美式星級手法重新演繹傳統義式料理曼谷La Scala主廚Anthony Burd （影片） @ 良好印象傳媒 Favorable Impression Media @FIMMEDIA

Chef Anthony雖成長於美國紐澤西州,血液裡卻根植著義大利人的血統,他的祖父母是道地的義大利人,同時非常擅長料理.Anthony從小耳濡目染家人的廚藝,在他年僅十一歲時就開始在家鄉的餐廳工作,直到高中畢業後,他理所當然進入到美國廚藝學校就讀,接著在美國的五星飯店The little Nell,真正開啟了他義大利fine dining的廚藝生涯.

之後他又回到廚藝學院,完成餐飲服務管理的學位.畢業後Anthony到加州Napa Vally數間米其林餐廳工作,之後有感於只待在美國的舒適圈環境,仍是不足的.於是他毅然而然決定買了一張單程機票,飛往義大利托斯卡尼Villa Pignano工作,這是一個確確實實從農場到餐桌的工作環境,”在這裡我真正感受到真正的fine dining應該是利用新鮮當令的食材並且落實從產地到餐桌”.

托斯卡尼的經驗,徹底顛覆了Anthony對義大利料理的想法,同時也幫他取得了進入米其林二星餐廳Marea by Michael White工作的門票. “當時我突然接到老闆Michael White的詢問,他要在香港開設義大利餐廳,我考慮不到一週,心裡那個想要挑戰的慾望,又驅使我前進.” 同時也開啟了他前往亞洲發展的契機.

不到一週的時間,Anthony收拾行囊進到香港的市場.時序進入2015年,當紐約米其林三星大廚Jean-Georges準備在香港開設首家餐廳Mercado,Anthony豐富的資歷讓他雀屏中選,成為該餐廳的主廚.在世界最知名主廚旗下工作,雖然有名廚的光環加持,但壓力自然也不小,他每天早上到中環的市場買菜,勤於瞭解亞洲的食材,而他也喜愛自製食材,包括Ricotta cheese,義式麵粉,甚至是每天發酵以杏仁木柴火烤製的pizza,都深受顧客喜愛.

今年chef Anthony加盟曼谷Le scala義大利餐廳,泰國本地豐富的食材讓他更能落實從產地到餐桌的理念,指著餐廳外鄰近泳池的戶外區域,”未來我可以在這裡種植”羅勒香草薄荷,甚至部分菜餚也能融入本地食材.”Anthony眼神閃爍著光芒,一位耀眼的新星主廚就要在此誕生.

Anthony Burd pretty much grew up around food. After watching his Italian grandparents and mother cook from a young age, he got his first job at 11 years old at a local diner. “I worked [in kitchens] throughout high school, then went to The Culinary Institute of America in New York,” he says.

After school, the New Jersey native took a trip to Italy in order to reconnect with his roots. He ended up staying there, working as an executive chef for farm-to-table restaurant Borgo Pignano in Volterra, Tuscany. It was there he fell in love with the culture and most importantly the food and where it came from. Villa Pignano’s organic farm grew 70% of their own food, to be used solely for the restaurant.

Following stints at top restaurants in the US, Burd worked at Marea in New York City, and three years ago was invited by American chef/owner Michael White to work at Al Molo in Hong Kong.

He now works as executive chef with a team of 25 cooks at the kitchen at Mercato. The Italian restaurant marks legendary French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s first venture in Hong Kong since now-closed Pierrot, which opened at the Mandarin Oriental in the 1980s. “His reputation for producing Michelin-quality restaurants all around the world is outstanding — he is my mentor, and I work hard to live up to his legacy,” says Burd.

With an emphasis on using fresh, seasonal ingredients. Burd is constantly looking to switch up the menu too. “I hope to bring old-school Italian flair to this city, with a creative new world twist — but without compromising the integrity of traditional Italian flavors.”

Now chef Anthony prior to joining the restaurant-La Scala Bangkok,is the best described as cooking Italian flavor with a creative new world twist.

His new menu as below:

Beet Root Carpaccio

crème fraiche, orange, mint