LOCAL Houston | The City Guide November 2017 | Page 27

FOOD | ARTS | COMMUNITY | STYLE+LEISURE
EXECUTIVE CHEF
DIMITRI VOUTSINAS
EMMALINE
Culinary veteran Dimitri Voutsinas is Executive Chef of the highly anticipated Emmaline. In this capacity, he oversees day-to-day
kitchen operations and the core menu for the brand-new neighborhood bar and kitchen, which is located in the former Teala’s
space on West Dallas. Voutsinas made the move from New York City, along with his wife who is originally from Houston, because
he saw a great restaurant scene emerging and was eager to be a part of it. Before joining the Emmaline team, Voutsinas spent
the last two years as an Executive Chef with the acclaimed La Gamelle restaurant, part of the successful Motorino Restaurant
Group in New York City.
How’d you learn to cook?
I started learning from my mother and father
when I was a young boy. I would watch and
help them in the kitchen regularly. My first job
at 12 years old was working in a deli near my
house serving feta cheese, olives and sandwich-
es. Every day, I would fill containers with all
the spice from the Mediterranean, learning to
roast beef, cure meats and learning about all
the cheese. Throughout high school, I always
enjoyed working with food and finally decided
to go to The French Culinary Institute in NYC.
And now here we are.
What’s the first recipe you ever mastered?
A Greek dish called the Pastichio that I learned
from mother at early age. She would make
the most amazing version. It’s a cinnamon and
clove laden meat sauce, these hollow long noo-
dles and topped with a cheesy nutmeg scented
béchamel. You then bake it until nice and gold-
en brown.
What ingredient can you not live without in
the kitchen and why?
Good unsalted butter. Toasted bread, potatoes,
fish, meat, sauces, baked goods – butter is
invaluable and used in almost all my food.
What utensil can you not live without?
My spoons. I have a collection of spoons from
over the years that are used for everything. They
aren’t expensive, usually leftover pieces from
restaurant supply houses that cost $1–$2. A
good, solid spoon with a nice balanced weight
can do so much in the kitchen.
Favorite affordable wine?
I have an affinity to French wines, specifically
from Alsace. Almost anything under $30 from
that region in France, you can’t go wrong.
Favorite place for dessert?
Fluff Bake Bar. Not just for dessert, but anytime.
Becky Masson is an amazing Pastry Chef.
Everything from there is wonderful.
What is your comfort food?
Any really delicious soup (beef barley, chicken
and rice, pork and vegetable, etc., not pureed
soup) served with some warm sourdough rye
bread and butter.
What would be your last meal?
A classic steak tartare with salad and fries,
some warm crusty baguette and a hunk of
Reblochon cheese. Throw in a nice glass of
Gewurztraminer, and I literally would die a
happy man
What do you see as the next food trend?
I’m not big on trends in the way of poke, or
“street food” that is served from a brick and
mortar (kind of negates the street aspect). Trends
come and go, real cooking and technique is
timeless.
Who are your favorite chef, restaurant
and dish?
Chef Fortunato Nicotra from Felidia in NYC.
Every dish he makes is amazing. Other than
his impeccable pastas, the tripa is perfection
– braised tripe in tomato with polenta. It’s not
rubbery and really clean. It’s one dish I always
think about when I think of NYC.
At home, what do you keep on hand to serve
drop-in guests?
I almost always have some kind of charcuterie
and good cheeses to put on a plate for surprise
guests.
Is there a food you won’t eat?
Japanese-style Fermented Squid. I ordered it,
everyone said I wouldn’t like it, I tried it, I did
not like it one bit.
Is there a particular food that is underappre-
ciated? And what would you do to help its
reputation?
I have always loved mollusks, specifically the
gastropods, and I think people aren’t familiar
enough with them. Animals like periwinkles,
whelks, conch, abalone, etc., are all under-
appreciated and pretty popular in Asia and
Europe already. The only way for the reputation
to be helped would be to start serving them.
The more chefs and restaurants that start serving
these items and in essence “educate” people
that they taste amazing, the better the reputation
and popularity would become.
What would people be surprised to find in
your home refrigerator?
I guess it would be the 50 pounds of cured
meat from Cake and Bacon (a baker and
cured meat producer in Houston) or Bagoong
Alamang, which is a fermented shrimp paste
from the Philippines. Usually eaten with
Philippine dishes like kare kare, rice with eggs
and even green mango.
Photography by Anthony Rathbun
11 . 2017 | L O C A L
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