15-09-2021
Matias Perdomo, chef and co-patron at restaurant Contraste, opened in Milano on the 1st of September 2015. He will hold a lesson with Simon Press at Identità Golose, on Sunday 26th September, at 11.30, in Sala Blu 1, within the section called "The Future is Now". To register, click here
The theme of the congress of Identità Golose is Building a New Future: Work. For some time now, Matias Perdomo, co-author of the emblem dish of the 16th edition, has been considering what takes to make his profession more sustainable. It's been happening at least since the 1st of September 2015: 6 years have passed since when, together with Simon Press and Thomas Piras, he opened Contraste, a success story in the recent past of Milan: ever since the beginning, you'd have to call 5 months in advance to find a table over the weekend. Over the years, the trio has also added Exit, Empanadas del Flaco, Roc, Exit Pastificio, Abere to their business. A more and more complex business structure which in these days of reopening must deal also with a common problem: staff is running away. We've discussed this with the Uruguayan chef. Why has it become hard to find cooks and waiters now? I don't think it's because young people are less interested in this career than in the past. I think that for many of them their expectations weren't met. Mostly because television shows them the goal, but not the journey it takes to get there. Young people leave school at 18 and at 23 they expect to be chefs. But there are no shortcuts in the kitchen. Before they became cooks, Bottura, Cannavacciuolo and Cracco worked hard for 20 years. If today they are incredibly skilled, it's because they learnt the ropes for a long time. Like Marcel Jacobs before winning the gold medal in Tokyo.
The emblem dish of the 2021 Identità Golose congress is signed by Matias Perdomo and Simon Press
In the post-pandemic reorganisation, Contraste changed the traditional service shifts. It's now open on Monday evening, Thursday evening, and from Friday to Sunday both for lunch and dinner. In the photo, maître and business partner Thomas Piras
During the summer Exit, the Urban Gastronomy brand of Perdomo&co went on a tour of Italian beaches. To find out more, click here
Translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso
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born in Milan, 1973, freelance journalist, coordinator of Identità Golose World restaurant guidebook since 2007, he is a contributor for several magazines and teaches History of gastronomy and Culinary global trends into universities and institutes. twitter @gabrielezanatt instagram @gabrielezanatt
The emblem dish of the 16th edition of Identità Milano: This is no game, it's work by Matias Perdomo and Simon Press, chefs at restaurant Contraste in Milan. All photos from Brambilla-Serrani
All the protagonists of the 11th edition of Identità di Pasta, an important segment of the Congress in Milan. From the top left corner, clockwise: Matias Perdomo, Martina Caruso, Davide Guidara, Carlo Cracco, Cristiano Tomei, Andrea Berton, Valeria Piccini and Gianfranco Pascucci. Save the date for Sunday 25th October, Sala Blu 1, from 11 am to 5.50 pm. Register here