Q&A: Massimo Bottura

"A few years ago, [the Italian government] sent me on a United States tour, as an ambassador of gastronomy. At the time we were in a deep crisis; more than economics, it was an identity crisis. My wife is American and she's always talking about JFK [US president John F. Kennedy] so I thought, 'What could I do for my country?', not 'What can my country do for me?' So I created a menu called 'Come to Italy With Me'."

"They are different steps in my life. I was very anxious to learn. When I decided to follow this passion of cuisine, my father was totally against me. I promised everyone, especially myself, that I'd have a great career, to show them I was right and they were wrong. So I worked with different chefs. In 1993, Ducasse invited me to his Monte Carlo restaurant and it was incredible, the culture of the ingredients and the professional way of thinking. Then Ferran taught me that all the techniques didn't matter - it's more the freedom to think. Think with freedom and express yourself with a parmigiano reggiano crust or a piece of broken tart. That was important because, at that moment, I was compressing everything I knew and projecting it onto my food."

"It was the hardest thing ever. They were pointing fingers at me and looking with a lot of suspicion. It was important that the international recognition came a few years ago. Then they started opening the door to me in Italy. But [even] now, they still talk about what I do and point a finger at me."

"I said yes to chef Umberto Bombana because I was here three years ago, when a chef conference gave me a prize, and I enjoyed Hong Kong so much. I was also here 20 years ago and the experience was great. I always tell my wife, who is from New York, the two most beautiful cities in the world are New York and Hong Kong. You can have everything here. All my passions: food, art, music, energy - and it's compressed in a small city."

"It's a way to get together, like family. I'm treating my customers as my family. I never like cooking for a lot of people at a big restaurant. When I rebuilt Osteria Francescana three years ago, after receiving my third Michelin star, everyone was like, 'Why are you rebuilding now, you just got three stars?' I said, 'Because I need it.' I invested money that I didn't have but I kept the same amount of covers - 30 people - not one more, because I want a room where I can talk to the guests and share the experience with them. What is Italian cuisine? It is family, friendship, sharing, drinking together, fighting about football, discussing the new Pope. Italy is like that."