In this episode we chat with Koen Vessies, a Dutch chef and restauranteur who runs the Spanish tapas restaurant 'Tomatito' in Shanghai. Koen shares his fascinating story of becoming a chef, traveling and working around the world in 7-star hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants, and serving celebrity figures in his Shanghai restaurant.
Show Notes:
- Koen's background - grew up in the Netherlands, started working as a teenager and ended up learning from a top chef in a local restaurant kitchen.
- Culinary school, shadowing Gordon Ramsey, and getting an opportunity to work in one of the world's most luxurious hotels, the Burj Al Arab in Dubai.
- Hometown connections that led to Koen meeting his wife, and how that took him to Paris to cook for a Michelin-starred restaurant.
- How Koen ended up in China 12 years ago, to a food and beverage scene that was very undeveloped and ripe for experimentation.
- Drastic changes in the Shanghai F&B scene over the past decade and the intense level of competition today, and what is needed to survive in this cutthroat business.
- Rubbing shoulders with celebrities in his Shanghai restaurant, and the time when Argentine footballer Carlos Tevez came with his entire entourage.
- Koen's passion for travel and exploring local cuisine around the world, and how he implements those new ideas into his cooking.
- Koen's love for Chinese food, and why he thinks Chinese food will become the next big global culinary trend.
- Koen's advice for prospective chefs and restaurateurs who might consider plying their craft in China.
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/millennials-in-china/id1503870294
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0MwEJZnnZ2sNWje7wP0GaW?si=tWqgkgwoQCueTrEfeI3-6g
Listen on Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cDovL21pbGxlbm5pYWxzaW5jaGluYS5jb20vcnNz
Listen on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm6jqVbJ1SR_g9iTLFxyF1g
Podcast Website: http://millennialsinchina.com
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