Eat Robson is a new dining series spotlighting different restaurants along Robson Street, to give you a behind the scenes look into the kitchens and chefs that make our neighborhood so scrumptious. This week, we chatted with?Executive Chef,?Andrew Richardson?of CinCin, whom recently spearheaded the?installation of Canada’s first Grillworks Infierno into the restaurant, replacing CinCin’s former signature wood-burning forno. Chef Andrew and his team have been?busy inventing?CinCin’s new?menus to maximize this new cooking dynamic and they?are confident that?their?guests will enjoy it!
Andrew Richardson,?Executive Chef at CinCin
How did your career as a chef begin?
I covered a shift for a?friend who was a server at a local hotel. That was my first encounter with a real kitchen. I knew immediately that was where?I wanted to be. I talked with the chef and within a week I was working as an apprentice in the kitchen.
What are some things you want people to know about your restaurant?
That the cooking medium at CinCin is wood and fire. It’s a very primal cooking medium that is pure, versatile and imparts incredible flavour on food. Also that almost every dish on the menu is touched by fire and smoke. We also have a unique piece of equipment that nobody can match. Our style is influenced by the Italian kitchen and the approach Italian people have toward food.
What is your favourite meal to cook when you’re hosting a dinner at home?
Simple pasta. Particularly penne, zucchini, garlic and parmesan. Barbecuing on the back patio, mostly fish and vegetables with a bottle of white wine, in summertime Spanish White Grenache or Verdello.
Who inspired you to be a chef?
Mostly my mother. It is a clich? but it’s true. I grew up with great food at home. She introduced me to the world of great cooks and cooking.
What is your favourite dish at the restaurant and why?
Brazino cooked whole on the Grillworks Infierno. We use Apple and Alder wood, the flavour it imparts on the fish combined with the equipment makes for something sublime.
What do you love about working in a restaurant on Robson Street?
Working on Robson Street means that the restaurant is situated at?the core of the city and we can sense the hustle and bustle. Customers have high expectations and we are happy to fulfill their needs.
What do you think about Vancouver’s food scene?
Vancouver has a very exciting food scene, very eclectic and the quality is very high. The melting pot of cultures means that the menus vary in cooking technique, flavour and texture combination.
Who do you love cooking for?
No one in particular. Cooking is a process of giving and making people happy, in the end it doesn’t really matter who you are cooking for.
Thank you, Chef!
Want?to experience a Truffle Wine Dinner for two?at CinCin Ristorante?($500 value)??Here is your chance! Our friend, Vancouver Foodie, is?hosting a simple giveaway on her?Instagram, so head on over to @VancouverFoodie?for the?details. To follow along Vancouver Foodie?s Robson eating adventure, or to show us your?favorite dishes,?use?hashtag #eatrobson. Bon appetite, everyone!