Chef Gianni grew up on a small South Italian farm in Lavello Potenza and with a family of cooks. He cooked throughout Italy, Europe, and the US before settling in where he now calls home,Hong Kong. Prior to moving to the far east in 2004, he has been the private chef to the highly respectable, iconic, "king of Italy" and owner of FIAT group, Gianni Agnelli.
Chef Gianni travelled the world with Mr. Agnelli, cooking for him and his guests, the most prominent, demanding and powerful leaders of the world and industries.
Gianni began his career with his rebellion against the conventional Catholic school system. The only thing that could retain his attention is being hands-on with his work and always about food.Starting at the age of 10, he would work small, random jobs: trimming scrap meat at a butchery, picking up olives on the ground to sell back at the olive dealers' market, and selling fruits and vegetables, working at his brother, Gino's rotisserie (5 staff serving 1000 customers per day), to finally his first legitimate job as a kitchen assistant at 14 years- old.
At the tender age of 19, he opened a small restaurant with his brother and worked with some of the most revered Italian chefs and establishments: Gino Angelini (Grand Hotel des Bains, Osteria Angelini), Mauro Vincenti (Rex il Restorante), Maurizio Signorini (Ristorante Azzura) and Gianfranco Vissani.
Fast forward to today, Chef Gianni has opened 3 restaurants: Giando, Gia Trattoria, Cotto & Crudo and Mercato Gourmet, a gourmet retail brand that encompasses Mercato by Giando that carries authentic Italian market and Pacific gourmet that offers goods from the pacific in Hong Kong.
They all stay true to his philosophy: the best food ismade with simple, fresh, quality ingredients and their origins matter.
Finding, cooking and serving the best produce with true passion and love is at the heart of what he does every day.
In February 2022, Chef Gianni was being awarded the ‘Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy’ by the Italian Republic and qualifies as a second civilian honour of the State.
