Ando’s chef Agustin Balbi on planning ‘to the second’ in his Hong Kong restaurant kitchen, craftsmanship, the importance of time off … and his Audemars Piguet Code 11.59
- His menu combines tastes of home and time working in Japan at Michelin-starred restaurants such as Zurriola, Nihonryori Ryugin and Cuisine[s] Michel Troisgros
- ‘If you spend your time improving your craft, you will become a master of what you do,’ said Balbi – but family comes first on the days he is not in the kitchen
Chef Agustin Balbi came to Hong Kong in 2016 to helm Japanese restaurant Haku under the guidance of Hideaki Matsuo of three-Michelin-star Kashiwaya.
Balbi had gained experience as a fine dining chef in Japan for several years in restaurants such as two-Michelin-starred Zurriola, three-Michelin-starred Nihonryori Ryugin and the now-closed two-Michelin-starred Cuisine[s] Michel Troisgros.
Born in Argentina to a Spanish and Italian family, Balbi’s love for food started around his grandmother’s dining table, but his passion for the culinary arts was ignited while working at a friend’s restaurant.
He went on to culinary school, after which he worked in restaurants in Buenos Aires and New Orleans before moving to Japan.
“I am working on the winter menu and thinking about what we can do to surprise our guests and exceed their expectations, not only with our food but also the service side,” said Balbi. “I am working on an idea of how to improve the Ando experience, it is something that I am very excited about.”
Timing is extremely important to be a good chef, says Balbi, as multitasking is an essential part of the job. “If you don’t learn how to manage your time, it will be almost impossible to excel in this industry.
“At Ando, everything is planned to the second and this way everyone has a clear direction on goal and time, allowing the team to know precisely what to do before moving on to the next task,” he continued.
