Tilda Chef Team of the Year which will challenge competing chefs to focus on using ‘waste’ or by-products to create delicious dishes. The competition has also welcomed Oatly as a partner for an all-new plant-based challenge.
Don’t miss out on your chance to be a part of the UK’s biggest celebration of innovation in food, drink and hospitality on 25-27 March 2024 at ExCeL London. To find out more about everything happening as part of Food, Drink & Hospitality Week, and to register for your complimentary trade ticket, visit fooddrinkandhospitalityweek.co.uk
Michelin Star Chef Paul Ainsworth Announces his First Cookbook will Hit the Shelves in 2024
Top Cornwall chef Paul Ainsworth has revealed he will release his maiden cookbook this summer.
The Michelin star chef’s words, and work, has already appeared in the Padstow Festival Cookbook. But he’s finally decided to take the plunge and can’t wait for his own publication to hit the shelves in 2024.
“It’s taken a long time, on purpose,” the Southampton-born culinary expert told the Fuelling Around podcast.
“It’s one of those projects that, when you say yes, it’s huge. It’s over 100 recipes and is with an amazing publisher, Harper Collins. They’ve been amazing, they just want me to be able to pretty much do what I want to do.
“It’s not a No6 cookbook, so it’s recipes that you’ll find from Cafe Rojano’s, The Mariners and things I love to do at home. As we’ve been writing it and testing it I would say that 95% of this book is food in the middle of the table. The Oxtail ragu is in there. We’ve got about 10 recipes left to write and we’re shooting it right now.
“The team is fantastic. I suppose why I’ve waited so long to do it is that I wanted a really good reason, a real passion behind it – not just ‘oh yeah, chef does cookbook’ and join, as we all know, quite a saturated market.
“With all these recipes you’re doing them and and I know people are going to be like ‘I can do that, that’s accessible, I can get all of those ingredients.’ But at the end of I know, especially with all the tips, tricks, hacks they’re going to be: ‘I just made that!’”
The television personality was on the show to discuss his love of cars but also spoke at length about becoming one of the UK’s top chefs. Tasty tales about working under Gary Rhodes and Gordon Ramsay provide great entertainment while he also discusses what it’s been like to compete with Rick Stein in Padstow.
“I actually know Rick’s ex-wife Jill more, and I can honestly say it’s always been amicable and nice and I know his son Jack really well,” the Great British Menu judge added during his appearance on the award-winning automotive podcast.
“There’s always been a bit of a feeling that there’s enough room for everybody, but also now I think there is definitely a common ground that we compliment each other.”
Chef of the Week: Bobby Singer, Executive Pastry Chef at Duck & Waffle and SushiSamba in London
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
Two and a half years.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
I have always been interested in cooking. I left school at 17 and applied to Westminster Kingsway College, where I studied for 3 years to gain my NVQ Level 3 in Patisserie and Confectionary.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
Training and mentoring junior level chefs in the craft of pastry and being able to be creative on a daily basis.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Vanilla, milk and eggs.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
KitchenAid.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Not learning the basic techniques early on in their career.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
Summer, so many amazing fruits available to use.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
Our festive trifle, consisting of a lemon polenta cake, brûlée custard, berry compote, Chantilly cream and crystallised almonds. Something light to have at the end of your meal.
How do you come up with new dishes?
Sometimes I get a flavour combination in my mind and I run with it and see what come out and also inspiration from social media.
Tell us three chefs you admire.
Amaury Guichon, Damien Wager and Karim Bourgi.
What is your favourite cookbook?
Anything by Ottolenghi.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Damien Wager and Spencer Metzger.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Nessa, Soho under Tom Cenci.
Chef of the Week: Jorge Echeverry, Head Chef at Chotto Matte Miami
In a recent podcast for The Miami Guide, Kurt Zdesar, Founder of Chotto Matte said that Miami was the obvious choice for his first international venue. Originally launched in 2018, the restaurant was hampered by the pandemic, as was the case with the entire industry on a global level, however, Chotto Matte Miami has recently been relaunched and held a grand reopening last October.
Head Chef Jorge Echeverry said
“We pride ourselves on using locally-sourced seasonal, organic ingredients and produce wherever possible” said Echeverry – “It is really important that our menu is clean, healthy and fresh – We have a strict ban on any MSG, or GMO being used in our kitchens across all six Chotto Matte sites in Canada, America, Middle East and the UK.
