PRESS RELEASES
Co-Executive Chefs from 1 Michelin starred restaurant to present two exclusive dinners and bespoke cooking classes at Red Sauce
July 26, 2023
Rosewood Phuket presents guest chefs Karime López and Takahiko ‘Taka’ Kondo from Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura in Florence for two exclusive dinners at Red Sauce on 11 – 12 August 2023.
On both days, the chef duo will also offer a rare cooking class available for only four guests per day from noon to 1 p.m., during which they will learn to handcraft tortellini pasta and receive an apron to take home.
Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura is a series of Italian, contemporary restaurants, found in Florence, Beverly Hills, Tokyo, and Seoul – with varied and different identities. Representing a combination of art, fashion, and gastronomy, the collection of culinary destinations is founded by Italian chef Massimo Bottura – chef patron of Osteria Francescana, a three-Michelin-star restaurant based in Modena, Italy.
As Co-Executive Chefs of Gucci Osteria Florence, Chef Karime’s and Chef Taka’s journeys, both as individuals and as a couple, have resulted in a unique culinary interpretation of modern Italian cuisine that they have named ‘Nuove Memorie’ (New Memories).
Encapsulating seasonal dishes that reflect their intertwining cultures, travels, and personal memories, the five-course menu includes “The Cannolo that Wants to Become a Cannellone” (handcut Chianina’s ragù, ricotta & cannellini beans), inspired by Chef Taka’s early days in Italian kitchens and his confusion between the dessert and the pasta. The aptly named “Journey to Mexico” (aubergine, mole & Chianina) also relives a special Mexican ‘mole’ the chef couple tasted on one of their trips to Puebla. The gastronomic journey also consists of the “Purple Corn Tostada” (served with Adriatic marinated bonito), “Torta In-Salata” (polenta crisp, seasonal vegetables & caviar), “Shining Through” (Colomba, clouds, Zacapa rum & apricot). and an indulgent Gucci Osteria Chocolate selection.
Chef Karime López first discovered the playful language of food during her childhood observing her mother cook family meals in her hometown of Querétaro, located north of Mexico City. Here, she nurtured her passion for food and later spread her wings to work in prestigious kitchens in Spain, Mexico, Peru, Japan before working with Massimo Bottura at Osteria Francescana. This led Chef Massimo to give Karime the helm of the first Gucci Osteria in Florence.
Takahiko ‘Taka’ Kondo’s culinary journey also began at home, where food shows on television inspired him to teach himself the basics of cooking before delving into experimentation. The Tokyoite’s interest in art and fashion would lead him to Italy, where a pivotal meeting with Massimo Bottura would lead to a 17-year tenure at Massimo Bottura’s three-Michelin-star Osteria Francescana in Modena where he rose through the ranks to become Sous Chef in 2014. It was also in 2014 that Karime and Taka met during a culinary performance in New York, and two years later they were married.
The 5-course Gucci Osteria Florence Dinner is presented at 7 p.m. on 11 & 12 August 2023 at Red Sauce for THB 9,000++ with wine pairing. A maximum of four students will be eligible for the Gucci Osteria cooking class from noon to 1 p.m. on 11 & 12 August 2023 for THB 6,000++ per person, inclusive of an apron to take home.
For reservations, please call +66 76 356 888 or email phuket@rosewoodhotels.com
