Hailing all the way from Pavia, Italy, Alessandro Mazzali kicked off his career at Bulgari Hotel Milano.
He further honed his skills at Il Ristorante – Luca Fantin at Ginza Tokyo and Michelin-starred restaurants before heading to Bali to helm Il Ristorante – Luca Fantin at Bulgari Resort Bali.
E: How did you first get into the culinary industry?
A: Cooking has always been a passion of mine since I was a child, as often happens in many Italian families. When you love the food you usually eat at home, and it is easy to become curious to learn how to prepare it, so I started to help my mother in daily preparation of family meals very young. At the age of 14, when I had to choose which high school to go to, I had no doubts about choosing a hotel management school, where I started my first internships and first real experiences in professional kitchens. That was the road that led me to enter to the culinary industry.
E: You’ve been with the Bulgari brand for quite a long time. How do you think the culinary scene differs from when you first started to now?
A: Bulgari Milano was one of my first workplaces. I started there as a commis in 2012, and it was the place where I grew up, trained, learned and familiarised myself with the best Italian products. Tokyo was a different experience, where Luca Fantin’s fine dining cuisine fascinated me with its contemporary touch in each dish, while still maintaining authenticity, underlined by the success of the restaurant. The culinary scene has certainly changed in this decade but I believe that the underlying key remains the same; hard work, professionalism, product research and authenticity, these are fundamentals that will never change.
E: How would you define the culinary offerings at Il Ristorante – Luca Fantin in Bali, and how does it differ from the flagship restaurant in Tokyo?
A: The culinary offerings at Il Ristorante – Luca Fantin restaurant in Bali is contemporary Italian cuisine, where pasta and risotto are plentiful and where common flavours of traditional cuisine are combined with modern techniques and local products.
This cuisine follows the same concept as the flagship in Tokyo, particularly in terms of the respect for the product and flavour authenticity. What differs the Bali restaurant with the one in Tokyo is mostly the context, based on the climate of each location and the availability of products.
E: Where do you draw inspiration for your culinary creations?
A: Il Ristorante – Luca Fantin in Bali can be considered as the sister of the one in Tokyo, so obviously that is the model to follow. From there, we pay particular attention to local products, using our creativity to create menus with a contemporary Italian identity.
E: How do you combine your and Luca’s idea to create a menu at Il Ristorante – Luca Fantin?
A: Having already worked in Tokyo with Luca, I know his style and guidelines. Every time we change a menu we compare notes. I offer him my ideas, based on the products I find, he gives me information and advice on how to make the most of the dish. Every time he comes to Bali we jot down ideas for the next menu.
E: Any upcoming projects for Il Ristorante – Luca Fantin in the future?
A: We have just started a temporary menu with Australian black truffles, a series of dishes designed to enhance this excellent product. After summer, we will organise a series of wine dinners and collaborations with chefs that are friends of Luca on the international scene.
Exquisite Taste Volume 40
Il Ristorante – Luca Fantin
Bulgari Resort Bali
Jalan Goa Lempeh, Banjar Dinas Kangin, Uluwatu
Bali 80364, Indonesia
T: (+62) 3613001000
