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Kowloon Shangri-La, Hong Kong welcomes Andrea Burzio as new chef de cuisine who will lead the kitchen team of the hotel’s Italian restaurant, Angelini.

 

With experience working at Michelin-starred restaurants in Italy and being well-versed in international flavours, Chef Andrea brims with passion for his craft, rooted in the belief that cooking is an art instrumental in creating meaningful relationships and communities. He envisions this philosophy at Angelini, which, in Italian tradition, will be the home of more family-style favourites.

The love for food is universal, but to dine and share the table with family and friends – that is what Italian cuisine is all about,” Chef Andrea said.

Prior to joining Kowloon Shangri-La, Hong Kong, Chef Andrea was the chef de cuisine at Acqua, the Italian restaurant at Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa, Cebu. He had previously been with gourmet restaurants and boutique hotels in Italy, France, Switzerland, Thailand and Myanmar. In his earlier years, he was trained by Chef Stefano Gallo of the Michelin-starred Italian restaurant, La Barrique in Italy.

Chef Andrea grew up in the northern Italian city of Turin, and his cooking is heavily influenced by the Piedmont region’s rich geography; he often uses premium ingredients from the valley, sea and forest.

Chef Andrea is excited to introduce the flavours of his hometown to Angelini, serving them together with the restaurant’s core bestsellers. On top of the enhanced menu, guests can also look forward to a refreshed dining experience, which will allow them to taste a different part of Italy every time as the menu changes periodically. Chef Andrea’s menu showcases his own interpretations of northern Italian classics, using ingredients from various regions in Italy such as Piedmontese beef, red Sicilian prawns, Alba white truffles, wild-caught seabass, Carnaroli rice and Castelmagno cheese. An ingredient he works with the most is the extra virgin olive oil, known for its special delicate flavour, from Liguria in the north-western region of Italy.

Describing himself as an introverted teen growing up, Chef Andrea said he was inspired to pursue the profession because of the camaraderie he was able to create through food. This is essentially what he aims to replicate at Angelini.

“I want my guests to go home with more than just a flavourful experience – with heart-warming moments they will cherish for a long time,” Chef Andrea said.

Chef Andrea will introduce a new collection of authentic Italian signature dishes to Angelini’s discerning palates. His famed specialty is handmade pasta, including ravioli, tagliatelle, chitarra and many others. “What defines good handmade pasta is how well you make the dough as well as how well you control and balance its moisture, thickness and taste,” said Chef Andrea. “The dough is the key and then comes the sauce and stuffing.” Guests will not only be able to sample fresh pasta every day, but also enjoy watching the chef in action during the dinner service.

It is important to Chef Andrea that every dish tells a story and every ingredient serves a purpose. To inaugurate the new menu, the chef introduces heirloom recipes that have been family favourites for decades. Some of his recommended dishes include Agnolotti: ox tail, brown butter jus, aged Parmesan and bitter chocolate (a recipe he learned from his mother, Anna); Tajarin: handmade Tajarin noodles, lamb ragout with Jerusalem artichoke (a recipe by his aunt, Carla); and Panissa: Borlotti beans, sausage ragout, Piedmontese risotto and infused foie gras (a classic dish passed down by his grandmother, Mariangela).