Uilliam Lamberti. About goals, flavors from childhood, tolerance and cozy restaurants.

05 мая 2015

Uilliam Lamberti is known by many people as unique restaurateur with unique taste. Restaurants that he opens immediately become fashionable and people that appreciate high quality food tell each other about another culinary masterwork made by the hands of the master. However, this person that had travelled a long way to achieve all that he has now. The person, who managed to save traditional, family values, spiritual core, kindness towards people and belief in the best no matter what happens. So, this time Uilliam Lamberti is in our heartful interview. 

- What is your main life value, the core that your life is based on?
- My family is the most important thing in my life. Definitely. Mostly it is connected with the fact that I was brought up this way: my mom from Sicilian family, where traditions had strong essence; my grandpa was very respected and famous in his town. In some sense, these traditions were very strict, but for me family has become the main point. Everything I do is based on my family.

- And in restaurants you create you try to put the concept of a family hearth, right?
- Yes, I try to express what I have in my mind, in my head and in my heart.

- In one of the interviews you told that you had decided to become a chef in your childhood. Do you remember how did this decision come to you? Or, maybe, someone of your relatives used to be connected with restaurant area and your choice was absolutely logical?
- No, my relatives were military. I am the first one, who has started completely different path. I remember my grandma cooking pasta with marvelous flavor of the dough, I remember our  jointed celebrations of the New Year, when the whole family of 40 people sat the table, when father switched off TV, so that nobody would got distracted; and all ate calmly. For me food is associated with a holiday, moment when all busy people lacking time can get together and share something. Maybe, for 2 hours, maybe for 5 minutes – it doesn’t matter – it is all compensated by the joy of unity that all people receive at these moments. So, yes, everything that concerns table is the core keeping all my life.

- What tastes and flavors from childhood, apart from mentioned pasta, have sticked in your memory?
- For example, mortadella, some kind of doctor sausage. In school years my friends and me used to make sandwiches from this mortadella and that was awesome! Flavor of  parmesan is one of the most popular in every Italian family. And flavor of sea.

- Yes, here it’s impossible to find sea flavor, unfortunately... By the way, do you have nostalgic feelings towards Italy?
- Honestly speaking, no, although, I haven’t been living there over 30 years.

- Why did you decide to leave Italy?
- I don’t know, it just happened. I wanted to leave home early, to start my own life, to see something new. I started packing suitcases, when I was 14.

- Was your way from Italy to Moscow direct?
- No, first I went to Europe, then I was invited to Moscow. This is how I have stayed here.

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- Do you consider yourself cosmopolitan, international person?
- Global citizen is the one, who is tolerant. You can be cosmopolitan and stay within the bounds of your own city, and you can travel and be cosmopolitan. Now things have changed a lot. Now you can live in a big city, where are many ethnic societies, religions, different languages. In this case you should be tolerant. Yes, in this sense I am absolutely tolerant. I respect all religions, all people. If people were tolerant, there will be more peace in the world. People with other traditions can give many new things. It is so interesting, when there is a variety of mentalities and lifestyles. The cuisine that I have today is the result of my acceptance of  variety from each person. I take something new, useful and interesting from people. I am very thankful to all my guests.

- How do you think what do people need, speaking in a global sense?
- Unfortunately, now all want to be businessmen, bankers and to be rich. I think, realism is lacking now to show the real life. Integrity is lacking. You can be a cleaning lady and be a good person. All look at me as at a successful person. And they have no idea how does the reverse side of it look like. They don’t know how hard I had worked before I got what I have now. I used to be poor and I had to overcome many things. But many people are not ready for this to achieve their goals.

- So many removals, trials, different situations that challenged you – perhaps, your nature has changed a lot because of it. Is it important to refine yourself? For example, to become more democratic, calmer? Share your experience, inner evolution, let’s say.
- I think that person either can be born with this desire or not, not all people are ready to work on their personal sides. You need to be confident in yourself, as the way from desire to realization is difficult. You have to be 100% ready to fight, to make goals, to determine priorities. I am proud that I have everything I used to dream about at the age of 11.

- So, did you always have the feeling of confidence or you developed it somehow?

- I am not so confident. I am not so strong as I seem to be. I am an ordinary person, I have my weaknesses, fears, rats in the attic. But every time I receive blow, I have more incentive to become stronger to work more. If you are not afraid of something, that means something is wrong with you. You can’t be a tank. Love, family, feeling – how can you live without these? Without these things your goals don’t have any significant meaning.


 - And among these “fightings” there should be some space – islands - where you can be with yourself and get some breath. How does this space look like? What do you do there?
- To be honest, I do very few things apart from my work (like travelling and sport).

