We stopped by the Amici kitchen to chat to head chef Kocsisek Horst. While the busy chef seared, sauteed and sauced up dishes he told us all about his European influences and what he thought of cooking in China.

You're now cooking at Amici at The Longement. Who got you started in the kitchen?
I would say my grandmother. She’s a chef and she owns and runs a hotel back in my home country of Austria. My older brother is also a chef. I come from a gastronomic family, so I’ve had culinary influences since I was young.

What type of food do you cook?
I like to cook light, healthy meals with influences from traditional European cuisine. I usually make seafood, fresh salads, fruits and foods that advocate healthy living. There is a trend now in healthy cooking, and traditional European cooking is too heavy. So I just take certain influences and prepare the food in a light and healthy way.

And what do you like most about being a chef?
Traveling, definitely. As a chef, I get to work in so many different countries and meet different types of people. It’s always a challenge. When you travel and live in different places, you get to experience and understand different cultures.

And what makes Shanghai's scene different?
It’s very international. You can find everything here–Mexican, Thai, Italian, you name it. But, in terms of cooking, there’s not really much difference. People here just have sweeter tastes so I make the dishes a little bit sweeter than usual.

DETAILS

What: Amici

Where: The Longement Shanghai | 116 Yan’an Xi Lu

Tel: 6115-9988