Meet Thiago Quirino | Chef/Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Thiago Quirino and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Thiago, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Work life balance is one of the hardest things I have to juggle at this moment of my life. Besides Robusto Food House, I have a full time job that takes at least 40 hours of my week without counting commute. All I try to do is be as organized as possible and take as many notes as I can to remind myself the order of priorities. Simple examples, I replaced reading books to audio books to make my work commute more productive; link my calendar, sheets and notes to the cloud to easy access my agenda or to do list in my phone; set reminders and never leave for tomorrow what I can do today. One of my favorite reminders is to try to have fun with your business, the pressure is always on, so I’m trying to get used to that and enjoy every minute of it.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Food for me is art, the reason I only use white plates. Colorful ingredients in a white plate reminds me of a painter expressing his feelings towards life. It’s hard to explain my line of thought regards food because you have to eat it, smell it, look at it and feel it. Besides all the senses, it’s also about texture, elevation, colors, meaning, saltiness, sweetness, bitterness, sourness and umaminess. After you are able to achieve that (or get nearby), you will feed people and create memories. Restaurants are not only a food business but also a making memories business; where we celebrate our wedding, anniversary, birthday, happy moments and milestones, that is why we do what we do.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
For breakfast, a quick stop at Shipley Do-nuts on Ella St; and for lunch, definitely Tourao Brazilian Steakhouse on Montrose Blvd. After that, a visit to Houston Museums and a walk at Herman Park is a must. For dinner, have an unforgettable time at Cuchara (authentic Mexican cuisine restaurant). Ask to sit at the bar, where Amado, my favorite bartender in the city, will take good care of you.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
In times of Covid-19, I first have to recognize my clients. They are the ones that motivate me everyday, trusting me and opening their doors for a cooking class, private dinner, and special occasion events. Secondly, a special thank you to my fiancee Valeria Llanos (@vhereforme) (also Co-Owner of Robusto Food House) for the ability to document Robusto dishes to share with the world. We all know how important is to share photos online, specially food, so our clients can visualize the future experience. With her natural talent and impressive eye, Robusto growth tremendously in the last year.

Website: www.robustofood.com

Instagram: @chefthiagoquir

Facebook: @robustofood

Image Credits
Valeria Llanos (@vhereforme)