Earning Michelin 2 Stars with Vegetarian Cuisine: Italian Chef Encourages Daring to Be Different [Exclusive Interview]
Young Italian chef Davide Guidara earned two Michelin stars for his vegetarian restaurant 'I Tenerumi' on Sicily's Vulcano Island. He promotes the 'Cook More Plants' philosophy, using advanced techniques to highlight vegetables without imitating meat.
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- 📰 Published: April 19, 2026 at 08:47
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Born in 1994, Davide Guidara is a shining rising star among young Italian chefs. The restaurant he leads, I Tenerumi, was awarded two Michelin stars last November. I Tenerumi is located on "Isola Vulcano," a small island north of Sicily and part of the Eolie Islands.
Guidara recently attended an event held at the Foreign Press Association in Rome and accepted an exclusive interview with the Central News Agency on the sidelines, sharing his unique culinary philosophy. He stated that his core concept is very simple: "Cook More Plants." He hopes to establish a culinary culture where vegetarianism is the mainstream, redefining current and future dietary habits.
Guidara has also co-published a "Manifesto della Cucina Vegetale" (Manifesto of Plant-Based Cuisine) with like-minded chefs. Through seven main points, it emphasizes the use of sustainable ingredients and advanced cooking techniques to make vegetables the dignified protagonists, rejecting the deliberate imitation of animal products, and using the pursuit of deliciousness as the driving force.
Guidara told CNA that his cuisine is based on the extremely strong aromas of vegetables. "For example, imagine how bitter arugula extract is, and how sweet beetroot extract is. There is no such taste in animal protein. So, what overturns everyone's expectations is that the flavor of vegetables is actually richer than that of meat or fish."
According to the official Michelin website, Guidara excels at using preservation techniques such as fermentation, maceration, pickling, or salting, cleverly pairing winter ingredients from his own garden with seasonal produce to present uniquely styled flavors.
Currently, there are only 4 vegetarian restaurants globally that have earned two Michelin stars; the other 3 are King's Joy and Lamdre in Beijing, China, and Fu He Hui in Shanghai.
Guidara previously joked in an interview with Italian media that before I Tenerumi opened, many peers advised him not to focus on vegetarian food because Michelin wouldn't like it. He told CNA he is glad he didn't back down. Although his restaurant is on an offshore island—requiring a flight to the main island of Sicily followed by a boat transfer—many gourmands who love vegetarian food make special trips there.
The Eolie Islands in northern Sicily consist of 7 main small islands and have been listed as a World Heritage site since 2000. "Isola Vulcano," where Guidara's restaurant is located, is the southernmost active volcanic island among them.
Guidara told CNA, "Cuisine is absolutely related to geography, just as the French often say about terroir; the soil also affects the flavor of the wine produced." After becoming a chef on the volcanic island, he recognized that there are many amazing small farmers and farming methods locally. "As a chef, you are driven by a sense of mission to tell local stories through food."
"When you are in a region with a strong sense of self-identity, a symbiotic relationship, an osmotic connection, exists between the chef and the land." Guidara described that his cuisine incorporates many characteristics of the Eolie Islands.
Winning multiple culinary awards domestically and internationally at a young age, Guidara humbly told CNA, "Many friends and I are considered a new wave in the culinary world. We often say we are a lucky generation because we have the opportunity to travel to many places, and we also hope that as the new generation, we can drive a new wave of Italian cuisine." (Editor: Tian Rui-hua) 1150419
Guidara recently attended an event held at the Foreign Press Association in Rome and accepted an exclusive interview with the Central News Agency on the sidelines, sharing his unique culinary philosophy. He stated that his core concept is very simple: "Cook More Plants." He hopes to establish a culinary culture where vegetarianism is the mainstream, redefining current and future dietary habits.
Guidara has also co-published a "Manifesto della Cucina Vegetale" (Manifesto of Plant-Based Cuisine) with like-minded chefs. Through seven main points, it emphasizes the use of sustainable ingredients and advanced cooking techniques to make vegetables the dignified protagonists, rejecting the deliberate imitation of animal products, and using the pursuit of deliciousness as the driving force.
Guidara told CNA that his cuisine is based on the extremely strong aromas of vegetables. "For example, imagine how bitter arugula extract is, and how sweet beetroot extract is. There is no such taste in animal protein. So, what overturns everyone's expectations is that the flavor of vegetables is actually richer than that of meat or fish."
According to the official Michelin website, Guidara excels at using preservation techniques such as fermentation, maceration, pickling, or salting, cleverly pairing winter ingredients from his own garden with seasonal produce to present uniquely styled flavors.
Currently, there are only 4 vegetarian restaurants globally that have earned two Michelin stars; the other 3 are King's Joy and Lamdre in Beijing, China, and Fu He Hui in Shanghai.
Guidara previously joked in an interview with Italian media that before I Tenerumi opened, many peers advised him not to focus on vegetarian food because Michelin wouldn't like it. He told CNA he is glad he didn't back down. Although his restaurant is on an offshore island—requiring a flight to the main island of Sicily followed by a boat transfer—many gourmands who love vegetarian food make special trips there.
The Eolie Islands in northern Sicily consist of 7 main small islands and have been listed as a World Heritage site since 2000. "Isola Vulcano," where Guidara's restaurant is located, is the southernmost active volcanic island among them.
Guidara told CNA, "Cuisine is absolutely related to geography, just as the French often say about terroir; the soil also affects the flavor of the wine produced." After becoming a chef on the volcanic island, he recognized that there are many amazing small farmers and farming methods locally. "As a chef, you are driven by a sense of mission to tell local stories through food."
"When you are in a region with a strong sense of self-identity, a symbiotic relationship, an osmotic connection, exists between the chef and the land." Guidara described that his cuisine incorporates many characteristics of the Eolie Islands.
Winning multiple culinary awards domestically and internationally at a young age, Guidara humbly told CNA, "Many friends and I are considered a new wave in the culinary world. We often say we are a lucky generation because we have the opportunity to travel to many places, and we also hope that as the new generation, we can drive a new wave of Italian cuisine." (Editor: Tian Rui-hua) 1150419