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'When guests walk into my restaurant, I feel like they've walked into my home'

Table talk with Fabio Tramontano, Head Chef, GIA, The New Fashion Avenue, The Dubai Mall

Your favourite memory of food.
My fondest memories are of my Mamma cooking homemade lasagna filled with polpettine (small meatballs). I couldn't resist eating them as soon as she left the kitchen, so she always had to make more.
What's the most challenging part of your job?
Working in a kitchen is always challenging due to the long hours and constant pressure to deliver quality, consistency and great flavours to our guests. Constant coaching of the team and watching them learn and grow is a real passion for me, so those make it worth the while.
Do you have a personal mantra or motto that drives the way you cook food?
Simple: you have to put love into it. Passion shows in the food and you can easily tell if a chef has made a dish with love.
If you could cook for a high-profile personality, who would it be and what would you choose to serve them?
All my guests are high-profile for me. When they walk into my restaurant, I feel like they have walked into my home. My favourite dishes to serve are the Veal Ossobuco and all the fresh pasta dishes, including the Spaghetti ai Ricci with the rare sea urchin.
How often do you eat out? What's your favourite place around town?
I usually eat out once a week. I love trying out Middle Eastern flavours and am always on the lookout for new eateries that serve unconventional stuff.
After cooking all day, do you cook for yourself at home too?
Not as often as I would like to. But when I have friends visiting, I love experimenting with new dishes, unusual combinations and cooking methods.
You're asked to invent an unusual dish - what would it be?
A healthy take on the T-bone steak.
Who do you admire most in the culinary world, and why?
Gualtiero Marchesi. He was one of the pillars of modern Italian cuisine.
Favourite comfort food?
Casatiello - it's a typical Napoli food made of baked pizza dough and mixed with cold cuts, cheese and black pepper.
One ingredient/ dish you can't stand, and why.
Oysters. I had a bad experience when I was a young chef having to open hundreds of them.
If you could choose a last meal, what would it be?
Salsiccia (Italian sausage) and Eggplant Parmigiana made by Mamma.
Your favourite culinary destination, and why?
Italy, naturally. Excellent food and the best ingredients in the world!
- Staff reporter