Pino Piano, man behind some of Hong Kong’s best Italian restaurants, on his journey from Naples to Sheung Wan
- The owner of Gaia restaurant lived in London and New York before moving to Hong Kong in 1993
- He talks about an embarrassing Christina Onassis underwear incident and how attitudes towards homosexuality have changed
Grandma’s boy I was born in Naples, Italy – I am not telling you my exact age. I had a normal childhood, though I always felt older than I was. All my friends were older, so I probably wanted to learn more as fast as I could. My love for the kitchen began as a child. I had a bossy maternal grandmother who was a fantastic cook.
When I was about seven, she would give me things to do, like peel onions and potatoes. I didn’t find it boring. In those years, you didn’t waste any food. I learned how to peel vegetables in a thin layer and not throw half of it in the rubbish. It’s a lesson I’ve taught whenever I’ve worked in the kitchen.
The place to be At 19, I moved to London, in 1974.Italy was in turmoil because of (left-wing terrorist group) the Red Brigades. My English was basic but I learned fast, and spoke French.
I worked for Terence Conran’s Neal Street Restaurant, in Covent Garden. I was a waiter and the continental restaurant was filled with English aristocracy, like Princess Margaret, as well as (ballet dancers) Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev, and (composer) Leonard Bernstein. It was the place to be.
Labour pains I went to work at the Carlton Tower (now the Jumeirah Carlton Tower, in Knightsbridge), where I had the greatest experiences ever. Every time the night manager went on vacation, I had to replace him. At night there was only a skeletal staff, so anything could happen. One time, a heavily pregnant woman checked into the hotel. My shift was from midnight to 8am. At 2am, the chambermaid screamed someone was giving birth.