Otis Schapiro is the Executive Chef and Co-Owner of my favourite Auckland restaurant, Lilian. He’s also the owner of Schapiro’s, a one-of-a-kind sports bar in Eden Terrace.

He’s worked at incredibly iconic restaurants, even briefly including the famous Noma in Copenhagen, along multiple other Michelin Star ones.

For any of us, getting to where we really want to be takes a tonne of work but I think handling the years of the intensity and pace involved in becoming a great chef can be something else entirely. That’s part of the reason why I think there’s value in us hearing from a great chef like him, regardless of what creative field we’re in or what passion we’re pursuing.

Bon appetit!