What Donato de Santis's new life in France is like

The renowned Italo-Argentinian chef surprised his followers by temporarily leaving television and his successful life in Argentina to live a radically different experience: he began working at an elite French restaurant as just another cook, without privileges or recognition, seeking to reconnect with the essence of his vocation.

More than twenty years after winning over the local public with his charisma and culinary talent, Donato de Santis decided to take an unexpected turn in his career. He left Buenos Aires behind, packed his bags, and traveled to the French Riviera to join the team at Mirazur as just another employee, the three-Michelin-star restaurant led by the native of La Plata Mauro Colagreco, considered one of the best chefs in the world.

Far from the role of a celebrated figure, Donato chose to blend in among the apprentices and rediscover from the ground up the rhythms and demands of a high-end kitchen. "I went undercover in a three-Michelin-star restaurant. Nobody knows who I am, nobody knows me. And that... feels liberating," he shared on his TikTok account, where he is documenting the experience as a kind of personal diary.

"After so many years, I needed to return to the essentials: to sweat, to run, to make mistakes, to smell like a kitchen. To feel that adrenaline of the first day," he explained about the reasons that motivated him to leave his comfort zone. His honest and emotional account quickly earned the empathy of thousands of followers who congratulated him for taking on the challenge.

However, not everything was easy. As the days went by, the effects of the exhausting pace began to show. In one of his nighttime videos, recorded at four in the morning, Donato confessed:  "Today I sharpened my knives again, one by one, like I hadn't done in a thousand years. The knee hurts, but the desire pushes harder."

In another, more reflective post, he shared: "This journey didn't start yesterday. It's been taking shape for years. I don't know if it's a dream, a challenge, or simple curiosity, but I know I had to do it."

Although some users on social media questioned that working with Colagreco is not exactly "starting from scratch", most appreciated his decision to set aside his ego and reconnect with his craft through daily effort.