CHEF ’ S LIFE
Perched above Rome ’ s Spanish Steps , Hotel Hassler Roma and its Michelin-starred restaurant , Imàgo , have a commanding presence in the city ’ s revered culinary scene . At just 27 , Andrea Antonini is executive chef . While he has worked alongside greats , including 3-Michelin-starred chefs Quique Dacosta and Joan Roca i Fontané , Antonini ’ s culinary approach is thoroughly his own , even as the native Roman ’ s modern dishes pay respect to traditional fare .
HOTELS : What are you doing differently ?
ANDREA ANTONINI : We only use local , Italian ingredients . I buy the most delicious cherries from a traditional farmer located in the village of Sora in the countryside outside of Rome . It ’ s important for a chef to find the right local providers through meticulous research .
ANDREA ANTONINI
EXECUTIVE CHEF , IMÀGO , HOTEL HASSLER ROMA ROME , ITALY
H : What is the industry ignoring at its peril ?
AA : The industry is ignoring small producers . They are really important to work with in order to maintain a high quality .
H : Where do you find inspiration ?
AA : I create different recipes based on what produce is in season in Italy . Colors also inspire me to create recipes and dishes . To create the dish “ Fassona Beef , Beetroots and Roses ,” I focused on the color red and created a recipe that included only red ingredients .
H : What are you reading right now ? What websites do you check regularly ?
AA : I am actually reading “ The Perfectionist : Life and Death in Haute Cuisine ” by Rudolph Chelminski . There aren ’ t any websites that I check regularly — curiosity just leads me .
H : How did you become an executive chef so young ?
AA : My total dedication , the curiosity to learn more and more , the desire to do my best and learn from my mistakes , and the will to risk everything .
Imágo
H : Describe a typical day .
AA : I generally wake up at 7 a . m . and walk my dog , Kirpan . Four times a week I go to the gym , and I work from 10:30 a . m . until 1 a . m . One hour before Imàgo opens , either the sous chef or I will check our entire food supply . I always taste all the dishes we prepare .
H : What ’ s a prediction you ’ re willing to make about your discipline in the coming year ?
AA : I think that chefs and their teams will be given more flexibility in terms of their working hours . Many restaurants are starting to pay closer attention to this . Chefs and kitchen teams generally work 14 to 16 hours a day for seven days a week . Even though I have a deep passion for my work , I think that working [ those hours ] is too hard . It ’ s important for all employees to have free time to dedicate to their personal lives . I hope that in the near future , this situation will be better regulated .
64 hotelsmag . com September 2019