Ando’s chef Agustin Balbi on planning ‘to the second’ in his Hong Kong restaurant kitchen, craftsmanship, the importance of time off … and his Audemars Piguet Code 11.59
Chef Agustin Balbi came to Hong Kong in 2016 to helm Japanese restaurant Haku under the guidance of Hideaki Matsuo of three-Michelin-star Kashiwaya.
Balbi had gained experience as a fine dining chef in Japan for several years in restaurants such as two-Michelin-starred Zurriola, three-Michelin-starred Nihonryori Ryugin and the now-closed two-Michelin-starred Cuisine[s] Michel Troisgros.
Born in Argentina to a Spanish and Italian family, Balbi’s love for food started around his grandmother’s dining table, but his passion for the culinary arts was ignited while working at a friend’s restaurant.
He went on to culinary school, after which he worked in restaurants in Buenos Aires and New Orleans before moving to Japan.
Why wood-fired cooking is reigniting the passions of the world’s top chefs
“I am working on the winter menu and thinking about what we can do to surprise our guests and exceed their expectations, not only with our food but also the service side,” said Balbi. “I am working on an idea of how to improve the Ando experience, it is something that I am very excited about.”
Timing is extremely important to be a good chef, says Balbi, as multitasking is an essential part of the job. “If you don’t learn how to manage your time, it will be almost impossible to excel in this industry.
“At Ando, everything is planned to the second and this way everyone has a clear direction on goal and time, allowing the team to know precisely what to do before moving on to the next task,” he continued.
Running a restaurant gives him little time to relax. His day starts at 6am with breakfast aside his two young children. He arrives at his restaurant at 8am to catch up with emails. The team meet to discuss the day and lunch prep starts at 10am. They eat lunch at 4pm and dinner prep comes shortly after that. His final meeting with the team is after dinner, around 11. “At 12.30am, I leave the restaurant and head home, arriving just before 1am, I take a nice shower, talk with my wife for a while, kiss my kids, watch a bit of YouTube and go to sleep around 2am.”
How to start a wine collection, according to the experts
“We work very hard at Ando so I make sure myself and the team have time to clear our minds, which is why I decided to close the restaurant two days a week.
“My team and I must have well-deserved rest, two days in a row, to recharge,” he said. “On the days that the restaurant is closed, I usually spend time with my family and play with the kids all day, or sometimes I will go and eat at colleagues’ restaurants.
“I think of time as a precious but free element of life; you can’t own it, but you can spend it, and once you lose it, you can never get it back. So we need to use our time wisely. Life itself is a combination of moments and for my profession, if you spend your time improving your craft, you will become a master of what you do,” said Balbi, who added that spending time with loved ones is one of his main priorities.
Where to eat in Hong Kong in February – expect tastes of Italy and Japan
Agustin Balbi’s preferred watch – Audemars Piguet Code 11.59
- His menu combines tastes of home and time working in Japan at Michelin-starred restaurants such as Zurriola, Nihonryori Ryugin and Cuisine[s] Michel Troisgros
- ‘If you spend your time improving your craft, you will become a master of what you do,’ said Balbi – but family comes first on the days he is not in the kitchen