Hotels in St. Petersburg: new chef for Astoria

Hotels in St. Petersburg: new chef for Astoria
Hotels in St. Petersburg: new chef for Astoria

In April 2012 Ian Minnis became the head of the restaurant service in St. Petersburg hotels Astoria and Angleterre. Since May 2012 both hotels are waiting for change of assortment in its restaurants and bars.

Ian’s career began in Toronto in 1988, when he joined the chef team at the G8 summit, and continued in Washington at the Willard hotel, where heads of states stay during their official visits. This experience became very useful for him and allowed to study in detail the international standards of culinary skills, as well as caprices of the "rich and famous".
Minnis’s family has always been interested in Russia and Ian’s parents kept a huge library of Russian literature. From childhood's Ian’s favorite book was a collection of Russian folk tales.

In 2001, when he had an opportunity to work in the "fabulous" country, he did not hesitate and moved to Moscow and then to St. Petersburg. With a little break for Munich and Dubai, for over 10 years Ian has been involved in various restaurant and hotel projects in Russia.

This year, when Astoria celebrates its 100th anniversary, Ian Minnis will completely update restaurant and bar menus of both hotels. Ian knows Russia quite well. In search of private farms he traveled a lot across the country and as a result he decided to create a menu of natura, organic products from central Russia.

Firstly, the new chef included into the breakfast menu in Astoria milk products from small family farm called Little Italy located in the Tver region. Milk, cheese, cream, cottage cheese, preserves and jams, fresh fruit with sugar, classic poached eggs (Benedict, Florentine, Royal), as well as ostrich eggs were added to the assortment of farm products and dishes.

Presentation of the new menu for the "Davidov" restaurant will be presented on June 14. Along with updated dishes and tasting sets of Russian cuisine Canadian chef will present classic hits of the North American steak house, based on "prime" beef (USDA): juicy ribeye marble beef steak (short loin), strip loin or New York steak, filet mignon from the central tenderloin (the leanest and most expensive steak) and steak with ostrich eggs.

Details of dish serving are still kept in secret. Ian, a native North American, is a true master in cooking steaks. He knows all the secrets: the best beef parts, properly matured meat and roasting technologies. Ian says about his preferences: "I'm a rib eye freak!".

Steak season from the Canadian chef Ian Minnis will last in "Astoria" till the end of summer and promises to make the restaurant the best national steak house in the region.

Ilya Kalachev, according to press-release

Date: 05/06/2012

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