Renato Rizzi

Executive Chef

“To wow guests is my favourite part of the job.”

Four Seasons Tenure

Since 2005
First Four Seasons Assignment: Italian Chef at the Regent Kuala Lumpur (formerly a Four Seasons hotel)

Employment History

Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, Thailand; Four Seasons Hotel Tianjin; Rizzi Italian Food, Valenzuela, Philippines; Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire; Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane; Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC; Four Seasons Resort Hualalai; Regent Kuala Lumpur (formerly a Four Seasons hotel); Amari Watergate Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand; Rigoletto Restaurant, Hong Kong; Hotel Royal Monceau, Paris, France

Education

Diploma: Culinary Degree, Brescia

Birthplace

Brescia, Italy

Languages Spoken

Italian, English, Spanish, French

For more than 25 years, Renato Rizzi’s deep and enduring love for good food has taken him all around the world. Now he brings his experience and enthusiasm to Four Seasons Hotel Baku. “My passion for the job still inspires me, every single day. I love ‘playing the role’ of a chef!” he smiles.

Coming from Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, Renato is excited to be in a completely different ambiance, embracing new culture, traditions and flavours in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Renato began his professional culinary journey at Pasta Fresca De Salvatore, one of the pioneers of authentic Italian cuisine in Singapore. He went on to work at restaurants in Italy, Spain, the UK and France – picking up new techniques at each place, and sharing his own growing knowledge with fellow chefs. Then, Asia beckoned once again: Renato continued to hone his skills as a senior chef in premier Italian restaurants in Hong Kong, Philippines and Thailand. In 2004, he joined Four Seasons, coming on board as the Italian chef at Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur. Since then, he has lent his expertise and passion to Four Seasons properties across continents – as Sous Chef in Hawaii and Washington, DC, as Executive Sous Chef in London and Tianjin and then as Executive Chef in Koh Samui.

Renato believes that creating special dining experiences is partly a science, and partly an art. “To wow the guest is my favourite part of the job. It’s easier when I have more information about their likes and dislikes,” he explains. “If I have less information, then it’s an exciting challenge – that’s when I use my culinary sixth sense.”

Born in the historic city of Brescia, in the Alpine foothills of northern Italy, young Renato developed an early appreciation for fine, locally-produced ingredients – from olive oil to caviar. While his emphasis on ingredients remains uncompromising, his global explorations have taught him to continually dream and innovate. “The world is changing, and so is food,” says Renato. “There are always new trends coming up, but you have to experiment and refine constantly to see what really works. Do guests actually like it? Or is it just a fad?”

During his time off, he loves to run, bike and work out – capped off by a couple of cold beers.