- But the boundary between active work and resting is not clear, do you feel it? Or all your power and attention is taken by your work?
- If you want to have success, there is no place for resting. I rest very seldom. You have to be ready to make sacrifices, if you want to have success. My work occupies too much time. When I was 20, my working day started at 6 AM and finished at 12 in the midnight. I used to sleep 2-3 hours. There were periods, when I used to work without any weekends during 4-6 months. Now, of course, age is taking its toll, but my approach is the same.


- What is success?
- Good question. To my mind, it is complete harmony in heart and with the world. When you have it, all other things come themselves.

- Your every restaurant has its own concept, its cuisine. But if we think, what is the aim of all of these?
- Aim is activity that is hobby and work at the same time and place where I live. But it is not about money, money is not my aim. If you have money, that’s good, if no – then you need to work harder.

- Now we are facing unfavorable moments in Europe, in Russia (from the financial point of view). Nevertheless, you are going on in spite of all these things happening around. So, how do you manage to stay integral even in so difficult conditions?
- Look, when you worry only about money, then sooner or later you start feeling emptiness in your soul. And what will be left after that? That is why, when you choose the way of harmony, money come itself. It doesn’t mean that you should pronounce daily mantra “Omm”, it means that you should do your job calmly and with respect towards other people. And you need to watch more what is going on around you. I am telling this according to my personal experience.

- Because you feel fulfilled.
- I feel fulfilled when I bring value for people.

- So, is feeling of usefulness your source of inspiration?
- Definitely. I can’t cook without realizing usefulness of my cooking. I cook for person that will come to eat, to feel comfort, to feel pleasant energy, to feel satisfied.

- You have lived quite a long time with people that have different mentality that yours. Was it easy for you to stay in peace with those, who used to surround you and are surrounding?
- This is the matter of compromises. When mentalities are different, natures are different and lifestyles in general, serious compromises are really necessary. For instance, when we refer to husband and wife. If you don’t like something, you have to work on it. Otherwise, there won’t be any peace.

- Your wife is Russian.  Was it easy at first time to live together?
- Well, this is the matter of personalities, not mentalities. She is brought up in different traditions. If she was Italian, perhaps, that would not be interesting for me. Well, generally, I like mentality of Russian women.

- How can you describe it?
- They have more understanding about traditional family. Traditional roles of men and women are well saved in Russia. These boundaries are completely lost in Europe; everything is mixed. Here women love to be beautiful, they love when men put on them fur coats, when they open doors. When I go to Italy, I look strange there because of my manners. Italians consider me as old-fashioned person.

- It is nice to hear that Russia is the country that has saved these roles, as we had some doubts about that (all are laughing). By the way, as we have started talking about roles, let’s talk about this. You often interact with different people, quite often with professionally successful people. But some of them have their “skeletons in the closet”, some kind of reverse side, dark side. And you encounter with such kind of people. Is it easy to stay positive with them (let’s suppose, for example, with your guests and colleagues)?

- I accept people the way they are. They make their life as they want to and they will judge themselves. I don’t judge anyone, I just see positive sides of a people, and the rest of it is up to them.


- To your mind, what is happening now in society (in Russia, in the world) and where is it moving?
- It is moving only towards something positive. People have become more open towards information. Social life has become more pleasant. What it used to be long ago and what is now – day and night. Over 20 years a lot have changed. I think that a miracle has happened.

- You are a big optimist.
- More likely realist. Anyway, there is always progress. Of course, there are bad sides, but the main point is in something positive.

- Do you think you are perfectionist?
- Yes, it is my nature. Everything should be exact.

- How do you think what does magnetize people to your restaurants?
- Maybe, they come because of warm, pleasant place. Of course, not all people might love it, but anyway (is smiling).

- Do you have any favorite restaurant in Moscow?
- I can’t say definitely. There are places that I like to visit. For example, if I personally know its owners and chefs.

- So, human factor works.
- Yes. Also I visit those restaurants where I feel comfort and where products are used in the best way for health. I don’t do any criticizing, it is absolutely pointless.

- Perhaps, death of many restaurants in recent times confirms the fact that those, who build their business at cheer, honest intentions, who have strong humane values, do survive.
- Firstly, it is very pity that so many restaurants are closed. Secondly, this tense and critical period is a tough test for all restaurant-keepers. Those, who are real professionals, really survive.

- Life clears the air. Last thing: what can you wish people that will read this interview?

- Life is short. Live to the maximum and with pleasure!


© Gayanat project, 2015