“People think Italian food is simple, but simple is not easy,” says chef Luigi Stinga, who received two awards from the MICHELIN Guide this year—the Young Chef Award and One MICHELIN Star for Talea by Antonio Guida, just eight months after its opening.
A native of Nerano, a coastal town on the Amalfi Coast, Stinga grew up watching and helping his mother and grandmother cook homey Italian food before starting his career at Ristorante Don Alfonso 1890, one of the first restaurants to be awarded two MICHELIN Stars in South Italy. After completing his stints at some of the most respected MICHELIN-starred establishments in Italy, Stinga moved to Milan to join chef Antonio Guida for the opening of Seta in 2015, which received its first MICHELIN Star after 4 months and Two MICHELIN Stars in the following year.
As the chef de cuisine of Talea by Antonio Guida, Stinga is praised by MICHELIN Guide Inspectors for his eye for detail, impeccable style, generous approach and natural confidence, while the newly-stinted one-MICHELIN-starred restaurant is a reflection of chef Antonio Guida who made and cemented his reputation in Milan, celebrates family-style – or ‘cucina di famiglia’ – cooking.
In this exclusive interview, Stinga shares how the MICHELIN Guide has influenced his career, his relationship with Antonio Guida, and how it is like to receive a MICHELIN Star.
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Who has the most influence in your career?
Antonio [Guida], he’s a very simple-minded, natural and pure person. His palate is also something else—he can tell the difference even with one drop of lemon. He completely changed my idea about the kitchen. Sometimes you have a bestseller in the restaurant that you think you cannot take out, but Antonio has taught me that it is the time to remove the dish when it becomes a bestseller. He has taught me not to get too comfortable and always push to be better.How would you describe your cuisine to a first-time diner at Talea?
Classic Italian with a twist but not too much—you can still recognise the flavour, technique and quality but presented in a modern way.
Tell us about your signature dish.
A lot of guests come to Talea for our tiramisu. Anyone can do tiramisu, but ours is a bit more light and everything is homemade. We also serve it tableside.Tell us about your first encounter with the MICHELIN Guide, and what influence has it had over your career?
When I started studying in culinary school, the MICHELIN Star was the dream for everyone. I remember when the school told us about the MICHELIN-starred restaurant chefs, I told myself I want to work for them.How has the MICHELIN Guide influenced your career?
The moment I started working in a MICHELIN-starred restaurant, it changed everything. When you work at a MICHELIN-starred restaurant you strive for perfection. You push hard to make every plate perfect, Every single day. It’s not just the plate, the dish or the recipe. We are here to give our guests something magical—some people save money for the whole year just to dine at the restaurant so we must make it special for them. Everyone who works at a MICHELIN-starred restaurant is there for the same reason, with the same mindset.
How did you feel when you found out Talea was recognized with its first Michelin star?
I can't explain it. I was crying. I remember I was crying like a kid. It is something I wanted all my life. Being recognised by the MICHELIN Guide is something special.Who was the first person you called when you found out?
Antonio, of course. He was so proud of me. It was really nice, he said he expected it [the MICHELIN Star].How would you describe your relationship with Antonio?
He is really like my family. We call each other all the time, he is a really good person. It’s like a relationship with a girlfriend; sometimes we fight, sometimes we miss each other. We are really close. We have worked together for six years now, so he really trusts me with changes I want to make to the menu.What does Talea’s first MICHELIN Star mean to you?
It means we, as a team, are doing a good job and there is a lot to work on to become better. Now that we have a MICHELIN Star, I want to start making small changes slowly. When our guests come back, they will see and feel the changes in the dishes, service, and everything.For me, the MICHELIN Star is just the beginning. Now with the MICHELIN Star, it means I have to deliver an amazing experience for whoever walks through the restaurant door. I keep thinking about how I can improve myself and my restaurant. How do we create something nice, cool, more tasty—something that the guests would want to come back for? Now it’s the moment to push harder.
How did you and the team celebrate?
In January, I have organised a boat departing from the Emirates Palace in the morning and we will spend the day together and the restaurant will closed for lunch that day. We work together every day but it will be nice to spend time and have fun.Sometimes I feel like the father figure of the kitchen and the responsibility to take care of everyone. I mean, I spend more time with them than with my family. When you have a good ambience, they really want to come to work. When the kitchen and service team have a good connection, the guests can feel it. They are proud of what they’re doing.
What is your advice for young chefs who want to get a MICHELIN star?
Don’t go too fast, take your time to build experience and learn. If you want things fast, you miss some steps. Spending time in the kitchen and studying is important. Learn from different chefs and kitchens because even the same dish by two different chefs can taste very different.CONTINUE READING: Confessions of a Connoisseur: What the Life of a MICHELIN Guide Inspector Looks Like
