The story of Juan Camilo Quintero, the youngest Colombian chef to win a Michelin star

Receiving a Michelin star is for any chef the highest recognition they can achieve in their career, and this week, during the 66 virtual Michelin Guide ceremony, it was announced that an Italian restaurant led by a Colombian chef was one of the establishments that won this international award.

This is Juan Camilo Quintero, a man from Bogotá, executive chef of the Italian restaurant The Poggio Rosso, located in the Borgo San Felice hotel, in the Chianti wine region in Italy. The award becomes the restaurant’s first star and the award makes Quintero the youngest chef to receive it in that country.

“It means a lot, because not only does it reward the effort, dedication and dedication of the chef and his kitchen and service teams, especially in a year as complex as 2020 (…) it is an honor”, Expressed in an interview with the newspaper El Espectador, the Colombian chef.

Quintero is 31 years old and a graduate of the Gato Dumas cooking school and, according to the institute, his work, commitment, dedication and “his thirst for perfection in developing any task in the kitchen” made him stand out so much during the his academic internship that ended up being a monitor and then a professor at the Barranquilla office, in the bakery and pastry sectors.

In addition, this world famous chef first came to the The Poggio Rosso He worked at the Arzak restaurant, in San Sebastian, Spain, and at the Osteria Francescana of chef Massimo Bottura, in Modena, Italy. Both establishments have been awarded three Michelin stars.

According to the chef, this award was the result of those qualities that both he and his team at the restaurant have The Poggio Rosso projected.

“I believe that we have worked with method, discipline and a lot of passion to deserve this recognition, there are very few who access this award, so the dedication and daily improvement of our product as a restaurant was awarded.“Quintero told El Espectador.

The chef also reiterated that he was flattered to have received the award, since the culinary level in Italy is very high due to the high standards of cuisine of the Italian culture, so for him this recognition implies not only leaving the name of the city in height, but that of his country (Colombia).

Although Colombia has been a long way from receiving a Michelin star, Quintero told El Espectador that the country is a gastronomic destination that has a lot to offer and that to achieve this, food establishments need to be aware that They have to choose the best ingredients for their dishes, which means not the most expensive, but the freshest and most abundant throughout the seasons.

“This way we can get the best out of ourselves as a host in the most important city in the country“, The Colombian chef told the newspaper.

Quintero also pointed out that the country’s quality and culinary potential rests on all of its chefs, and therefore, he says it’s very important that they prepare, study and innovate, because the gastronomic world is advancing faster and faster.

To receive a Michelin star, restaurants must receive visits from four Michelin inspectors who visit the site anonymously. If the place is awarded the star, every year it must revalidate it, since its delivery does not guarantee its permanence, it is for this reason that every year the restaurants that already have them become more demanding with the dishes they offer your guests.

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