The team at Pici is peerless, having held positions in kitchens and hospitality all over the world for many years. The team comes together at Pici to bring guests the ultimate dining experience. Expect great food, great drinks and exceptional service.
Andrea Viglione
Corporate Chef
Andrea’s passion for cooking began in Turin at a very young age with a passionate love for the nature of fresh ingredients. Shunning traditional culinary school in favour of real-life experience, Andrea began his professional career cooking in and around Turin at the age of sixteen, focusing predominantly on cuisine from the Piedmont region.
Before long, he opened his own place – part restaurant, part bookshop. After a successful and exciting experience in Italy, he felt the pull of opportunities and unexplored lands. In 2014, he moved to Hong Kong to help Pirata Group launch a new pasta bar concept. Bringing his vast experience to Pici, The Pizza Project and Italian concepts, Andrea lightens the kitchen with his fresh approach and warm energy.
Davide Borin
Executive Chef
Destined for life in the kitchen, Davide spent much of his childhood in the family-run restaurant in his hometown, Treviso, Italy. His passion for Italian food grew alongside his dedication to bring his country’s delicious flavours to the rest of the world. Davide respects traditional techniques and the history behind each dish he creates, as he adds his own spin to keep guests coming back for more.
Having graduated from the Culinary and Hospitality Institute ‘Giuseppe Maffioli’, Davide worked in multiple restaurants in Italy and Dubai before moving to Hong Kong for his next adventure. His role at Pici ensures Davide can showcase the culinary fundamentals that he gleaned from his international experience, enabling him to cook with the integrity and honesty that has been passed on through the generations.
Fabio Lo Cascio
Head Chef
Fabio started his culinary career in Sicily after his first exposure to the kitchen at 13 years old. Through this, he developed his passion for cooking and decided to make it his lifelong career. He opened his own restaurant with his family in Etna after spending a few years perfecting his skills. His greatest joy is to see guests’ smile while enjoying his food. He is determined to make food with the freshest ingredients while always thrilling each and every guest.
Every day is a brand-new experience in kitchen. He moved to Hong Kong and joined Pirata Group as a head chef of Pici in 2017 after 5 years working in Australia. Fabio brings to Pirata Group a deep love for the kitchen and extreme attention to detail, making him a strong asset to the Pici team.
Justin Tang
Director of Operations
Justin’s life motto is #maximumeffort. He is an enthusiastic Hongkongee who injects his positive vibes into everyone he meets. After studying Screen Acting for Film, Justin decided to swap the stage for the hospitality industry. Moving his way his way up, he spent years with an international restaurant brand opening branches in both Hong Kong & Taiwan.
Touched by a fantastic dining experience as a guest at Pirata, Justin proceeded to enter the world of Pirata Group, joined the force as the Training Manager in 2017.
After years of sailing with the fleet, Justin docked and took on a new role as Multi Sites General Manager looking after the three Picis in Kowloon & New Territories.
Bouncing around with a big smile, Justin can be found infusing the team with energy to work towards legendary hospitality.
Leonardo Pinos
General Manager
From Venice, Italy, Leonardo’s dream as a typical Italian kid was to become a professional football player. At one point Leonardo was very close to making it a permanent career, however after high school he decided to leave Italy for London. His aim was to learn English so he began working in a coffee shop. It was then that he realised how much he enjoyed the hospitality industry and that he should pursue a career in that direction. He then had the opportunity to join a high-end restaurant, Quaglino’s, and work with excellent professionals with years of experience.
After 4 years in London, Leonardo decided to move to Ibiza in Spain to join the famous Nikki Beach, one of the best known hospitality groups in the world. He spent 3 years with them training and improving his skills in managing restaurants in Ibiza, Dubai and Barcelona.
After his last summer in Ibiza, Leonardo decided to go back to London where he rejoined the team at Quaglino’s. Looking to broaden his F&B horizons, Leonardo made the decision to move to Asia for more opportunities after meeting Manuel Palacio in London, as he believed it would be a great platform for learning and to develop a deeper focus on “people”, one of Pirata Group’s core values. Leonardo is now multiple Pici restaurants on the Kowloon side and hoping to give more memorable experiences to his beloved guests.
Daphne D’Alesio
Director of Operations
Serving as a Director of Operations for Pici’s Kowloon-side outlets at present, Daphne is a highly experienced multi-site manager with a demonstrated history of working in the hospitality industry across the United Kingdom, ranging from Italian to American cuisine.
Hailing from Italy originally, Daphne began her career as a professional volleyball player before graduating with a First Class Honors degree in Business Psychology from the University of Greenwich. From there Daphne became passionate about Food & Beverage and delivering exceptional guest experience with business resolve, overcoming challenges and driving her teams to succeed to the highest standard to this very day.
Mathias Turri
General Manager
An experienced restauranteur and purveyor of Italy’s culinary culture across Vietnam, The Philippines and now Hong Kong, Mathias brings his hospitality knowledge and skill to the Pici Central team and delights in giving the best of Italian service to the neighbourhood.
Allan Hernandez
Executive Chef
Executive Chef Allan is a longtime Pici and Pirata Group champion, whose commitment and dedication has kept the standards high and the results great for our central Pici restaurant for many years. A passionate leader in the kitchen, Allan brings out the best in the culinary staff and ensures delicious pasta experiences are served to many across the Hong Kong dining community.
