Zilli's Cooking Empire

Aldo Zilli holds the world record for the most times a pancake is flipped in 1 minute. He flipped it 117 times in the minute.

What more do you need to be a Celebrity Chef in the modern world? Oh, very well. He's also appeared on One Man and His Hob. Still not impressed? Then you're probably not British, where Zilli is a one-man industry. One Man and His Hob featured him traveling around the UK, doing outdoor cookery on his portable hob, stove to you and me. That's in addition to his appearances on various other cooking shows and Celebrity Fit Club.

And his restaurants, like Zilli Fish and Zilli Cafe. And now Zilli Green.

Award winning Italian chef and restaurateur, Aldo Zilli will launch his new and innovative vegetarian restaurant, Zilli Green in Soho on the 14th February 2010 - the first ever Italian vegetarian chef with a fusion mind from across the world.

His former flagship restaurant, Signor Zilli will be entirely remodelled and re-branded to celebrate Aldo's commitment to healthy living. What's more, it will reinforce the message that vegetarian food doesn't have to be dull or tasteless - but exciting and delicious with quirky flavours and combinations. The menu will be an experience to share

Head chef, Enzo di Marino, one of the UK's most exciting, talented up and coming vegetarian chefs (who trained in the Abruzzo region of Italy before working internationally, including Japan) will create a wide selection of quality seasonal dishes with vegetables naturally sourced from trusted local producers (and prepared in a dedicated meat and fish-free kitchen). Observing Aldo's ethos of producing great tasting healthy cuisine with a contemporary twist, Zilli Green features dishes inspired by travelling the world. ...

A selection of classic palette cleansing desserts with a healthy twist includes Dairy-free tiramisu cake, Peach and mango crème brulee and an eclectic range of organic ice-creams. Organic wines and freshly squeezed juices will also feature in the downstairs bar.

Another release says that "While all the dishes are vegetarian, individual menu items are also labeled as vegan, vegan option, and gluten free when appropriate."

High end vegan cuisine seems to be rarer in the UK than it is in the larger American cities, so this is a welcome trend.