From Abruzzo to Chinese capital, a chef cooks up a storm

When Niko Romito and his sister Cristiana inherited their father's restaurant in Italy in 2000 he knew nothing about cooking and just as little about business.

Nine years later he would be the proud bearer of two of the world's most coveted culinary awards, Michelin stars for his restaurant in Rivisondoli, in the Abruzzo region, and in 2013, after relocating the restaurant into a monastery 14 kilometers away, another Michelin star fell into his lap and that of his cooking and management team.

Now, six years on, five stars shine in the Romito firmament, the latest two appearing as a result of the Italian's accomplishments in China.

"The dining concept brought to you by the renowned Milanese chef Niko Romito epitomizes Italian luxe," the recently published Beijing Michelin Guide says. "Classic recipes are given a subtle modern twist that adds sophistication, depth and bold flavors."

The guide's comments relate to Il Ristorante－Niko Romito at the Bvlgari Hotel in Chaoyang district of Beijing, awarded one star, just a few months after the Michelin Guide awarded the Shanghai version of the restaurant a star.

"The Michelin star for Il Ristorante－Niko Romito in Shanghai together with the one that shines on Il Ristorante－Niko Romito in Beijing is testimony that Italian cuisine fascinates and surprises at all latitudes," Romito, 45, says. "This is my greatest satisfaction, and I say this as a man and as a cook who is profoundly Italian."

Simplicity is the essence of his cooking, he says.

"My food is often described as simple. This is very true, in the sense that it is not complicated, which is not to say that it is without significant complexity. In cooking, complexity can be advantageous; complication never."

Romito's cuisine is based on intense research, he says, his inspiration mainly drawn by observing daily life, but also from the ingredients' structure, tradition and its possible evolution.