The couples responsible for AE Cozinha, Metzi and Manga share the experience of sharing their life partnership inside and outside the kitchens
Working together with your partner doesn’t always work – it can sour the relationship. But just as they know how to season their dishes well, chefs are adept at keeping bitterness away from personal relationships.
The partnership in life and in the kitchen can work (a lot!) Ygor Lopes and Walkyria Fagundes, who command the AE kitchen, in Sao Paulo, known eight years ago in the kitchen of the Epice, a former restaurant owned by chef Alberto Landgraf. “After that, we worked separately for a year,” says Walkyria. But Ygor’s dishes and Walkyria’s desserts always got along well on the same menu, and the couple decided to open a restaurant.
The start was not easy and business problems began to interfere at home. “In the first year we lived in the same building as the restaurant. We slept together, worked together, all in the same place. The budget was low, there was a lot of stress,” Walkyria says. “Ygor is a workaholic, he only talked about work, I wanted to beat him”, she jokes.
From the world to Brazil
Before opening AE Cozinha, Ygor and Walkyria spent a year in Spain. They decided to return to their homeland to open their own home. Something similar happened with two other couples of chefs: Eduardo Nava Ortiz and Luana Sabino, di Metziand Katrin and Dante Bassi, from Mango, in Salvador. For them the decision for Brazil was special: Eduardo is Mexican, Katrin is German and their partners are Brazilian.
Katrin has already been to Brazil before her wedding: she met Dante when the two were working at the DOM, owned by chef Alex Atala. Having a restaurant together was never exactly a goal, but it became a good plan when they decided to have children. “We have always wanted to have two or three children, one after the other,” says Dante. “With the arrival of the first we realized that it would be very difficult to reconcile our routine in the kitchen with a child. Opening our restaurant was the solution: the routine is still very busy, but the children can stay close”.
Katrin says the plan was to be close to families, to have a support network in childcare. “We wanted a restaurant in Ravensburg, my city in Germany, and one in Salvador, which is Dante’s city.”
Everything went well: Katrin and Dante live, with their three children, on top of the Manga. Work and personal life are constantly mixed – and this has never been a problem.
It is not a problem for Eduardo and Luana either. At Metzi the two create four-handed cymbals. “I think we managed to separate things well, because we were friends and co-workers for a year, before starting our relationship,” says Luana.
The two met at the Cosme restaurant in New York, which specializes in Mexican cuisine. The decision to come to Brazil to open her own restaurant was more logical than sentimental. “When I came to Brazil to visit my family, I was really missing Mexican food and what we did in New York. We realized that here would be a good market for our cuisine,” recalls Luana.
The cultural differences between Brazil and Mexico are what give a very special flavor to the collaboration of the chefs. “I follow the ingredients and show Eduardo how they can be used here. He brings a version of how they are used in Mexico,” says Luana. “I contribute with my Brazilian experience, to know the people here. I know the flavors that Brazilian customers reject, even if they are very well accepted in Mexico”.
Partnership also works well in personal life. But just like Ygor and Walkyria, they got sparks at first. “We were opening Metzi when the pandemic hit. We had to postpone the opening. Eduardo had a hard time with the Portuguese at first, we needed a spokesperson … We freaked out,” she jokes.
free time from the kitchen
The possibility of being able to leave the house, with the improvement of the pandemic, was good for Luana and Eduardo. “When we arrived in Sao Paulo at the height of the pandemic, we didn’t know many things. Today we take advantage of our free time to go out, discover new places,” she says. At home he doesn’t have to cook, Eduardo, on the other hand, likes to cook from time to time.
Ygor and Walkyria also don’t care about the pots in the house. “We make the tea, wash the salads, pass the coffee,” laughs Ygor. On rest days, the couple prefers to play sports, such as tennis and beach volleyball.
To harness the energy of their three children, Katrin and Dante also don’t spend much time in the kitchen. “When we have a vacation, or a longer rest period, we cook,” says Dante. “Other than that, it’s more practical for children: pasta, salad, sandwiches … we also like to make a fire on the porch and cook with the kids there.”
This is because it is not only good food that is transmitted love. And the chefs know how to balance all the dishes, so that it all works.
Source: Terra
Benjamin Smith is a fashion journalist and author at Gossipify, known for his coverage of the latest fashion trends and industry insights. He writes about clothing, shoes, accessories, and runway shows, providing in-depth analysis and unique perspectives. He’s respected for his ability to spot emerging designers and trends, and for providing practical fashion advice to readers.
