Antonino LentiniAmbassador of the authentic traditional Sicilian CuisineIn 2007, Nino was recognized for his achievements in Japan by the Mayor of Mazara del Vallo and was awarded with a commemorative plate, as "Ambasciatore della vera Cucina tradizionale Siciliana" (Ambassador of Authentic Traditional Sicilian Cuisine.) Born on the island of Sicily in the town of Trapani, Antonino Lentini had an interest in cooking from a young age. Gifted with both passion and natural ability, he began working at local restaurants from the age of 14. After mastering local cuisine, he then expanded his skills while working at shops specializing in a variety of things like desserts, breads, and gelato. He further polished his skills at famous hotels throughout Europe and Italy. He later came to Japan after being invited to an Italian fair, and from there became determined to contribute to the spread of Sicilian cuisine.The abundant and wonderful sun of Sicily that nourishes wheat, oranges, figs, capers, and olives, along with the land, people, and history of Sicily, have had a large impact in giving people all over the world a rich sense of taste. Nino (Antonino) became known for his skills while working in Ginza, however, his genius extended beyond this, where through the successful management of several restaurants he came to be known as an ambassador of Sicilian cuisine.In April of 2006, Nino made the most of his vast experience and opened Ristorante da Nino, a restaurant where nothing but the finest ingredients are used in making authentic Sicilian cuisine under Nino's watchful eye. In a colorful and beautiful Sicilian atmosphere, you can choose from over 200 varieties of Sicilian wine, including those which are exceedingly rare in Japan.More recently, Ristorante da Nino has garnered much attention for the way in which it is revolutionizing traditional Sicilian cuisine by aiming to shine a new kind of light on it.