Alex Fargas
After training at Hofmaan, a respected Barcelonian culinary institution, and working at various Michelin-starred restaurants in Spain, chef Alex Fargas is now the Chef de Cuisine at Fofo by el Willy and president of the recently established Spanish Chef Association in Asia. He tells Jacqueline Garwood about adapting to Hong Kong and bringing a true taste of Spain to the table.
On Asia vs. Spain
Of course you need to understand the locals’ taste, and then sometimes you need to adapt a little bit, especially in Hong Kong, with the salt and strong flavours. But besides that, [what you serve in a restaurant] should be what you want to do. For example, using the premium ingredients at Fofo, there’s no need to change anything. Red prawns, ham… it’s the same taste here as it is in Spain. When we make the menu, we know that there are some dishes that won’t be as popular, so we just don’t do them from the start. We are at the stage where we can do what we like to do and know what people expect from us. This is one of the reasons why Fofo isn’t a traditional Spanish restaurant. We have a modern style where we do what we like with true flavors and ingredients.