Michelin star chef Davide Oldani flew into Dubai to launch the S.Pellegrino Sparkles With Bulgari campaign, and took time out of his schedule to talk passion, produce and Padano...
On his opinion of the Middle East’s F&B sector during a recent trip
The organisation of the cooking team was great – the interaction among our team, the local team and the F&B staff was superb. I saw a great expertise in the art of pampering guests.
On his favourite three ingredients to cook a meal with?
Passion, love and constancy.
On the key to creating a great dish time and time again
It’s all to do with the physical and mental wellbeing of the chef.
On his predictions for 2012
I think that the still-growing trend is the use of seasonal, local products, mainly vegetables, cooked with refined techniques, such as steam cooking or on a low temperature in order to keep the product as natural as possible. This will ensure the end products vary greatly from country to country.
On the most rewarding challenges chefs can take on today
To travel and exchange views with other chefs in order to create a bridge between cooking cultures. The ability to learn from this exchange shows real dedication.
On the most valuable lesson he’s learnt in his career
First of all you need to love what you do, and you have to respect the masters. You need also to be proactive and humble. Finally, when selecting products, you must follow the seasons. After a lot of efforts and mistakes, I have developed my own cooking style, which is aimed at proposing to my clients good and healthy food.
On the first dish that inspired him
For me when I worked with [Italian master] Marchesi as a chef’s assistant there were two dishes that I dreamt I would personally cook when I became head chef: raviolo aperto [open ravioli] and rice with saffron and gold – these are just some of the dishes that are transforming new Italian cuisine.
On his signature dish
My signature dish includes a balance of contrast, for example – soft with crunchy, and warm with cold. When I am able to create these sensations in a dish it is almost perfect. An example is my caramelised onion with hot and cold Grana Padano.
On who he would cook for if he could cook for anyone in the world
I do not have a specific person in mind, but I would love to cook for somebody whose view on cooking art is completely different to mine. I would ask them to select the products that they like the most and I would create a meal. This would be a challenge that would intrigue me most.
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