Chef Nico Romo proud of Fish's French Asian fusion
Nico Romo, a native of Lyon, France, joined Patrick Properties as executive chef in 2007.
Nico Romo
A 15-year old graduate of The Helene Boucher Culinary Art School in Venissieux, France, Romo held numerous positions in his native country before moving to the United States. He worked at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis and the Ritz Carlton in Atlanta, among other locations, before moving to Charleston and taking his current position at Fish.
Q: What's your first food memory?
A: My grandmother's homemade gnocchi's.
Q: What's been the best thing about being involved in the Charleston food scene?
A: The array of products here is ridiculous; in Atlanta it would take me four hours to find farms and fresh produce and eggs. It's like going back home to France. Charleston is very European in the food style and cooking, the same concept of fresh, local food is important here.
Q: How do you think that the Lowcountry influences you as a chef?
A: Well, the Lowcountry doesn't influence me anymore except for ingredients. We take these local ingredients and do the French Asian fusion. We try to do something different here, but of course you are always influenced in some way by the products that are available to you.
Q: What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment as a chef?
A: The people that come along with me in my career. My staff is a great compliment for what I do; you can't do it by yourself. I would not be able to sit for this interview without a staff in the kitchen. A team is the most important thing in a restaurant.
Q: What do you think sets Fish apart from other Charleston restaurants?
A: There's no other French Asian fusion here, particularly at this price. We are economically accessible; all of our entrees are under $20. We are able to provide a very high quality at very reasonable prices here.
Q: Who is your favorite chef outside of Charleston?
A: Didier Pointreaux of Lyon, France. He was my mentor. He taught me how to cook, appreciate food, and understand food. I still do his foes grass after all this time.
Q: Who is your favorite Charleston chef?
A: Mike Lata of FIG
Q: What is your favorite meal?
A: My grandmother's gnocchi with tomatoes.
RSS
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Notice about comments:Postandcourier.com is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. Postandcourier.com does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not postandcourier.com. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website.
Users can now build user-to-user connections, follow friends' recent posts, add an avatar that fits their personality, and more. If you have posted here before you'll need to sign up again, or if you've never posted before, start now by signing up!
Full terms and conditions can be read here.