Luiz Filipe Souza, chef do Evvai (SP)
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From sports to gastronomy, determination is the lifeblood of any business. Chef Luiz Filipe Souza, who commands restaurant Evvai, in São Paulo, is a proof of that. He is one of the five finalists in the Americas (and one of the 24 in the world) to compete in the final stage of the 2019 Bocuse d’Or.
Regarded as one of the most respected gastronomical competitions in the world, the event created by renowned chef Paul Bocuse (1926-2018) has brought together for the past 30 years chefs from the whole world in what is considered to be the Olympics of Gastronomy. The contest requires the competitor and his team to prepare two dishes – as well as a final tray with several elements and a poster. One of them had the main ingredient disclosed in advance: the veal rack with five bones, one of the 22 listed ingredients of the French cultural heritage.
Hosted in Lyon, France, the 2019 edition will take place on January 29thand 30th. During those two intense days of competitions, chefs from 24 countries are amongst the finalists, whose teams will be evaluated by two groups of judges. The team led by Luiz Filipe carries the challenge of representing the Brazilian flag. The winners (there are three main categories, plus five special prizes, including best dish) will be revealed on the 30th, with the first place to win 20,000 euros.
Luiz Filipe has a history in gastronomy that only those who are passionate will understand. He distributed résumés when he was still in college and ended up getting a job at Fasano. Since the money was very short, he asked his bosses to assume the dishwashing functions when his colleague left the job. It was a way to earn twice as much.
Elected by Veja São Paulo as “2018/2019 revelation chef”, the 29-year-old is making history and carving his name in the world of gastronomy – both at the helm of Evvai and qualifying for the international competition.
