1) Food critics reviewing “Anthos”, describe your lamb burger, as “noble” and “epic”, “able to fuel business deals”. Is this Greek cuisine revisited the American way?
“Anthos” restaurant is in the heart of Manhattan and it is a meeting point of CEOs of companies and chairmen. They choose a simpler and lighter lunch. It is not the dining experience that they seek for, they come for business purposes. Nevertheless, the menu must be Greek-oriented. No matter what we do, we have to retain the Greek identity of the restaurant. We revisit traditional items where the flavors are immediately recognized as Greek. People in New York usually mean grilled fish or lamb when they refer to Greek cuisine.
2) To what extent is the American audience familiar with world-class Greek products?
Unfortunately, such products are not yet exported abroad. Nobody knows what avgotaraho is. And if they tried it, they would be so scared! They would never eat bottarga again. The Greeks made it, but the Italians took the credit and sold a lot more. Furthermore the difference of qualities is ridiculously unbelievable. The Greek products that reach New York are not nearly as good as the ones you’re getting over here. Feta is good, but graviera and kefalotiri are not. I choose not to have cheeses, because it is difficult to find them. We prefer local ingredients, which frequently are superior to the ones that come from the country of origin.
3) How do you manage to maintain the prices so low?
No, “Anthos” is an expensive restaurant. I have lunch menus for 28 and 44 dollars. But for dinner, the bill goes up to approximately 100 euros per person, without wine and tax. Almost 200 dollars a person. Moreover I’m using the best ingredients that I can find, looking for small producers.
4) Can just one restaurant initiate the Greek Cuisine abroad?
I’m getting a lot of attention because I made a pleasant and simple cuisine, into something complicated, elegant, and sophisticated. Recognition through the Michelin star, and awards like “The best chef of the Year” and “Best chef in the U.S.” led to further publicity. That doesn’t mean that good Greek food is not there. “Milos”, for example, is a serious Greek restaurant. All I ever wanted to do is to show that Greek food can be as good and interesting as Italian and the French. It’s done. Now what I want to show is that Greece is beautiful, and whether you want to travel with my food or his food, it’s going to be a great journey. I’m interested in showcasing the identity of Greece. We should have more faith in ourselves. I’m always talking in terms of growth.
5) Can anyone be a chef?
Everybody is meant to do something. If you find what it is or if you’re strong enough to accept that as your destiny, then you can do whatever you want. I can probably teach someone to cook, but I cannot teach one to love it, to be passionate. I can tell in 5 minutes who will be a great cook in my restaurant and who will remain just a worker. And that’s not only true in cutting fish; it applies in all fields. The passion of life is what separates the leaders from the followers. There is a reason why some people never reach the top. This person that very moment is in a place where we would like to be, not because of what he’s doing but because of what he’s feeling. It’s your mind that sees art, not the eyes. Your eyes just see something. Your mind gives you the emotion to interact with that thing.
6) Does your mother intervene in your cooking?
Most certainly, she is the most influential person in my culinary career. The food that I cook is my mother’s food, though she laughs when I say that. The other day I made her skordalia soup, and she kept rejecting it. When she finally tasted it, she was amazed! You have to explore food, try and capture the identity of something and refine it so, that the person who knows that traditional dish, looks at it and admires the way it transfixed itself, evolved itself. That’s exciting. That’s art.
