Michelin Star Chef takes over the reins at the restaurant of the Tivoli São Paulo - Mofarrej (Brazil)
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Michelin Star Chef takes over the reins at the restaurant of the Tivoli São Paulo - Mofarrej (Brazil)
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Category: Central and South America - Brazil - Gourmet restaurants
- Gourmet restaurants
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2009-07-17
Sergi Arola is the first Spanish chef to win stars from the renowned restaurant guide to run a restaurant in Brazil
In September this year, the Spaniard Sergi Arola, a 2 Michelin star rated chef, will be taking over the reins of the stylish 23rd floor restaurant at the Tivoli São Paulo – Mofarrej, now known as Arola-Vintetres. He is the first Spanish chef who has won Michelin stars to lead a restaurant in all of the Americas.
“We feel sure that we will be offering a quite unique product to the residents of São Paulo and our guests. The restaurant has everything to become a reference point for everyone who appreciates a modern, welcoming and unique atmosphere, in addition of course, to unparalleled wining and dining”, notes Bernard Mercier, Regional Director of Operations in Brazil.
Born in Barcelona, Arola has already won several awards such as “Au Chef de l’Avenir”, from the International Academy of Gastronomy, National Gastronomy Award, Gourmet Club Chef of the Year, the best Pastry Section in a Restaurant award from Gourmet magazine, “Elle” Best Chef award and Metrópoli Best Chef of the Year award.
At the same time, the Sergio Arola-Gastro Restaurant in Madrid and the Arola Penha Longa Restaurant in Sintra were considered two of the “50 Hot Tables” of the world by the Conde Nast Traveler Magazine.
Arola first became interested in food when he used to stay with his grandfather Joaquín Arola Giral who liked to adapt cook book recipes to his own tastes. To pay for his culinary studies he took on jobs in the small restaurants of Barcelona where he discovered “nouvelle cuisine”, and took full advantage of his creativity, especially when he became part of the “Young Cuisine Lovers”, a group which in 1991 gained the icon of French creative cooking, Pierre Gagnaire, as its patron. Pierre Gagnaire was to become an important reference for Arola who made sure to invite him to the opening of his restaurant in Paris, in 1996.
Two years later, together with his wife Sara Fort, Sergi took over the La Broche restaurant in Madrid, which then won its first Michelin star. In 2000, he inaugurated a new restaurant in the Miguel Angel hotel which was awarded two stars, becoming the first hotel restaurant to earn this distinction.
In 2008, Arola and Sara brought the La Broche period to an end and opened “Sergi Arola-Gastro”, now free of other partners. The following year, and for the first time ever, a Spanish restaurant, a little eatery on Rua Zurbano, was awarded two Michelin stars, the first time this has happened outside France. Enjoying their success, they decided to innovate and chose the Tivoli São Paulo – Mofarrej as the best place to continue their amazing achievements. “The space is incredible and has a great strategic location, it will be a pleasure to help this Tivoli São Paulo hotel shine even more”, says Sergi.
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