Born to Cook: Springsteen-approved chef Robert Conte

Robert Conte has just joined the St. Regis as the hotel’s new executive chef. Before settling down to the task ahead, Conte told us about cooking for Bruce Springsteen and why he finds Indian cuisine a formidable adversary.

What kind of food transports you back to your childhood?
Baked pastas, homemade gelato, barbecues and roasts.

And your culinary guilty pleasure?
Foie gras burgers and early-morning chocolate.

You’ve worked with French, Italian, Indian, Mediterranean, Arabic and Asian cuisines. Which is most challenging?
Indian – so many styles and influences based on the many different regions. In India, my clientele came from all over the country, with a high number of vegetarians, all expecting food to look and taste like it was from their home village or city.

What books have inspired you in your cooking?
I generally read cookbooks written by chefs who are relatively unknown – I find their approach more pure and sincere than those chefs who ride a commercial freight train. I’m also into books that research food science and farming.

If someone let you curate an art exhibit using food, what would you display?
I’d use cans of food after peeling the labels off. I like the way a can looks – I like the look and feel of cold steel. It reminds me of black-and-white photography.

If you were forced to take over a fast-food restaurant in Beijing, would you choose:
a) McDonald’s
b) KFC
c) Yonghe Dawang
d) Subway
e) Pizza Hut
I’d prefer to answer this question once I have a better idea of what kind of financial returns they all experienced last year.

If you could cook for anyone, living or dead, who would it be?
My mother, as she always liked to cook. I never had the chance to cook her a meal.

What did you serve Bruce Springsteen when you cooked for him?
Poached seafood and salads, all done with little or no oil. The rest of the band ate food that was equally healthy.

What’s one thing you wish you could say in Chinese?
The better question is what those around me want me to stop saying in Chinese – I think they’re getting pretty tired of me asking them “Ni chi le ma?”

Finally, what new developments can we expect from St. Regis restaurants this year?
New a la carte menus in all of our dining venues. These will blend traditionally recognized dishes composed with current influences, as well as dishes built upon unique and eclectic flavor compositions. A combination of true passion for good food and people.

Photo: Courtesy Of St. Regis Beijing