Andrea Impero

Chef Andrea Impero’s culinary philosophy is a profound and intellectually rigorous pursuit, centered on the 'tireless search for essence, truth, well-being, and harmony.' He champions a 'cuisine of thought,' where every 'element' is meticulously considered, extending beyond the mere transformation of raw materials. His ethos is rooted in an absolute respect for tradition, but not as a rigid dogma; rather, he seeks to understand the 'Umbrian dialect of excellence,' sourcing from the finest local breeders, growers, and producers to construct a vision that is both novel and ancient, stripped of temporal constraints and brought to its natural essentiality. A cornerstone of his approach is a revolutionary concept of 'conscious anti-seasonality.' Impero challenges the convention of strictly adhering to the calendar, instead focusing on preserving ingredients at their peak to extend their expressive life. He revives ancient preservation methods—such as conserves, fermentations, oils, and drying—updating them with modern scientific knowledge and strict HACCP protocols. This allows him to feature ingredients like specific varieties of tomatoes or pumpkins year-round, ensuring a dish's integrity and intended flavor profile are maintained. Impero views the raw material as the alpha and omega of a circular culinary journey, beginning and ending with the earth and its fruits. He deeply values his relationships with producers, considering these connections a 'political' act that supports local territories and biodiversity. He believes that true Italian identity resides not in rigid recipes but in these autocthonous products and their rich biodiversity. This philosophy also embraces global influences, acknowledging that recipes have a 'global lineage' and that culinary traditions are enriched by cultural exchanges, transforming concepts like street food into fine dining experiences that tell a compelling story. Chef Andrea Impero's technical mastery and artistic vision are evident in his meticulous approach to flavor and plating, driven by a commitment to 'stylistic and intellectual perfection.' He engineers dishes with 'maniacal care,' ensuring that 'every detail, every single “element” is placed' intentionally. His technique forges taste into messages of 'rare clarity,' often presented through two distinct tasting routes that explore both regional and global culinary landscapes. A hallmark of his style is the innovative application of 'universal food preservation practices' and 'semi-forgotten artisanal practices,' allowing him to 'continuously rework' ingredients and extend their 'expressive range' far beyond their traditional season. This is exemplified by serving six assorted tomato varieties in February or a pumpkin dish, 'Respiro d’Autunno,' in spring, achieved through precise microbiological studies and advanced preservation techniques. Impero also incorporates ancestral cooking methods, such as under-ashes preparation for beef. His plating often features 'patchwork dishes' that gather rituals from around the world, creating a culinary journey that transcends geographical boundaries. Impero is known for engaging live service elements, such as slicing and plating dishes like the wild boar kebab directly in front of diners, breaking down the barrier between kitchen and guest. He challenges conventional dining structures by, for example, deliberately omitting traditional pasta courses from his tasting menu to stimulate the mind beyond the stomach, offering it instead as a symbolic 'dish that isn’t there' for guests to prepare at home. Legendary signature dishes that showcase his artistry and technical skill include: * **Bread, Spelt, and Salami:** A deconstructed amuse-bouche featuring chef-made Cinturino Nero Umbro salami, elevated with Cervia salt and Champagne, served with bread from minimally refined flours and BioAlberti’s einkorn wheat crackers. * **Fichissimo:** A journey to the Maghreb with Moroccan Msemen flaky bread, fig cream, figs in syrup, and a carpaccio of white Cilento Fico Mondo paired ingeniously with caviar, creating an 'underwater garden' of salty and round flavors. * **Preserved Vegetable Salad:** A simple salad enlivened by numerous preserved elements like creamed turnip greens, wild white carrot leaves in oil, Jerusalem artichokes in brine, and a lacto-fermented salted lemon, served with highly fermented bread. * **Scapece:** A reinterpretation of the frying and marinating technique with summer zucchini (Romanesca and 'UFO' varieties, the latter dried and massaged using a Japanese technique) and mackerel, with an Omega-3 sauce derived from the fish's scraps. * **Dürum (Wild Boar Kebab):** A 'provocation' transforming wild boar from Tenuta Borgo Santa Cecilia into a juicy filling for a lavash bread wrapper, symbolizing interaction and conviviality inspired by Caucasian cultures. * **Te la do io l'America:** A dish transcending the 'Stars and Stripes' grill myth with beef prepared using ancestral under-ashes cooking, a 24-hour marinade (grapefruit, onion, rue), an assertive Italian-style rub, and purple potato. * **1532:** A tomato-centric 'botanical vertical' creation showcasing six different tomato varieties, accompanied by sourdough bread leavened with the fruit’s own juice. * **Respiro d’Autunno (Autumn's Breath):** A dish that defies seasonality, serving the essence of autumn year-round through natural purees of eleven pumpkin varieties, preserved meticulously. * **Porco Tonno:** (Formerly on the menu) A dish composed of three carefully chosen and preserved ingredients: pork, broccoletto del lago Trasimeno, and Neapolitan papaccella.

Career

• Sous Chef at Taverna del Capitano, Sant'Agata sui Due Golfi
• Chef De Partie at Vivavoce at Hotel Gran Melià, Rome
• Executive Chef at Restaurant George I, Vladivostok
• Chef De Partie at Quattro Passi, London
• Executive Chef at Maritozzo, Moscow
• Executive Chef at Borgobrufa SPA Resort, Torgiano

Mentored by Alfonso Caputo, Don Alfonso Iaccarino, Santi Santimaria, Anatoly Komm, Antonio Mellino, Marco Gubbiotti.