OPTIMISTIC ON THE FUTURE OF ITALIAN RESTAURANTS

Umberto Bombana, a symbol of Italian cuisine outside Italy, chef patron of the three-Michelin-starred 8 1/2 in Hong Kong (https://lnkd.in/euCYa9jX) and other excellent Italian restaurants in other countries. His "Cannubi," for example, is already in Bangkok in addition to Hong Kong, and will soon open in Kuala Lumpur, Ryhad and in China. Full interview here https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/i-am-optimistic-future-italian-restaurants-outside-italy-scarpato-xp4ze

Here what Chef Bombana thinks of the future of Italian Restaurants outside Italy:

"I'm optimistic. The future of restaurants is entertainment; restaurants will always have an important role; society needs entertainment."

"Of course, things have changed. I was talking with Daniel Boulud (https://lnkd.in/eEADjmeM) and we noticed that 30 years ago, in New York, there were many high-end, formal Italian restaurants. Now there are almost none: the future is for informal restaurants, well-made cuisine, high quality, but casual."

"If you work well, you have no problems for the future: if you give people good times, if you don't give up your identity, you have no problems”.

“I try to do it with my restaurants. Even french fries, if done well, make a difference, and they're just french fries. To be successful, you must give your Italian restaurant a solid, defined identity, and the results will follow. Even a pizzeria, if done well, can be very successful. And I see many like that.”

“My dream? A popular restaurant. What's better than a popular Italian restaurant, always full, where you feel at ease. No one goes to an empty restaurant. I tried to do it with Venedia - Gran Caffè – but people expected something more formal from us”.

“The demand for Italian ingredients will never wane worldwide, it will always be this way. They are a guarantee of quality: the cheeses, the cured meats. Italian raw ingredient are unique. Few countries in the world have a favorable geographical position like Italy. And then there are the traditions, the culture.”

“I'm optimistic, also for Italy. But do you think people will stop going to Venice? Will they stop visiting Italian art cities, Florence, Rome? And this will always be an incentive for Italian cuisine around the world”.

“I'm also optimistic about the chef profession. Young people are still falling in love; there are so many talented ones, you can find them; they're increasingly better prepared"