How Narda Lepes seedlings have truly taken root

When Narda Lepes showed me around Narda Comedor eight years ago, we moved into the kitchen and I distinctly remember her pointedly saying: “And there’s a lot of space between work stations so nobody ‘accidentally’ touches anybody else’s arse”. I recall surprise — and with hindsight, it was naivety — that she had taken this measure to safeguard her staff from harassment at their workstations, which she knew is unacceptably common in work places.  This month, the fine-dining world has been rocked, first by a public apology by René Redzepi, the chef and founder of Copenhagen-based Noma (and a leader of his generation, to boot) hours ahead of a powerful The New York Times story that cited 35 former employees renewing accusations of verbal and physical violence in the workplace. This publication was followed a few days later by his resignation from the restaurant — which was about to embark on a pop-up series in Los Angeles, California, with a US$1,500 per head price tag — and all projects aligned with Noma. His actions, however, are not enough for some former employees, who this week continue to protest against Redzepi outside the LA venue. So, in a month that celebrates women (and that is still needed to remind everyone of women’s contributions to every facet of society), and for which positivity should shine through, it feels right to spotlight Narda and her work, and share something uplifting from the kitchen. La Lepes has long been on TV screens, since 1999 in fact, and I recall seeing her on a foodie programme around 2007 visiting Billingstage fish market in London and thinking, ‘she speaks great English’. Starting her career in French and Argentine kitchens some years earlier, Narda has gone on to publish three books including Qué Cómo Dónde (2010) and Ñam Ñam (2017), has written a regular column for La Nación, and even launched a food app called Comé más plantas in collaboration with Microsoft, in her continued bids to improve quality food production and raise awareness about better eating habits. Fast forward several years and I count Narda as a friend (like me, is a karaoke aficionado) and as a springboard who drives opinion, and who, whether or not you agree with her, tries to inject common sense in the food world. But what I consider her greatest contribution to Argentina’s food scene is nurturing the pool of talent she has developed over her career that has resulted in a new generation of talented chefs who were trained the right way. Being on the small screen and running a catering business led her to create teams that would cook in unexpected places such as La Bombonera football stadium. It was for that business that she hired the likes of Leo Lanussol, Mariano Ramón and Augusto ‘Aspi’ Meyer, buzz names in today’s Argentine foodie world who, respectively, founded and run the successful Buenos Aires establishments Ness, Gran Dabbang and Naranjo. (Lanussol and Meyer also founded the much revered but now-shuttered Proper.) They are the ‘Narda boys’ as Ramón told me, along with pastry chef Estefanía Maiorano and Martín Sclippa, who opened Fico together, disciples if you will, of her high workplace standards. These restaurants today set the pace in Buenos Aires. Dabbang spawned a hundred copycat sriracha sauces graffitied over vegetables, while Proper’s small dishes for sharing also started a major trend in the casual eating environment that shows little sign of abating. Others who have worked at Narda Comedor include Gaspar Natiello, formerly of the celebrated Ajo Negro who opened Silvino last year, and Caro Ferpozzi, chef and partner at Café Linea in London, a city that takes balls and ovaries to conquer. And while there are, of course, dozens of cooks who have worked under Narda’s leadership, pastry chef Johanna ‘Joi’ Romero and right-hand man Guilad Hornstein are two of the most recent alumni to up roots and begin pollinating elsewhere. Hornstein, for example, recently popped up in Rio de Janeiro, his first solo event in another country. You may also be interested in: Love fine dining but hate the stuffy experience? Meet Silvino and Mambo Today, young gun Tomás Pietragallo leads the kitchen at Comedor, while at Gran Dabbang, the next, next generation continues to flourish. After five years with Ramón, head chef Camila López Gordillo recently laid down roots in a new patch to convert a former pasta factory into a restaurant in the heart of the Entre Ríos countryside. Narda’s workspace is certainly a seedbed of talent, and those seedlings are now full-blown trees with Michelin stars and recommendations, and 50 Best Restaurants recognition. She remains inclusive with her former employees, always inviting the likes of Lanussol and Ramón to cook at anniversaries — in April, the three will cook at Zuccardi Valle de Uco with the winery’s new executive chef Julio Baéz. Beyond that, these chefs are dedicated leaders who will continue setting the tone in Argentina and beyond with regard to creative cuisine, fresh sustainable ingredients, great service and also, importantly, respectful work environments and practices.