Let's Est again, a special event with special people

My encounter with Chef Kotaro Noda

The 10 Last November in Milan, at the Foundation Bertini, She svolta "Let's Est again!"An event organized by ItaliaSquisita to raise awareness of this reality, and to bring together producers and chefs at the launch of the "Book Feast in Vico 2014”.

A foundation built by Bertini Gaetano Malgarini, busy man and editor that, experiencing the discomfort of his brother Andrew, wanted to make sense of this experience. A path of social rehabilitation aimed at people with mental health problems, children in difficult circumstances, political refugees and former prisoners, now carried on by his wife Gisella with the help of her sister Fiorella.

For guests a unique opportunity to sample the many delights of well-known chefs, in a single evening, hardly has a chance to find. A special invitation I accepted with pleasure, after reading the 'good ingredients' of the evening. As always not only taste, but encounters and knowledge.

Often emphasize how much I admire the philosophy of Japanese life. Ancient rites, pursuit of perfection, harmony with nature, compared to the times and for the person. Well, for this reason, when I have the opportunity to meet people of this country, gladly exchange chat. So it was in this evening's meeting Kotaro Noda, a young Japanese chef degree in marketing and landed in Italy fifteen years ago.

After I presented, we started talking about the sorts of things, as is my habit to do to understand the people regardless of the work they are doing. Around us there was a great turmoil and a continuous passage of his colleagues noticed that he did not know. One thing I like to do is to connect people to each other, of course when I feel that together they can do well.

Intrigued, I asked him how he came to work in Italy. In fact, the passion for cooking that in time led him to become a chef, was born and developed in Kobe, Japan, in the restaurant Gualtiero Marchesi. After the closure, Follow the chef Enrico Crippa, he continued his education in Italy until the Michelin star, earned during the experience at Enoteca “La Torre di Viterbo”.

While we were talking about customs and traditions of our country something we both happen. Italy and Japan, despite the different cultures, one thing in common they have it. As I said Kotaro Noda: “We are two countries of delicious food they want to eat well!”  I have not got to taste anything of his, but I promised myself to do it during my next visit to Rome. I'm going to find the Bistrot64, the restaurant where he tests his kitchen with the chef Emmanuel Cozzo, owner of the premises.

An evening of tastings, meetings but also of emotions experienced by listening to the experiences of boys trained to work through the courses of this Foundation. In particular, I spoke at length with Michel Bravi, a young man who has attended a course in graphic design and one of the kitchen.

We carry his words: “Here we had! We learned to cook, to mix the ingredients, colors, culture. We have learned to love each other!”