Ο Alexandros Koskinas is Chef de Cuisine at Tudor Hall, who after many years of success in well-known hotels, at King Georges specializes in what he loves, the Greek cuisine And the traditional tastes. His goal is to execute traditional recipes from different parts of Greece in a modern variant, where Alexander tries to combine nostalgia and the feeling of home cooking with the freshness and elegance of modern. Corfu himself, has grafted his main menu Tudor Hall with Corfiot flavors. Rarely do you encounter such gastronomic magic with a disarming modesty.

 You were born: I was born on March 24, 1976 at the Elena maternity hospital in Athens, where I lived until I was 7 years old. Then my family moved to Corfu, where I grew up and took my first steps in the field of cooking.

Childhood memories: The main feature that I remember from my childhood, apart from the carefree moments full of play, was the image of my mother in the kitchen preparing the family table and the smells that flooded the space. Smells that stained my memory. I will also not forget the walks in the public market.

Children's favorite food: Aromas and flavors have been etched in my memory since my childhood. I remember my mother stuffed with crimson tomatoes and lots of fresh herbs. I also had a weakness for spaghetti with minced meat as they are made in Corfu, with a strong spice that they usually use.

Studies: When I finished high school I studied at the School of Accounting, which I completed, but I was not given the opportunity to work in this field because almost immediately I chose the path of cooking and so I went to STE Corfu. Of course, after the end of the school, gastronomy seminars followed, which I try to attend until today to be informed about the latest developments in our area.

When did you feel that you would dedicate yourself to cooking: After finishing my studies I was called to do my military service and so I was given for the first time to get in touch with a professional kitchen. That's when I realized that cooking is a means of expression and creativity.

Cooks who influenced your cooking: Certainly there are many notable names I could mention. Each Chef has his own technique and a unique way of highlighting even the simplest raw materials and this is a source of inspiration for me. Among them I could single out Michael Bras for the unique way he handles his materials and Alain Passard.

Images or events that inspired you: Every trip for me is a source of inspiration, through the landscapes I encounter and the new flavors that give me the opportunity to try.

Where did you work: Early in my career I worked at Corfu Imperial, where I got the basics needed to continue at the Hilton (Athens) and later at the Intercontinental at the Premier Restaurant. Other stations followed, culminating in King George, where I have been working for the last 4 years.

Materials you love: I like to intensify my dishes with seasonal herbs and spices. One could say that I have a particular weakness for fresh vegetables, fish and seafood.Philosophy of your kitchen: My philosophy is to render the traditional recipes of our place in a simple and modern way, which results in pure flavors.

Dishes you created, loved and left traces: It is not easy to single out any of the dishes I have created but one could say that the rabbit with rose that we served at Tudor Hall 2 years ago, was a special combination and a choice that our customers are still looking for today.

The role of locality in food: Through the preparations of each region one can get to know better the production of products and the customs of each place, as well as the habits and the way of life of its people. That is why I believe that locality plays an important role in food because we are given the opportunity to travel through the flavors.

Greek cuisine today: Greek cuisine is evolving more and more, mainly from a technical point of view and so you give us the opportunity to highlight local products and traditional dishes, such as moussaka, stuffed and others in their most advanced form in terms of taste and image. It is no coincidence that the number of visitors to our country increases every year for the purpose of their trip, a special gastronomic experience.

Greek gastronomy in the face of the crisis: During the crisis, Greek gastronomy was tested a lot, but this could be said to have had some positive results because of the need for development through competition. We also saw young people with knowledge and new techniques focusing on producing new products of exceptional quality.

How would you like to be considered: I would like to be considered creative but also a cook who does not stop evolving.

An unforgettable moment: I will never forget the experience I had in Paris when I visited Alain Ducasse's restaurant, Plaza Athenee and had the good fortune to enjoy his creations. It was a night of inspiration for me.

Dreams of gastronomic content: It would be an honor to have the opportunity at some point to cook for one of the great Chefs I admire and to be able to highlight through food the way everyone has influenced me.

Life dreams: It is a dream but a goal of life for me to be able to travel the world and meet new cultures and flavors.

Farewell: I wish the new generations of cooks to love the art of cooking and not just see it as a profession.