The education of the perception of absolutely new tastes and emotions for the Italian people, a complete revolution in the national cuisine, with the preservation of traditions and historical significance – these are not the only achievements of Roy Caceres. The opening of the restaurant on an unexplored and unstable platform, despite the risks and export problems, eventually grow in an successful business and one of the best restaurants in Italy for 8 years already.
You have introduced South American motifs into Italian cuisine. How do Italians react to this?
Originally I was making issues by my self and I didn’t feel to contaminate my cuisine with my root and then when I reached the enough maturity to try with my guests my cuisine started to evolve and I liked it and I was proud of being able to mix two different culture with ingredients and new technic. The most important thing that I started to feel mine, but literally mine the cuisine because the passion that I make in my plates were starting to spread to the people around me.
In one interview, you said that you changed your philosophy of cooking because you stopped feeling your roots. You made a revolution in combining two completely different cultures and this revolution was successful. How do you feel now?
Yes, it’s absolutely true. One day I felt I was missing something in my cuisine, I didn’t find my root in it, and I decided to change. At the beginning my cuisine was focus and rooted just on the Italian tradition. I have always been looking for being Italian, which I’m not. And when I found it, I understood it didn’t belong to me. My roots are different and I had to make it work together so I made it happen and now I’m proud and happy, because it reflect myself.
I would call your technique of cooking intelligent and competently calculated. Because, despite the combination of ingredients from different parts of the globe, your dishes have a logic and a clear understanding. How would you name your cooking technique?
I try to give always a sense for everything I do, I don’t know if it’s right, but I’m like that, and it reflect on my plates, I try to relay my emotion on tasting products, on colombian childhood memories or just a journey, but the main point for me is always the same the taste in my creations, so I would call my cuisine an Emotion.
You mentioned once that you have a multinational team, there are cooks from America, and from Japan, and others. Does your team participate in the creative process of creating dishes?
Yes, Metamorfosi at the beginning was a mix of culture, and it looked like a joke when I talk about, but has been a great time, because we were so different to each other, but that was the cool thing learning different technic from other sides of the world and mixing them together. In our kitchen, I try to stimulate my guys with the creativity process, everyone of us has got little world in our mind, and see things in a own way and assume in a personal way. The input that I give to them to see their expression and ideas just to arrive at the same page something that it satisfied them and reflect myself.
Were you having difficulty finding specific ingredients?
Sometimes yes, it’s not the easiest thing to get high level products nowadays are becoming more difficult to find and there is always a big request, then the southamerican products are tough to find and most of them are exported so it’s not easy at all for some ingredients.
Once, when you asked where else would you open a restaurant, you said that you were at home in Colombia. The concept would be the same, the Italian cuisine inspired by South America?
I would choose Colombia, it’s still my original country and now there’s an economic growth as economic as gastronomic, thats why the 50 best of Latino America choose for 2 years in a row Colombia to host The Night Gala, it says a lot about the gastronomic movement in Colombia nowadays.
It would be great to bring Metamorfosi format there, but it would be too tough to get the italian products, I rather re-discover my country with my philosophy and reflect again Colombian products with my way of concept and emotion through the food, it’s a challenge and I always love them.
How do you feel about your team?
I try to be always an example, working wise, that’s the way it become easier that everyone would follow you and it let them feel involve in the project. For sure, we are not the same, we are all different and that’s belong to me as a leader how to get the best from all of them, but obviously pushing in a different way.
Do you have special traditions in the team?
I don’t know if it’s right to call them traditions, but I would call them sharing moments: every time somebody one of the team leave us, we make a toast all together at the end of the service and obviously it doesn’t stop easily it becomes a “loosing ourselves” moments like a real hard party and most of the time. I see old employee coming back just for that night to share all together. In that moment, I realise I have spread something good in those guys.
Do you remember that day when the restaurant “Metamorfosi” received the Michelin star?
Yes, I remember this moment very well. I was in Milan, at the presentation and I was filled with great emotions. This was the beginning of a long way.
How did you manage to unite different cultures, different cuisines and different traditions on one plate?
It’s not an easy question, I believe is a matter that it touch a lot of factors from the technic, knowledge of the materials and culture which you belong, but the most important thing is looking deep in yourself, and try to find the balance that it satisfied you.
You are responsible for Italian food and traditions. You traveled a lot around Italy and learned the secrets and nuances of different regions. Tell us about your love for this country?
What to say, I LOVE this country, Italy is one of the few countries in the world has got so many different and high quality products, I love this variety, just geographically from the north to the extrem south the islands, Alps, Sicily, the hill Puglia, and how to forget Sardinia part of my heart. More I know about tradition and products more I feel lucky to be arrived here.
You have an amazing serving. The guest wants to look at and delve into the meaning of your dishes. How is the general appearance of the new dish born in your head?
The plates might born from different occasions or memories, tasting ingredients, travel, or other factors. Unfortunately or fortunately, I’m always linked with my creation and I think that’s my secret, I can find inspiration even when I drive my motorbike, actually is a moment that I’m able to clean off my mind and I’m able to think clearly.
Your restaurant is 8 years old. During these years the restaurant received prestigious awards and nominations. This place is loved by the Guests, this is success. What was the most difficult period for the restaurant in these eight years?
Yes, we are already gone almost 8 years, it seems yesterday when we open. The worst moment has been the opening we used to work with low numbers and really without a consistency and was really tough for me. I was under motivated, but I never gave up and I found the power to react and with the all team we always believed. And today I have to say thanks to all of mine collaborator.
I read that in childhood you had a passion for basketball. You even blocked your right hand to increase the technique of your left hand. This says a lot about your character and the desire for perfectionism. What can you say about yourself which you are at work?
Yes, sometimes I find my own way to make things to solve problems, that’s why if I have to make a compliment to myself. I would say I’m good to find solutions, try to find solutions in an alternative way, I had to determined my way a lot to reach what I wanted, I’m like that if i have a target, I must get it.
Your style is unique and unrepeatable. I think that this excludes competition. Have you considered this commercial part, when creating the concept of “Metamorfosi” 8 years ago?
Sincerely, I have never had considered that. I always wanted to do my cuisine good or bad against everyone, this is my stile an evolution and I din’t know what I could have created 8 years ago, this is one of the best thing a continuos evolution and Metamorphosis!
Photographer: Svetlana Lisichnikova
Location: Metamorfosi
Stories by Chris Rusu 