What are your earliest memories of being interested in food?
I remember getting home and smelling the aroma of the sautés, soups, fresh herbs, mint,…
What, or who, would you say has inspired your cooking the most?
The day to day learning and the experiences have inspired me the most. And of course Ferran Adriá’s figure.
Describe your culinary style…
We make a “taste cuisine”, where the product is the most important thing and where we try to express our way of being and understanding the gastronomy.
What would you say is the main focus/concept for the menu at Enoteca in The Hotel Arts?
The respect for everything we do and creativity
What do you think makes a restaurant or menu sosuccessful?
The menu proposal, the human team, the perseverance and taking risks.
Name one of your favourite dishes on the current menu and explain why…
Pure peas. TheLlaveraspea is a wonderful product and we prepare 3 different dishes with its pod, flower and fruit.
What are your most indispensable ingredients?
Passion…
What kind of experience do you aim to give guests when you cook for them?
We try to offer guests a unique and different gastronomic experience. With the menu, we try to make them think about the food they are eating, as well as why and how.
What would you say has been the most memorable moment in your culinary career so far?
It is memorable for me whenever our team receives a special award for their efforts and dedication.
If you could go back in time, what advice would you give your younger self, starting out a career in the world of food?
Maybe to question and try to know why things are the way they are.
What’s next for you/Whats projects do you have lined up?
We have some projects in mind, but one of the projects that excite me more is our new Research & Development centre.
What is your guilty pleasure?
My place.
What restaurant is currently at the top of your list to dine at?
Any of my friend’s restaurants.
Find out more about Paco Perez
To find out more about his restaurant Enoteca at the Hotel Arts, click here |www.ritzcarlton.com