Italy’s gems: products and tradition

«An Italian restaurant I like a lot? Aromando in Milan»: the answer is a bit of a surprise – you’d expect perhaps a fine dining name – at the end of a long chat with David Kinch, born in 1961, patron chef at Manresa in Los Gatos, California, three Michelin stars (you can listen to the best part in the video above).

We met him at Mirazur, on the day after the first in a series of memorable dinners that Mauro Colagreco (here’s the video we created with him) organised in Mentone to celebrate the tenth anniversary of his restaurant, number six in the world and first in France according to the 50 Best.

The next events: 8th September Andoni Luis Aduriz of Mugaritz in San Sebastian; 21st September Virgilio Martinez of Central in Lima; 4th October Emmanuel Renaut of Flocons de Sel in Megève; 5th October Sebastien Bras of Bras in Laguiole; 19th October Jorge Vallejo of Quintonil in Mexico City; grand final on 27th October with Massimo Bottura of Osteria Francescana in Modena. The price per person for each dinner is 250 euros, drinks not included. For reservations: reservation@mirazur.fr)

In fact, it is not that surprising that Kinch answered Aromando. First of all, because this came after mentioning more famous places, such as those of Bottura, Romito, Scabin… And then it’s coherent with his figure: having travelled all around the world and taken inspiration for his work everywhere, his utmost priority is product culture.

For the Californian chef what represents Italy above all is extraordinary raw materials and an impossible to imitate tradition. Creativity is also good, yet he suggests we should never lose our roots. We must respect products, because they are the characteristics that make our cuisine unique. This is why he loves a place like Aromando: «One of the things I’m jealous of, and which inspire me, is visiting places such as Italy with an ancient culinary tradition, where food is a daily matter and is prepared in a particular way: deliciously. And these dishes, this tradition, have a story to tell, in fact they have many different stories, which are not connected with the chef’s personality, but with a place, a country. For me this is a strong source of inspiration».

And then: «Anything, virtually, can be “fine dining”. Through this process of making a dish more refined, a chef perhaps might remove its soul, which is the tradition that has led it to become what it is. Therefore the chef must decide what’s more important: whether to preserve tradition, soul, or whether to change. I believe there’s place for both, but I do know what I’d prefer to eat…».