Francesco Fedrighi
In this interview, Francesco Fedrighi, Head Chef at Horizon Grill at Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur, shares his journey in the industry.
What do you do?
I’m the head chef at Horizon Grill, Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur.
How did you get into the industry?
I remember having an interest in making food from a young age, and my parents supported this vision of mine. There was one summer, I worked in a kitchen in a restaurant when I was a teenager, and after completing culinary school, I started in several restaurants around Italy. One of them was a two MICHELIN star restaurant. I then travelled to other countries to work as a chef.
What food memory from your childhood or travels stands out?
Definitely being in a kitchen of a restaurant as a teenager and learning how to make gourmet meals from scratch.
What’s the best/ worst part of your job?
The best part about my job is to hear my guests enjoying the food, and they tell me how much they’ve appreciated their meal. The worst part of my job is probably the long hours on certain days when we are really busy.
The perfect day off would be …
Quality time with my family and a little me time, too. I like to exercise, and I enjoy detoxing at Sweat Spa.
A day in the life of Francesco Fedrighi is …
being constantly on your feet and making sure that all the ingredients are prepped, and the staff is ready to be at their best day in, day out.
What does Francesco Fedrighi do for fun?
I love to exercise, and I need my music to get me hyped up. Lately, I have been enjoying spin classes with my wife.
What’s something you’d like guests to know about Horizon Grill?
We have some of the best cuts of meat served in Horizon Grill, Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur. We use Santa Maria Grill to ensure that our steaks have the best flavour, too. This grill uses no oil, and if you want to taste the difference between how we cook our steaks and our other star dishes, come on over!
How have you grown in your profession? What are your key learnings from your start in the industry until now? Any misconceptions?
I’m always eager to learn something new, and I like to explore through books, the internet, and my own experiences and talk to creatives about bringing something new to the table. What I have learned that I still carry until today is that; exploration is important. Never stop learning, and keep being creative.
What’s something you’d like people to know about being a chef as a profession?
Being a chef, you have to be prepared to put in long hours for your job. Every day at your restaurant has to be perfect; there can never be one bad day. So coming to work every day means you have to be 100% ready to commit.
What’s your view on the hospitality industry in Kuala Lumpur?
It’s a hectic city here in KL, but it is fun and super fast-paced. I wouldn’t have it any other way!
What practices do you currently implement or hope to implement to work towards social responsibility and sustainability in the future?
I hope everyone starts reducing the amount of plastic we use every day.
What can guests look forward to in the upcoming months?
On this new menu, we have a few dishes you must try!
Find more interviews similar to this one with Francesco Fedrighi here, and stay updated on the latest food and beverage happenings in KL here.
Indeed, nothing beats having people praising what one has cooked!