HONG KONG: Argentinian chef Agustin Balbi has won the Marco Pais award and has been named Ambassador of the Argentine Country Brand by the government of Argentina. This award recognises Argentinian individuals who stand out in their daily work and whose contribution to the country brand at a national and international level is significant or has high impact.
Chef Balbi opened Spanish/Japanese restaurant Ando in July 2020 in Hong Kong in collaboration with the JIA group. Since the opening he has gone from strength to strength earning a Michelin star just six months into the opening and retaining that start for the second year running.
The chef-founder has also received the second highest Hong Kong ranking in the Best Chef awards 2021. He is the only Argentinian chef in Asia to be awarded a Michelin star.
As the first Argentinian chef to receive a MICHELIN star in Asia, Chef Agustin blazes the trail for other Argentines working in the hospitality industry. Other Marca Pais awardees in the past include Argentinian persons of note such as Mora Godoy, known for her distinction in tango-dance, and polo player Adolfo Cambiasso, who is currently ranked no.1 in the World Polo Tour.
To celebrate this award, a special dinner was held on the night of 28th April at Ando that was attended by the members of the Government of Argentina and guests of the restaurant. All revenue generated from the night was donated towards the family of Marcelo Troncoso & Jesi Pussetto, an Argentine family who live in Hong Kong whose child is currently battling cancer.
Maria Veronica Grygianiec, deputy consul of Argentina in Hong Kong said: “We are granting this award to chef Agustin Balbi because his work in the field of gastronomy is a reflection of the persistent effort and the remarkable creativity that best characterize Argentinean society and culture. We are pleased to acknowledge his innovative approach and to name him as a Country Brand Ambassador.
Andō’s modern tasting menus are filled with a complexity and multiplicity in meanings, one that nods at his ancestral Argentinian roots, while gazing at the lands that shaped his craft – Japan. With no printed menus in the restaurant, guests leave the fate of their meal in the chef’s hands. Every course is deeply storied and grounded in a precious memory of Chef Agustin’s unorthodox journey as a chef. Guests can also enjoy high quality Argentine wines amid a warm and inviting atmosphere, characteristic of the Argentinian culture and hospitality.
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