Chef Antonello Cancedda

Marriott's Italian Titan

Interviewed by: Shraddha Mishra
Photographed by: Rozina Gaziyani

Happily married to Marriott, says Chef Antonello Cancedda he is. He has been associated with the group of hotels since seven years, seven happy ones that gave us fine Italian food inspired from the cuisine of his home town in Liguria. When he came to India, he worked in Chandigarh for three years, where he wowed the city with his delicious preparations. He also worked in Bangalore before moving to Bombay which was three years back.

"This is exactly the environment I like to work in," he says talking about his kitchen at The Westin Mumbai Garden City. Prego, the Italian restaurant at Westin, has an open kitchen where chefs can showcase their talents while enjoying cooking for the guests, a beautiful al fresco dining area under the shade of trees. A fine-dining restaurant that isn't too formal and restrictive. He loves the fun dining environment at the restaurant.

Chef Anto, as he's amiable called, serves this fun on our tables, not only with an elegantly plated, wonderfully seasoned, beautifully grilled fish, but with a delightful song and guitar performance too! A chef, a singer and a guitarist all in one, his hands with kitchen knives and rolling pins are as skilful as his fingers on the guitar strings. And at Westin, Chef Anto finds the ideal environment where he can showcase all his talents. He's a chef serving up more than just good food. He creates a beautiful ambience that makes way for the meal to be enjoyed.

Since childhood, his dream was to work at a place, and travel a lot. Then work at another, and pack off again. He has achieved his dream successfully, says his journey of the past 40 years as a chef. It all started off in Liguria, a beautiful coastal region in Italy. It was here that he picked up his fondness for all things sea. Give him some fruits of the sea and a grill, and he will impress you with his creation, simple as it may be. He likes food that is not processed or elaborate and is focused on fresh ingredients. For him, while cooking, love is on top, the most important ingredient in a meal.

Little boy Antonello's interest in food came with watching his mother cook. At the young age of 14, after completing elementary school, he sought a job in a kitchen. It was a lovely summer where he enjoyed working for the restaurant but his boss gave him a valuable suggestion, to attend a culinary school and sharpen his skills. And he did, which took him to Alassio, then Genova to the Marco Polo Institute. It was a wonderful experience. While he attended school and learnt about the culinary arts in the winters, he took up cooking jobs in professional kitchens in the summers.

His first job after culinary school was on a ship as incharge of the garde manger. The next stop once that ship docked was his own restaurant in Italy, called Acropolis. Located on a hill with a beautiful sea view, the restaurant was part of the cathedral. Five years into the successful venture, the cathedral decided to end the lease and start a non-profit organisation where the restaurant stood. Which meant that Chef Anto's bags were packed yet again and the journey towards the next destination started with much gusto.
Being in India feels like finding his true calling, he tells us. He has a good job, a loving family, he works for a good hotel, but mostly, he loves to meditate. The abundance of spirituality that he finds in India is what feels like a soul connection to him. Back when he was in Italy, he had a yoga teacher there too. It was on a suggestion by his guru in Chandigarh that he tried Vipasana for 10 days, for what can be called a life-altering experience.
"Meditation has made a huge difference in my life, in maintaining calmness and peace for the soul. It has greatly reduced anxiety from my life," says Chef Anto. Chef life is a life of patience. If you love food, you're going to love this life.

Anto is a chef highly in demand even at home. The lucky wife and daughter enjoy frequent treats of chef's special risotto at home. But if you ask him what's the most special meal he ever cooked, he will tell you it was the first meal his daughter ever ate. Boiled carrots. Simply boiled. He fed it to the little one and as she took the small bite in her mouth, she smiled and gave the cutest expression, perhaps trying to say, "yum yum." Oh! The joy of cooking with love.

Cooking is a much exciting job for Chef Anto. "Having a chef's mind means constantly thinking about how to garnish your food, how to plate your meal, how to combine elements and bring them together to create something new," he says. Surely, it is a never-ending pursuit towards creation. "If you're a creative person, then you find yourself working for 12 hours a day! But if you absolutely love what you do, you can totally afford spending that time on your passion, taking the toll of long hours, managing orders during service when 10 different tables have asked for 20 different dishes. One even thinks about the health of the diners, to ensure you dish out the best quality of food."

"You have to love what you do," he says. Seeing him in this beautiful kitchen at Prego, we have no doubt that he does. He absolutely loves all of it!