Deep experiences that shaped my life as a chef since I was 13 years old

In 2011, he became the first Italian chef living in Japan to receive a Michelin star. Luca Fantin is the head chef of ``Bvlgari Ile Ristorante His Luca Fantin,'' which has been awarded a star for nine years in a row. Even if she is not a fashion or jewelry lover, the brand name ``Bulgari'' is world-famous, but when she opened her first restaurant in Ginza, she named it only after the brand name. However, in 9, the name was changed to honor the chef's glory and ability. This was unusual for the brand.

Luca Fantin was born and raised in Treviso, a city in northern Italy, and began his training in a restaurant kitchen at the age of 13. Due to her refreshing and playful character, she was often introduced in Japan as the young prince of Italian cuisine, but in reality, she is much more than that. The length and depth of his training, and the fact that many great chefs trained him. He studied at a hotel culinary school in Treviso from the age of 14 to 19 while continuing to work part-time at a restaurant, and has since honed his skills at star restaurants in Milan, Rome, and Spain. In 2006, he became sous chef at La Pergola in Rome, led by master chef Heinz Beck, and three years later, in the fall, he was selected as executive chef of Bulgari's current restaurant and came to Japan.

``While I was working at La Pergola, I met Seiji Yamamoto, the head chef of Ryugin, at the World Culinary Conference held in San Sebastian.I cut up a conger conger and took an X-ray to see how the bones looked before and after. He took a photo and showed it to us chefs. I was really surprised. When I was offered the opportunity to work in Japan, a country with such great chefs, I had no hesitation in accepting it."

The important thing is where your backbone is as a chef.

Luca Fantin started working in Japan on the strength of his brilliant career, but it is said that his cooking has changed considerably since the time he came to Japan. She has been loved by people since the beginning, and there are still many repeat customers, but this change is more due to other factors than "growth".

``It's not that I've come to understand a little bit more Japanese or have more knowledge about Japanese ingredients.Over the past 10 years, I've become more aware of the ``spirit'' that lies at the backbone of the dishes I make. I feel like I've definitely become more involved. From a different perspective, I've started to think more deeply about what Italian cuisine is."

This is something Luca Fantin often talks about, and he declares that his cooking is quintessentially ``Italian.'' Although he uses many Japanese ingredients, he does not use so-called Japanese seasonings such as dashi soup, soy sauce, and mirin. Although he feels a touch of Japanese cuisine, he is proud that the resulting dishes are not ``innovative'' or ``fusion,'' but are truly Italian. Chef Luca says, ``I get quite nervous about what Italian customers will say,'' because Italian cuisine respects clear flavors and simple ingredients, and people don't like long explanations. If they don't know much about Japanese cuisine or Japanese ingredients, and the moment they taste the dish, they smile and say, "It reminds me of my hometown," then of course it's delicious, but Luca Fantin's dish is Italian cuisine. This is proof that it is.

``I think Tokyo is a truly amazing city.There are many restaurants of Japanese, French, Italian, and Chinese cuisine that are of a quality that would rank among the top in other cities. It's exciting to keep competing, but if someone closes their eyes and tastes my food and thinks, ``Ah, this is Italian food,'' then it's not just me as a chef, but as an Italian. I am also proud of this. Someday, I would like to use my current experience to help develop the culinary world of my home country."

LUCA FANTIN
Born in Treviso, Italy in 1979. He graduated from a local hotel culinary school. He started working part-time at a restaurant when he was 13 years old, and after graduating from vocational school, he worked as a sous chef at Cracco in Milan, Osteria del Orzo in Rome, two-star restaurants in Spain such as Acheralle and Mugaritz, and La Pergola in Rome. Since 2009, he has been executive chef at Bvlgari Il Ristorante Ca Fantin (formerly Bulgari Il Ristorante). He was ranked 2020th in the 50 "Asia's 17 Best Restaurants".

Bulgari Il Ristorante Luca Fantin
BVLGARI Il Ristorante LUCA FANTIN
Bvlgari Ginza Tower 2F, 7-12-XNUMX Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
03-6362-0555
Lunch 12:00-13:30 (LO)
Dinner 18:00-20:00 (LO)
Lunch course 8,000 yen (weekdays only), 10,000 yen, 16,000 yen
Dinner course 18,000 yen, 26000 yen
*Tax and service charge not included
*Currently temporarily closed.
*Course contents and prices may change when business resumes, so please check in advance.

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The Japanese food and beverage industry is dominated by excellent restaurants, including not only Japanese cuisine but also French, Italian, and Chinese cuisine. However, if you look deeper than that, you will see that a new generation has sprouted that will carry the future of Japan's food on their shoulders, and they are showing remarkable success. The "Premium Japan" editorial department selected 12 chefs who face food beyond all boundaries. I asked him what vector he was aiming for.

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