Santiago’s name may not be very known yet to the wider public, but this young chef is building his career on very strong base. After stages at some of the world’s best restaurants he is now working on research at the Nordic Food Lab before heading to the new adventure in Brazil. Before leaving Europe he is stopping in London to pamper us with some of his exciting dishes.
Here is what this young talented Mexican chef told us about his cuisine:
“Cooking is for me a constant discovery and learning. It is a window which allowed me to get to know different cultures and an interactive way to communicate my feelings and share ideas. Last but not least – it is for me an opportunity to make people happy.
I was travelling for 7 years without a stable home, learning and developing myself; my dream was to have a 5 years journey outside Mexico to find out what I like. It’s been 4 years since then, since my last propper quesadilla. I love my country – in fact in a year I’m coming back. My years in Scandinavia, cooking Nordic cuisine, taught me a lot. The most important finding for me was that they are no rules in food – as long as you put your soul into it and make something tasty. My heart is Mexican, but I have been learning how to cook in a respectful way with European ingredients. So I will create in London dishes out of your local ingredients but with the concept of Mexican food which is very fresh, colorful and a little bit spicy. It is impossible to make traditional authentic Mexican cuisine outside Mexico; but I believe it is possible to bring the soul of it, and when you mix that with ingredients from here you get a very interesting result.”
Santiago Lastra Rodriguez will be only for five days cooking dinners at Carousel in London, so book your place quickly.
