Panagiotis Kalamidas, Co-owner of 1228

by
on Friday, March 26, 2010

How did you come to be a chef opening restaurants in Shanghai?

I started out in a very small village in Greece, and I really wanted to get out of there. So I took on an apprenticeship as an electrician in a bigger city. But I hated that, and I started thinking that I really loved cooking. My dad used to run a little barbecue place and I grew up grilling meats. So then, I went to London, and studied cooking while I worked in a bunch of different restaurants, from English to French. I worked my way through school, then came here.

You used to work in a French restaurant? Did you enjoy cooking that style of food?

No! I hate French food! I mean, it's great for a fancy event or something but I really don't like to eat it. It's so complicated; you have to mess with all the sauces. In my opinion, it's really just the same thing underneath but you have to deal with all this fancy sauce on top.

What was the inspiration for opening 1228 after you opened Commando Chicken?

Commando Chicken is more of a convenience restaurant. There is a big demand for high-quality fast food in Shanghai. But 1228 is my baby. This is where you can get real Greek food, and I can cook the dishes that I love.

Your restaurant is open from seven in the morning until at least eleven at night. Do you ever get a break?

It sounds crazy, but this schedule is actually better for me. I hate working in a restaurant where there are only a few rushes at certain times of the day; sitting around for a long time, then getting up and rushing around. This up-down-up-down routine is so tiring. By being open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, we have a steady inflow of customers at a more leisurely pace, so I'm going at a steadier pace all day.

I notice you set up a playground for kids on the weekend. Why?

I love kids - I have one myself - and I want this to be a place where parents can come, and drop their kids off in the big play castle I set up on the weekends. The kids can run around and play and destroy things to their hearts content while the parents eat. I'm also thinking about getting a few toy guns to hand out.

What do you do to enjoy Shanghai?

I drink. I like drinking beer in particular.