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INTERVIEW
Situated on the 101st floor of the International Commerce Centre, Radical Chic is one of Hong Kong's leading restaurants for Italian fine dining. The creative mind behind the success is Italian Executive Chef Andrea Zamboni. The seasonal menus are the crystallisation of Chef Zamboni's years of experience and knowledge. He explores and redefines contemporary Italian gastronomy with each delicately crafted dish.
Here, we chat with him about his philosophies on Italian gastronomy and what he hopes to bring to Hong Kong.
1. Who are your chef inspirations?
Of course, I believe every chef that I have previously worked with is wonderful and extremely talented, I consider them all to be my inspirations when it comes to the culinary world. Also my current team! I take inspiration from them every day; witnessing the teamwork that we have, makes me proud of our kitchen and our dishes. However, my number one chef inspiration would have to be my mother. My mom is such a lovely lady and a gorgeous cook. She is not afraid to take risks when it comes to cooking and is always willing to try new cuisine.
2. What would you describe to be the ‘soul’ of Italian cuisine?
I would say that the soul of any cuisine is actually in the kitchen itself. It is the team that puts the dish together and all the experiences of each individual. For Italian cuisine, in particular, it's the ingredients! If you treat an ingredient that you're using with respect, it will reward you with the most amazing flavours – to respect it, you must take the time to learn about the ingredient and what makes it work in an Italian dish.
3. How do you wish to bring Italian gastronomy to Hong Kong?
I wish to bring Italian gastronomy to Hong Kong with a touch of adventure. Some people crave "traditional" Italian food, but when people say this, I ask: "What is tradition?". In all honesty, whilst traditions are important and are the structure of our current dishes, but we don't have to keep things the same forever. If I can make people surprised when they taste my dishes or think "Wow, I never thought that these ingredients would work together so well", then I believe I'm achieving what I want to. In the end, our dishes are Italian, but are influenced by my and my team's culinary experiences and influences!
4. Can you share with us your favourite ingredients? Have you worked with any new ingredients recently?
At the moment, it's White Truffle Season. With such a rare and beautiful ingredient, how could I not mention this? It's something very delicate that needs to be handled and treated with respect! I have created a five-course menu with dishes made specifically to match perfectly with White Truffle, available now at Radical Chic!
5. What do you hope guests will feel from an experience at Radical Chic?
I hope that our guests' experience is one that they simply enjoy. Of course, to have the fine dining experience that is luxurious and of quality – but also with that sense of adventure that I had previously mentioned. I want them to be surprised and delighted at the same time – to enjoy the artistic finesse that is presented on their plate, as well as the symphony of flavours on their palate. I want them to feel that sense of both Radical and Chic through the dishes, through the location and through our services, as a whole.
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Address: ShopB1, Level 101, International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong | Website: radicalchichk.com | Phone: +852 36187880 | Email: reservations@radicalchichk.com | Instagram: @radicalchichk | Facebook: @radicalchichk
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