The islandchief

A Gastronomic Journey with Chef Lucas Leonardi Varin

Maldives

Interviews

Chef Lucas Leonardi - Executive Chef, Amilla Fushi

PUBLISHED March 01, 2018

As the island chiefs journeys across Maldives takes a stop at Amilla Fushi, one of the most chic and happening resorts in the Maldives located just 30 minutes from Malé International Airport or a 15-minute flight to Dharavandhoo Domestic Airport in Baa Atoll. Amilla Fushi which means ‘My Island Home,’ effortlessly conjures a luxurious ‘homecoming’ feeling for first timers and old friends alike.   The luxury resort is located in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Baa Atoll, one of the 26 natural atolls in the Indian Ocean and offers guests a choice of island homes that hover over crystal clear waters, nestle amongst lush tree tops or hug the shores of pristine white sand. Soaking up on the beautiful scenery and the scrumptious food the island chief chanced upon the opportunity to have a brilliant conversation with Chef Lucas Leonardi Varin, the Executive Chef at the resort. As we discuss his humble origins into the gourmet world, we learn a lot about him and the philosophies for food at work in Amilla Fushi. How did you first get inspired to become a chef? The inspiration comes from my mother. She is not a professional but she cooks very well and she can cook different kinds of food from different countries. I grew up with distinctive flavours at home. Eating food from France, Italy, Brazil, Japan and so many other countries which were all cooked by my mother’s two hands. This experience was one that deeply inspired me to become a chef. I don’t have any limits. Even as a little boy I was encouraged to try any kind of food and was introduced to new tastes always. And this opened my mind to try different things and to explore various styles of cooking. Was there any other profession that you wanted to pursue before you started your journey into the culinary world? Before I started working in the kitchen, for more than six years I worked as a project manager. I made projections to build hangars and houses using computer software like auto cad. I was doing well but I knew that this was not my passion so at the same time, I started working in the weekends for chefs and met some trainees and some barmen. Meeting these people made me realise that this was the career I wanted to pursue. I went to a university of gastronomy for two years in Brazil. Once I finished that, I moved to France and then started my work in this profession. I had a profession before I became a chef. But I am more of a pro in what I do now because this is my passion. I could have worked for another job but I choose this. Tell us about an accomplishment that you are extremely proud of in your career? In France, I worked in a few Michelin starred restaurants, so this is a big thing for me. When I arrived in France, the first thing I realised was how big a challenge it is for every chef to get a chance to work in a Michelin starred restaurant as such, this was a big accomplishment for me. When you work in a Michelin starred restaurant, they give you three days to prove if you are good enough to work at this level, I worked until I became a sous chef as I proved to them how skilled I was. After that I discovered my first position as Chef de Cuisine in St Barths in the Caribbean. Then I was involved in the re-opening of a five star hotel in St Barths in the Caribbean and it was very successful. We achieved more than 60% of revenue compared to the year before. The guests’ feedback was amazing and the hotel saw some of its best years at that time. I am really proud that I was a chef of that hotel and one of the key players in the re-opening that took it to new heights. How did you feel upon being hired as an Executive Chef in Amilla Fushi? I felt very excited upon receiving the opportunity because Amilla Fushi is popular amongst many celebrities. Every year we see new celebrities staying with us and when someone told me we had guests like Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry, I couldn’t believe it. There are more than 10 different restaurants and bars in this resort. As the Executive Chef, I have the opportunity to be creative for the various outlets that have individual identities. From our signature restaurant Feeling Koi to WOK, The Fish & Chip Shop, Borolo Grill and Emperor Beach Club, I get to showcase my talent to the fullest. I can play and enjoy with ingredients and our offerings, as I love what I do. (chuckles) How many people work under you? How do you inspire and mentor them? At the moment, I have more than 60 team members who work under me which also includes our canteen team. We have a big team for the canteen, as we cook for more than 400 islanders for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. It is a big challenge to keep all the islanders happy. I manage a diverse team of more than 12 different nationalities in the kitchen. This is always a big challenge because how I approach and manage the team also depends on where they come from. I cannot use the same management style with everybody. Like I have some islanders who are from France and they have worked in Michelin starred restaurants. So I cannot execute the same management style I deploy with someone from Thailand for example. I have worked in Thailand before I started working here at Amilla Fushi, so I know the difference in temperaments, in character and this is something anyone who manages a team would know as well. I have worked in more than five different countries so I have the experience to work with team members from different countries, nationalities and culture. What I always say to everybody is that I believe in everybody. Anyone can do a task or job, they just have to believe in themselves, on what they can do. Whenever anyone truly believes this, it creates a bit of magic in themselves. How do you go about developing a menu? What do you consider when creating a new menu? Many things come to my mind, because I have to cater to so many outlets (chuckles). First, you have to think about the concept of the restaurant, geography of the guests, where they are coming from and also about the sourcing the ingredients, guest’s feedback and to ensure