How 2 Italian chefs in Hong Kong took control of their restaurant and are now doing things their way
- Italian chefs Alessandro Angelini and Luca De Berardinis opened Lucale in Sai Ying Pun in 2020 with their business partners, but have now bought them out
- They say they now have more freedom to reflect their characters, with dishes focusing on handmade pasta and fresh imported Italian ingredients
In the midst of the pandemic in 2020, Italian chefs Alessandro Angelini and Luca De Berardinis together opened the neighbourhood trattoria Lucale – a portmanteau of their first names – in Hong Kong’s Sai Ying Pun area just as restrictions and uncertainty ravaged the hospitality sector.
Three years later, the pair decided to close the restaurant for several weeks in January and February 2023 to renovate the place after buying out their partners and taking full ownership of the business.
Though many chefs claim to be proprietors, some hold equity of 10 per cent or less. In contrast, Angelini and De Berardinis are fully invested in Lucale.
“Honestly speaking, the first year was good even with Covid rules,” says Angelini, the more talkative chef of the pair. “Last year with many people leaving [Hong Kong], it went down a bit, but still it’s not too bad. We feel lucky. So, we wanted to refresh the ambience a little bit, and try again now that the pandemic is finished.”
“After many years here, both of us wanted to do something for ourselves and try to be a part of the community as well,” De Berardinis adds.