Chef Alessandro Vianello – Kitchen Table Group
Canada’s Great Kitchen Party is the lead up to the Canadian Culinary Championships, and is underway in cities across Canada. Vancouver’s competition takes place Friday, October 4, 2019 at Rogers Arena. We’ve asked the chefs a few questions to get to know them a bit better and here’s the results from Chef Alessandro Vianello from Kitchen Table Group.
Tell us a little bit about your restaurant and/or style of cooking.
At Pourhouse, we are an American cocktail bar and the food echoes that with influences of classic Americana and comfort food flavours. I would say that my style definitely leans to both my Italian heritage and comfort food with inspiration from my travels and cooking career.
Where do you eat in your city?
That’s a hard one. I tend to eat at a lot of different gems in the city. A few of my favourites are Phnom Penh, Bao Bei, Di Beppe, and Ask For Luigi.
What did you eat for dinner last night?
Last night I had dinner at Autostrada downtown. Scott Korzak is an amazing chef!
What city would you most like to eat in right now, and why?
New York or Copenhagen. I have never been to either of those cities and I think the food scene in both is progressive and interesting. I also have a lot of chef friends who work in both cities or have worked there.
What ingredient do you most like to cook with and why? What is your least favourite and why?
I think my favourite ingredient right now would be Colatura de Alici. It is essentially an Italian version of fish sauce made with anchovies. It is super interesting and the process in the way the make it is very cool. My least favourite ingredient is farmed salmon. It tastes like sweaty socks to me.
What is your most used piece of kitchen equipment besides your knives?
Tasting spoons for sure. I use those more than my knives.
What’s do you often cook at home?
I usually make pasta. That said, I don’t eat at home a lot, I’m usually eating at one of our restaurants.
What cookbook/s do you most often refer to?
We have just opened a new pizza concept in North Vancouver, Farina a Legna, so I have been looking at the Flour & Water book as well as Chris Bianco’s cookbook.
What chef would you like to collaborate with?
I think it would be pretty cool to do a collaboration with Dario Checchini or Chris Bianco.
What are you preparing for The Great Canadian Kitchen Party (hints are fine)?
Ravioli Carbonara with an egg and pecorino custard, some crunchy things and parsley oil.
What is your beverage pairing?
I don’t have it finalized yet so you’ll have to wait and see!
Who is coming with you to assist?
I have chef Chris Nielsen from VCC, as well as Chef Teejae Conwi and Chef Bruce Nollert of ONO. I also have a couple of students from VCC.
Bio ALESSANDRO VIANELLO
Executive Chef, Pourhouse/New Farina a Legna – Kitchen Table Restaurants
As Executive Chef at Gastown institution Pourhouse and overseeing back-of-house operations at three other Kitchen Table restaurants — Ask For Luigi, Pizzeria Farina and Di Beppe — Alessandro Vianello brings a bona fide passion for preparing locally sourced and sustainable fare that showcases the very best of the Pacific Northwest.
Born and raised in Vancouver, Vianello first embarked upon a clear-cut path to culinary success when he enrolled in a chef training program in high school in 2004, then headed overseas to further sharpen his skills in Castello Vicchiomaggio’s kitchen and vineyards in Tuscany, where he developed an abiding appreciation for fine wine and food pairing. He returned to Vancouver and earned his Red Seal certification while graduating at the top of his class at Vancouver Commuhnity College before bouncing back across the pond in 2007 to take on the role of Head Chef at AAA Rosette restaurant Esperante in the Fairmont St Andrews in Scotland.
After opening a pair of Prestons Restaurant + Lounge locations in Chilliwack and Vancouver as Executive Chef in 2009, Vianello took his kitchen show on the road as co-owner/chef of the highly rated Street Meet food truck in 2011 and went on to help the back-of-house opening team at ARC Restaurant in the Fairmont Waterfront two years later. Vianello continued climbing the culinary ladder by taking on the role of Executive Chef at Wildebeest in 2016, eventually being promoted to Development Chef of Gooseneck Hospitality, where he oversaw menu development and kitchen operations for the firm’s four restaurants (Wildebeest, Bufala, Lucky Taco and Bells and Whistles) before joining the Kitchen Table team in 2019.
