A good chef is an artist. Give him a palette of ingredients and he knows exactly how to create a masterpiece. And he carries around with him his palette box or, in this case, spice box plus secret recipes of the simple food cooked in his grandmother’s kitchen. Rojita Tiwari meets Chef Francesco Francavilla who creates masterpieces with locally sourced ingredients in traditional Italian recipes at Vetro, The Oberoi, Mumbai.
It’s been two months since he set foot in Mumbai but Chef Francesco Francavilla’s arrival has already created a great buzz. As the newly appointed chef at The Oberoi, Mumbai’s prestigious Italian Restaurant, Vetro, the task at hand is daunting. He has just finished creating the new menu while still getting used to the idea of living in Mumbai. He loves the city but hardly has the time to go around. His aim is to serve his guests the best of Italian food with a twist.
As I settle down for a quick interaction with the chef over lunch on a rainy afternoon, we begin by discussing what’s keeping him busy in a foreign land far away from home. He is charming even when struggling to find the right English word for an ingredient or to frame a sentence correctly. But after spending years working in a variety of kitchens abroad, he manages that challenge well.
Chef Francesco Francavilla’s previous experience includes stints at various Michelin-starred restaurants, as well as delighting Hollywood celebrities with his creations as their personal chef.
Francesco began his career with the Sheraton Hotel as Chef de Partie in Rome, almost immediately after his school diploma from the Tourism Professional Institute in 1994.
A few years later, he managed his first kitchen at a fine dining restaurant at Bonaire in the Netherland Antilles in the Caribbean where he honed his skills in Italian traditional, classic cuisine followed by a stint in Stuttgart Germany in the popular restaurant, Bianco & Nero.
In 2006, he returned to Italy, where he fuelled his interest in modern cooking methods and techniques working with key chefs in Rome like Chef Emeliano Pascucci, the celebrated chef at 3-star Michelin restaurant, La Pergola.
Esta historia es de la edición August - September 2016 de Sommelier India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición August - September 2016 de Sommelier India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Intimate and Welcoming
Reserve a table at AI Garamond in the centre of Turin for a taste of authentic Piedmonteset and Sicilian cuisine
Tribute to the Kerala Kitchen
Kappa Chakka Kandhari is a restaurant like no other. Chef Regi Mathew, the presiding genius, speaks to Kaveri Ponnapa about how the award-winning restaurant, specialising in the homecooking of Kerala, came into being
SWIRLING IN THE DIGITAL ERA - How social media is influencing wine culture
The ever-evolving world of wine is currently witnessing a significant shift towards social media. Devati Mallick steers us through the many ways one can navigate the digital landscape with a simple click, tap, or swipe
Bottling It - The times they are a-changing
Wine in glass bottles has been traditional for a very long time but now change is a-foot, says Carol Wright. The carbon foot print of the glass bottle is not planet friendly
BANDOL - The ruby in the Provence crown
If you thought Provence was only about rosés, you are wrong. Bandol, one of the more prestigious appellations of Provence, is renowned for its bold and structured red wines. Here's what Elizabeth Gabay MW has to say
A Splendid Septet of Wines
Raymond Blake tastes seven vintages of the Burgundy premier cru, Gevrey-Chambertin 'Aux Combottes', from Domaine Dujac, owned by the Seysses family
CYPRUS Dawn of a New Era
On a recent visit to Cyprus, Rosemary George MW is struck by the island's numerous indigenous grape varieties and high altitude vineyards
Madeira The world's longest living wine
Carol Wright on what makes Madeira the 'hottest' thing in wine
AT THE FOOT OF MOUNT ETNA
Altitude, fertile volcanic ash, and abundant sunlight create a unique environment for vineyards
Putting their best foot forward
Craig Wedge is bullish about the rising quality of Australian wines entering the Indian market