“We have created a fantastic menu of innovative Nikkei cuisine – A fusion of Japanese and Peruvian flavours and it has proven as popular here in Miami as in London with our two sister sites in Soho and Marylebone.
“We have a whole range of tempura, delicious meats cooked on the robata grill and mouth-watering , eye-catching sushi dishes, all designed by our brilliant Group Executive Chef, Jordan Sclare. Kurt and Jordan travelled from Japan to Peru, meeting local chefs and learning traditional techniques, which makes for a really authentic and vibrant menu.”
Jorge is delighted to be Chef of the Week, we asked him a few questions…
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
I started my journey with Chotto Matte Miami, 2 years ago and counting!
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
My father was a foodie, he loves to cook and eat. He used to take me everywhere he goes to try food, we used to watch food channels and talk about the recipes and little by little I start cooking at home, that’s how my passion was born. When I turned 18 years old, I left my country (Colombia) to start my formation as a chef in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I enrolled at the culinary school Mausi Sebess, where I got my degree as professional pâtisserie, boulangerie and cook.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
Being able to touch people souls through the food they eat and see how they react to every bite, the ecstasy and creating a memorable experience is what I enjoy the most.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
As a solid foundation for a wide range of cuisines and recipes I will say salt is a fundamental seasoning that brings out natural flavours of the ingredients enhancing and balancing almost any dish. Olive oil is a versatile and healthy cooking fat that adds richness and depth to dishes. Garlic is a flavour powerhouse that can transform a dish and adds a savoury and aromatic element to many cuisines.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
My Gyuto knife, it’s versatile and precise.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
The proliferation of omakases has hooked on in Miami in all forms, there’s no shortage of spots to try this experience.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
There is a few actually, but poor communication and failure to adapt to changes are some of the most relevant to me. Clear and concise communication is crucial, also adaptability is a valuable skill in the industry.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
The winter months, we see festive culinary events and holiday-themed dining experiences. It’s like a calling to everyone, a warmth feeling, to join and share memories around the table.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
Salmon tataki with a chilli mango leche de tigre and quinoa cracker, is a recipe that I been working on, and I will do a tasting with our group executive chef Jordan Sclare, if I have his approval, it might go live as a special for our Miami location.
How do you come up with new dishes?
By trying new dishes and food concepts, cooking with colleagues usually feeds the creativity and innovation. Next year I plan to do more traveling with this purpose.
Who was your greatest influence?
My teacher back at the cooking school, Omar, very wise, straightforward, and respectable. He was a great guide, allowing me to develop my skills and find the way to the path I wanted to build for my life as a chef.
Tell us three chefs you admire.
- Anthony Bourdain
- Ferran Adrià
- Gaston Acurio
What is your favourite cookbook?
The Flavour Bible by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg is a great resource for chefs looking to understand flavour pairings and combinations. It provides insights into the relationships between different ingredients.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
I don’t have anyone in my sight right now, there’s is a lot of talented chefs out there.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
The re launch of Chotto Matte Miami, with a beautiful visual art on the walls, fresh and cool furniture, the amazing food, honestly is a hidden gem in Miami.
Christmas Bird
Bristol chef Freddy Bird has opened his third restaurant in Clifton in the run up to Christmas. Number 1 York Place in Clifton has 46 covers and is a new neighbourhood restaurant in the former Rosemarino site. The interior decoration was conceived by Freddy’s wife Nessa who also works Front of House across all three restaurants.
Talking about the opening Freddy Bird said: “Completing on the lease took forever. We started in April and had hoped to open in July. Nessa had planned everything and we hoped to get a few weeks of business in before Christmas. In the end we got a week! It’s brilliant, though. We’re delighted to be open.”
Starters include surf clams, confit tomato and chilli, and potato soup, black truffle and chanterelles. Mains include whole squid stuffed with pork rib and trotter rice, and hake, caramelised fennel, saffron, anis and clams.
Sharing dishes include hot roast shellfish, tarragon garlic and parsley butter; whole wood grilled monkfish tail, rosemary manteca, and roast suckling pig shoulder and fabada.
