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October/November 202 2 IX MAGAZINE restaurant’s chef together with Vincenzo , general manager of all the family’s projects, while Antonella holds the role of sommelier. Vincenzo Butticè explains the approach with which they deal with off-menu requests from their guests. ‘Guests,’ he says, ‘when they come to visit us, generally have the curiosity to taste our chef ’s dishes. The cuisine on offer is characterised by a clear Mediterranean and Sicilian flavour, recounting a poetic, elegant and sunny Sicily. Certain personalisations are requested and often addressed long before lunch or dinner begins. This personalisation takes place during a dedicated brief between the guest, the chef and our maître. Of course, we also receive requests for changes during the service, but generally, they are motivated by health reasons. Apart from these motivations, it is difficult to modify a dish in its sensory balance, rather we always prefer to act with a ‘tailor-made’ method. BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY AND FLEXIBILITY Unfortunately, this does not always happen, and the kitchen has no choice but to take action to manage last-minute changes as best it can. “Personalisations, if requested before service, do not cause any particular organisational upheaval,” says Butticè, “but Ad Hoc requests always have an impact on processes. The entire kitchen staff, in the presence of special orders during service, is activated by increasing concentration levels, to reduce the risk of compromised standards. During service congestion, it always becomes problematic to manage these situations. We already use some state-of- the-art techniques and technologies that help us to better deal with the requests of the moment, it’s true, but the preference is always one: to know the needs and wishes of the guests as early as possible”. Technology in the kitchen, combined with good organisation, can be a great help in handling unforeseen demands. The new cooking systems available on the market allow different techniques to be handled simultaneously. The most advanced ovens are equipped with differentiated temperature zones, allowing even a single portion to be prepared. The flexibility of the kitchen staff is however Right Vincenzo Butticè with his sister Antonella and brother Salvatore . Together they run the restaurant Il Moro , in Monza