Hailing from Thessaloniki, Greece’s culinary capital, Ilias Maslaris, Executive Chef of two renowned restaurants within the Myconian Collection took time to talk to us about what he loves about his vocation and exactly what inspires him.
If you were to ask the Myconian Ambassador Hotel’s Executive Chef Ilias Maslaris exactly where his love for cooking began, his answer is very simple: in his grandmother’s kitchen. Viewing the life of a chef as “a very direct way of being in the world, a craft that is full of passion for produce and for people and work free of routine”, Maslaris later honed his culinary skills in some of the best restaurants in Greece and France to become the award-winning chef he is today, known for his dedication to celebrating both Greek cuisine and authentic Mediterranean flavours. In the sleek dining hall of the Efisia Greek Fine Dining, recently awarded at the Greek Cuisine Restaurant Awards 2024, nature takes centre stage, from the décor to the mouth-watering dishes. World-class food exceeds expectations and dazzles diners thanks to exquisite, organic ingredients, the day’s catch from nearby waters and expert cooking techniques. It’s a combination perfectly executed by the team of Ilias Maslaris, while dinner at Epico, Deos Mykonos’ restaurant, is the ultimate fine dining experience by a true artisan who, after years in a Relais & Châteaux kitchen, delights in returning to his roots with a creative take on traditional Greek cuisine.
Which cuisine do you particularly recommend that foreign visitors try when they dine at Efisia, the fine-dining restaurant at the Myconian Ambassador Hotel in Platis Gialos, Mykonos?
We mostly recommend that they try authentic Greek cuisine, in dishes that combine tradition with modern culinary techniques.
Do you have any favourite ingredients that you tend to use when you’re in the process of creating a new menu?
The truth is that there is no one specific ingredient that takes centre stage when I go about creating a menu. The focus is on seasonality and making sure that we source the freshest produce.
What does sustainability signify for you and how do you leverage its principles in a fine dining restaurant?
It’s very simple. I choose local producers, who cultivate the products produced in our country by following traditional production methods. We also abide by a zero-waste policy in our kitchen as we believe that everything can be re-used.
What have been the key milestones of your career that have most influenced your career so far?
I would have to single out my tenures in Greece at the Macedonia Palace Hotel in Thessaloniki, and the Sani Resort in Kassandra, Chalkidiki, as well as the Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa in the Champagne region, France and La Maison des Têtes, in Colmar, France.
I choose local producers, who cultivate the products produced in our country by following traditional production methods.
Ilias Maslaris, Myconian Ambassador Hotel’s Executive Chef
Who has been the most important person in this gastronomic journey from Northern Greece and Thessaloniki to Mykonos?
There are so many people who have been important in my gastronomic journey who I am so grateful for. But if I had to single out one man on the island of Mykonos, it would be Vangelis Daktylides, the owner of the Myconian Ambassador Hotel and Deos Mykonos, who placed so much faith and trust in me.
You recently received – once again – the 2024 Greek Cuisine Restaurant Award from Athinorama magazine. Do you follow the trends in modern Greek cuisine? And if so, to what extent?
What interests me is following trends in modern Greek cuisine but to the extent that nothing is altered or lost in the dishes that I create. This is ultimately the ideal balance for me.
What emotional experience are you seeking to provide guests?
One that is based on love and warmth. On the one hand, I want to awaken forgotten memories and on the other, create new taste memories from scratch.
If the Athenian Riviera was a taste, what would it be?
The taste that comes to my mind as I close my eyes and think of the Athenian Riviera is a dessert from my homeland, the famous Armenonvil, a specialty from Thessaloniki which is a gorgeous semifreddo dessert with caramelized almonds and crushed meringues.
What goals have you set for yourself? Is winning a Michelin star one of them?
Of course it is. There isn’t a chef out there who doesn’t want a Michelin star! I also like the idea of the dishes that I have created travelling further afield, around the world.
