Head Chef

Max Usai

Born in Sardinia in 1972.  Max father was a farmer and his mother was a fantastic cook and homemaker.  Max has 2 brothers and 3 sisters and from a young age loved to help his mother with the cooking.  From his childhood he knew what he wanted to do so when he was 14 he started in catering college.   For the next 5 years Max studied during term time and worked in a range of Italian restaurants and hotels during summer season placements, gaining experience in such prestigious hosteleries as 5 star Hotel Cala di Volpe in the famous Costa Steralda in Sardinia and the Michelin Star S’Andira restaurant in northern Sardinia.

As with all Italians, at 19 Max had to undergo a compulsory period of 1 years Military Service.  With his training and experience he was immediately sent as a chef to the General Staff HQ.

After military service Max decided to travel to experience other types of cuisine – starting with a summer season in Nice cooking for the rich and famous.

In 1993 Max moved to London where he worked for a year as achef de Partie in La Famiglia the best Italian restaurant in the city.  He then spent a season in Brighton in a 5 star hotel where he met a nice Irish girl who enticed him to come to Ireland.  He started in Cork as a sous chef in an Italian restaurant where he in typical Latin fashion he met another nice girl who wanted him to go to Dublin – he married this one.

So in 1997 Max started work as a chef de Partie in Conrad Gallaghers Michelin Star Peacock Alley in Dublin and then moved as a sous chef to the Tea Rooms in  U2’s Clarence Hotel.

In 2000 he went as Head Chef to a 4 star Hotel in Wexford but after 1 year he yearned for the bustle of the capital so came back to Dublin and for the last 10 years has worked on a number of new restauant projects – setting up Beano’s in Malahide, The Vaults in Dublin’s IFSC, AvonRi in Blessington and La Cuvee in the IFSC.

Max is now settled in as Executive Head Chef at Roganstown.  He lives locally and when he’s not cooking spends time with his wife and 2 kids.