Inside the Kitchen: Seven Questions with Freddy Money of Atlas

Often, the first time I experience something is my best food memory. Like the first time I ate in a MICHELIN-starred restaurant in Spain. We were both doing a stage, and I was with an older German chef. He was nitpicking at the dishes, and I was just sitting there in awe.

On a more nostalgic level, my grandmother used to live in Menorca, Spain, so we would visit her all the time. Wherever you went, tapas or beach bar, the standard was always excellent, and I was trying new flavors.

Deep respect for gastronomy and education. It's an art form and a form of expression from the chef. It's a ritual and a moment to celebrate. It's many things. It should be experiential and showcase the love that the operators have for the property.

To try and build a great restaurant that has education at the forefront of its values. Really educating the team and the next generation of chefs. It’s something that can easily be lost, but we have a responsibility to keep that sort of family tree growing.

Somni in Los Angeles.

Education and innovation. The innovation piece keeps us all going. The plate is a blank canvas, and you can be as creative as you want. With the educational piece, I firmly believe in teaching our staff as well as or better than we learned. That’s also very rewarding.

Good soup. I like broccoli and Stilton soup, but definitely more soupy soups than brothy soups. My dad’s from southwest England, and we used to go to this pub where we’d get a massive bowl of soup for lunch with a thick slice of bread.