GIOVANNI PASSERINI : "J’ai découvert la cuisine à 26 ans et ça m’a sauvé”

What if one of the best Italian chefs in Paris only discovered his calling at 26? In this episode of CHEFS, Giovanni Passerini recounts his extraordinary journey: a childhood in Rome in a family that never received guests, a year of medical school abandoned, business studies without conviction, and then a late-life epiphany that would change everything. It all began with a small pot of Roman-style tripe prepared especially for his father. A defining taste. Later, as a teenager, he cooked for his friends when his mother was away. But nothing yet resembled a true vocation. Then came Cologne, Madrid, Rome, Paris. The kitchens of Chateaubriand, L'Arpège, the pivotal meeting with Peter Nilsson at La Gazzetta, and this idea that would stay with him forever: great cuisine is often the simplest. In 2010, he opened Rino. Four burners, a tiny kitchen, and a dining room that's always packed. Then came Passerini and Passerina with his wife Justine: two restaurants that have become essential for their honest, generous, and unpretentious Italian cuisine. We talk about career change, failure, high standards, passing on knowledge, everyday cooking, and what it truly means to nourish others. A rare episode about patience, taste, and self-discovery when you accept starting from scratch. In CHEFS, we tell the stories behind the journeys that help us understand cuisine. We explore the personal, social, and sometimes turbulent paths that shape a skill, a vision, a way of being in the world through food. 👉 Remember to subscribe to the CHEFS channel, like, comment, and share this episode. 🎙️ You can also find CHEFS in audio format on all platforms. 📲 Follow us on Instagram: @chefs_podcast