El Willy, Spanish Master Chef and Restaurateur | What 30 Years in Restaurants Really Taught Him
Game Changers by CSShow Notes
Chef Willy Trullàs Moreno has spent nearly three decades building restaurants, leading teams and developing a style of cooking that carries his Spanish roots across Asia. But behind the food is a much bigger story about discipline, curiosity, adaptability and how a definition of success changes over time.
Growing up in Catalonia, food was already part of the rhythm of life. Wild mushrooms in the Pyrenees, seasonal produce, family meals and restaurant visits eventually led Willy into professional kitchens. His training in France exposed him to extraordinary precision and discipline, but also to an intensity that shaped the kind of leader he later chose to become.
He kept the standards, but changed the culture.
That balance runs throughout his career. Willy believes in serious preparation, exceptional ingredients and consistency, but also in creating an environment where people feel respected and motivated. His restaurants combine Spanish identity with an understanding of how people actually eat in places such as Shanghai and Bangkok.
The conversation also explores what happens beyond the plate. Willy speaks about learning from Ferran Adrià, Joël Robuchon and Pierre Gagnaire, travelling to meet producers, studying markets before opening restaurants, making mistakes even after decades of experience and understanding why the customer ultimately decides whether an idea succeeds.
Perhaps most importantly, his idea of ambition has evolved. There was a time when success meant opening the next restaurant and chasing the next opportunity. Today, it also means protecting time with his family, being present for his children and continuing to cook without allowing growth to consume everything else.
This is a conversation about becoming a better chef, but also about becoming a better leader and knowing what is worth protecting along the way.
How has your definition of success changed as you have grown?
Willy Trullàs Moreno | Chef, Restaurateur and Hospitality Leader
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