the quality of the product. It is like you visualize first and then make it happen. Here in Maldives everybody thinks it’s a challenge and it’s challenging to find the right ingredients but it’s actually not that hard. We can order from anywhere, all around the world so all you have to do is look for a balance between the quality, the timing and the cost. How do you try to meet the rising demands for varieties of food from tourists who visit the resort? In this resort, it’s quite easy for me because the resort provides different options in different outlets so the guests are never bored. They have more than eight different cuisines of restaurants. The guests can enjoy something new every day in our restaurants. We also create something new, something different for our guests every now and then which Is very good for us and very interesting for the guests. We have some pop-ups during the year like we have a Japanese chef coming here, we have also Gordon Ramsay’s team with Bread Street Kitchen restaurant; so that keeps our offering to the guests fresh as well, with visiting chefs. And we are looking at working with more cultural and talented chefs in the world. It’s always interesting for the team to keep learning as they are being a part of our creativity for the guests. We keep the interaction between the guests and the team open, which is very important to best explain our dishes. As I have mentioned before I have islanders in the kitchen from more than 12 different nationalities. So we make sure if the guests come here to eat Indian food, the Indian chef is the one who prepares it. If the guest wants Sri Lankan or a Maldivian dish, the Sri Lankan or the Maldivian chef will prepare it and so on and on. This is exciting for us and when we explain it to the guests they get excited too because they know that they are tasting the food of any country of their choice made by the hands of the chef that belongs to that country. With food trends changing so rapidly these days, how do you keep up with what’s going on in the gourmet world? In today’s world, it is quiet easy with the internet to stay updated but I also am in touch with the other chefs in the world. We always share ideas and make adjustments. And they come from different countries and know different ingredients, techniques and flavours and as we all believe that working in the kitchen is all about exchanging and sharing the knowledge and experience we have so we do that. We try and follow the trends here in the middle of the sea but we also keep in mind what is going on around the world as our guests are coming from all over the world. When you are a chef you will always try to create something new while you’ll also try to create your own trend. I try to bring everyone in my team to be part of the menus when it is created. It is not like I make the menus and tell them to do everything my way. We work together as a team and create menus in a way that they can also share their ideas and give feedback. So in the end, when the dishes are prepared, it has touch of everyone in my team. What do you do to ensure the quality of food going out to customers? I work very closely with the chefs. I believe in them and I make sure that they are comfortable enough to share with me if the dish being prepared will be better if they make it like one way or the other. Only one man cannot manage everything, the team work in the kitchen is important to ensure the quality of our food and brand. We have open communication in the team so we are able to work together and assure the quality of the food before it is cooked and served to the guests, is our best, is THE BEST! First, we try everything before serving it and if everyone likes it, it’s ready to be served. The sourcing of the ingredients is also a big part of quality control. We have different suppliers so we try different products and techniques while experimenting on how we can use the ingredients properly and prevent wastage. This is a big thing. It’s not like that the guests order, we cook and serve. No, there are many tasks behind it. This is also an important part but at the end we always try everything before being put in the menu and if we like it, it’s there to stay. What do you think of the Maldivian Cuisine? Is there any dish that you like or know how to prepare? Currently I don’t know how to prepare step-by-step a Maldivian dish but to be honest the Maldivian cuisine is very interesting. It includes a lot of spice and is bursting with flavours. I really like the Maldivian breakfast dish which includes tuna, some shallots and spices. Being able to work in so many different countries, I try my best to provide the guests with the local cuisines of the country that I work in as a part of my local experience. So we try to serve them with at least one Maldivian dish for breakfast, lunch or dinner. We also have a Maldivian buffet night with live entertainment, to make it a complete Maldivian experience. How does it feel to work in Maldives Compared to other countries? Most of the time people think we are here on holiday! (chuckles) The location is amazing. The facility of the resort is unique compared to the world. But the work here is challenging especially since guests are visiting Amilla Fushi from all around the world. We sometimes have guests from more than 20 different nationalities at the same time in this resort. So the challenge is to achieve and exceed their expectations. My multinational team also includes locals, I like it; working with them is great. They are friendly, open minded and the life style that they have, is always so relaxed. They know why they are here. Overall, it’s a different experience and working here is just great. What do you do in your free time? During my free time, I go to the beach with my wife and my son. They are living here with me. I also try to visit the other islands to experience something different and explore the Maldives a bit more. And also the sea is amazing here, I also go snorkeling in the ocean, it is a truly unique experience here in Maldives, especially Amilla Fushi as it is known for its Blue Hole and the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It’s never a dull day in Baa Atoll.

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