Antonio

Antonio on the Hot Seat

1. What inspired you to be a chef?

The inspiration for becoming a chef comes from probably my parents. I have grown up watching them cook with so much passion for their restaurant. I was fortunate enough to taste amazing food and experience the love that comes with it. The bold flavors in my food made me realize that I wanted to open a restaurant and create dishes with the same flavors that I have experienced in my childhood and I wanted everyone- from friends to strangers to enjoy luscious cuisine. 

2. How do you describe your overall cooking philosophy?

One must have that passion for cooking and food is what I believe. When I say passion for food, it means for the fresh local ingredients, clean cooking, the taste, smell, and also serving good food to your customers. All this represents your personal approach to food and how much care, and love you have for the people who consume it. And, it’s always okay to experiment and you have to! This is where the magic happens. If that doesn’t happen, you’ll find it tedious to cook the same dishes again and again. 

3. What do you love the most about your home country Spain?

I do have a lot to tell you about the not-so-little, eye-stabbing beautiful country of Spain – all thanks to its round aspect of food, culture, people, and architecture. Speaking about food, every region of us has a different cuisine. Paella is one of the many great things we offer and it is considered the national dish of Spain due to its immense popularity. Well, there is the famous, or some, infamous Bullfighting. Even today, most of them continue to practice it as a weekly sport though the debate of it being legal or righteous is happening. 

4. You’ve got the reputation for being cheerful, what’s your secret?

Cooking is something I love and I love being cheerful making others focus on cooking being positive. Celebrating little victories with my kitchen staff is my thing. They are the ones who help me lead to better things and they should be appreciated right! The only thing I wanna say here is do what you love keeping people around you happy. 

5. Name three specialty food that you want people to try from your station and the reason for it. 

• Patata Bravas: A staple among the small dishes, this dish is named for its spicy sauce, rare in a land that generally shuns fiery food. The sauce is the magician here. It can come in any number of ways, from garlic ketchup to spicy mayonnaise with a hint of paprika. Here the key factor of the food is social sharing, and the opportunity to try a lot of flavors in one meal. 
• Churros: You might know this – this one’s a street recipe. But boy-oh-boy, do we love this! This popular snack is made from fried dough pastry and doused in sugar. The hot chocolate dipping makes it so much better! 
• Croquettes: Looking for a crunchy snack? You have this typical Dutch snack tossed with béchamel sauce and breadcrumbs.   They are tricky to make but they are finely enjoyed at a tapas bar, along with a cold beer.