In the United Arab Emirates the culinary offer is not lacking. Whether you are a lover of Japanese, Greek, Mexican, French, Lebanese, Egyptian and even Bavarian gastronomy, you will not be dissatisfied in Dubai. In this city there are tastes for all palates!
And yet, we of the Belpaese know it, nothing equals Italian cuisine or the magical touch of a local chef. Antonio Satta, 29 years old, from Sassari , head chef at Cinque, one of the restaurants of the very famous Five the Palm, tells us about his passion and that pinch of Italy proposed in his Dubai kitchen!
Chef Antonio, how did your passion for cooking begin?
«My passion for cooking was born when I was very young, around 16 and with my first work experiences, thanks to which I understood the meaning of working in the kitchen and the important choices that follow. The first approaches to kitchens were also those where I realized and discovered my passion for food, observing my first Chefs/mentors at work, from which I was particularly impressed and enthusiastic. I admired my Chefs. It was from there that my passion was born, the desire to grow, travel and discover the wonderful world of cooking».
And how, instead, your experience in Dubai?
«My experience in Dubai was born almost by chance. Due to the pandemic, I returned to work in Italy from London, for a 5-star hotel. I was at Gordon Ramsay's Petrus at the time. One day, a dear friend and colleague of mine (knowing I didn't want to stay in Italy) forwarded me the notice of a chef looking for a figure in the kitchen at the Armani Hotel in Dubai. I sent my resume and was selected and thus my story was born in Dubai, where I have been since summer 2021».
Why, in your opinion, is Italian cuisine so successful in the Emirates?
«Not only in the Emirates! Italian cuisine is still enjoying great success all over the world. Usually when we talk about Italian cuisine abroad, we think we are referring only to pasta and pizza! It is with the increase of the many Italian restaurants that the Italian cuisine has really begun to be appreciated. Today, through the export of raw materials directly from Italy and the magnificent work of many of my colleagues, we are able to make our products known even more effectively».
Speaking of products, what are the main elements that characterize your kitchen?
«The elements that I consider "fundamental" are certainly the freshness of the products, simplicity, method of using the raw materials. One of the characteristics of my cuisine is certainly the twist of Italian, international, specifically South American cuisine. This is thanks to previous experiences through which I have discovered incredible products and countries rich in raw materials and unique dishes. So being able to combine these flavors, the constant search for improvement of the techniques we use and the discovery. For me cooking is a constant, incessant study. A continuous "making mistakes" as I define it, essential for finding the right combination in my dishes. Furthermore, a fundamental characteristic is the knowledge of the base, of the recipes, of writing new ones, but without being slaves to them. It is by giving free rein to creativity and imagination that the best results are obtained!»
(Courtesy of DubaItaly)