Adriana Sonza Rodrigues

Vento Con Salves, Rion Grande Del Sud, Brazil. 

Food has always been my language, the only way I could really express myself and reach the hearts and souls of my guests.

Coming from a humble Italo-Brazilian family and not having the opportunity to attend a culinary school has never stopped me from making my big dreams come true. 

At 21-years-old, I decided to leave Brazil as I knew Italy was the only place where I could truly learn what food meant. 

I had to work incredibly hard, starting from the bottom and relying mainly on my raw talent and my mentor's experience and secrets. I had what once upon a time the hospitality industry would call an ‘Old School Baptism’.  

After spending 11 years cooking across Verona, an amazing city in the north of Italy and travelling to explore the immensely diverse food culture, I mastered both traditional and modern Italian cuisine.

I am driven only by the love and passion of what I do. 

Since my days spent cooking at the Piper, a restaurant in Verona, I have never stopped researching and perfecting my technique. 

Given my deep connection to nature and animals, I decided to focus on the vegan, vegetarian and pescatarian sides of cooking.

In 2017, ready for a new adventure, I decided to move to Australia, where I finally had the chance to open my own restaurant Bella with my partner, Nicola. 

I always knew I would become a Chef. Since I was 3-years-old, I felt I was destined to express myself through food. 

While other kids would spend their time playing with their dolls, I would make food for my friends and study carefully every aspect of it, from the flavour to the plating. 

When coming home late from work, after spending the whole day cooking, I would light my stove and spend most of my nights training and experimenting. 

I believe that hospitality, particularly cooking, is like a religion. 

You either feel the call, or it is simply not for you.  

I like to think I am a strong traditionalist with a passion for modern transgression. 

I am very attached to the roots of Italian cuisine, however, I feel that without innovation, we run the risk of becoming boring and mainstream.

Simple, rich yet incredibly delicate and most of all, balanced.

Maintaining 5 ingredients per dish to balance the flavours. 

I don't like when Chefs add 15 different ingredients and neutralise the flavours. 

Always remember that balance is key and guests, when eating, need to feel each element across the dish. 

Antonio Cannavacciuolo.

He is an Italian One Michelin star Chef who I resonate with given his strong attachment to the Italian tradition and his creative ways to innovate it. 

The fact I get the chance every day to make people smile and lift their mood through food. I love looking after people, and every time someone comes to thank me for the meal I cooked for them, my heart melts and I can’t express how blessed I feel!

Tomatoes. Life without them wouldn’t make sense. 

Pasta allo Scoglio. 

Combining clams, mussels, King prawns, calamari and fish bisque, the unique taste of pasta is capable of taking your palate under the sea.

Grilled octopus.

I am confident it is the softest octopus in Sydney, thanks to our double cooking technique!

It took me a while to perfect it. I cook it for 5 hours and rest it under ice and grill it right before I serve it. 

I am obsessed with techno and I am the craziest dancer you will find in a club. I am also a cat mum of 3. 

I see myself publishing the vegetarian-pescatarian cooking book I am currently writing - and hopefully married to my Nick!