Otis Schapiro is the Head Chef and Co-Owner at Lilian Restaurant. With a goal of keeping consistent and cementing his restaurant as a true stalwart of the Auckland dining scene, it is one to watch for years to come.
Otis Schapiro grew up in San Francisco with his American father and Kiwi mother, before moving to New Zealand when he was 11 or 12. His mother is a chef who owned multiple restaurants and cafes during his childhood, she initially tried to deter him from the industry with mentions of long working hours and poor pay. But after completing a degree in Criminology and Sociology Schapiro fell right back into the kitchen, the place where he has always felt most at home. 
The food at Lilian is European inspired. Many people consider Lilian to be an Italian restaurant, but Schapiro insists it really is not. He tries to focus on one or two ingredients in a dish and work off them, usually pairing something classic with something guests might not have seen or tried before. His plates are simple and well-executed, never with more than three of four components.
The past few years have been challenging for Lilian. The most recent Omicron wave meant multiple chefs and front of house staff were regularly off. They are still currently understaffed and using ring-ins to ensure the restaurant doesn’t have to close or cancel dozens of bookings. But Schapiro doesn’t see the challenges going away any time soon. With food costs rising at an unsustainable rate, people will be paying a lot more to dine at cafes and restaurants.
Regardless of recent setbacks, Schapiro has just opened a new sports bar - Schapiro’s - at 224 Symonds Street. The food is very different from Lilian's, but it is something he has been dreaming about since he was a teenager and is “Super stoked with how it turned out.” He loved being able to bring an idea to reality and hopes to open more venues in the future.
Schapiro has always enjoyed the rush of a busy service and thinks it is a great feeling when the restaurant is packed and everything is clicking in the kitchen. For anyone just beginning their hospitality journey, his advice is to keep your head down and be patient.
“The hardest workers are always the ones that get noticed and move forward within the industry. You only have a finite amount of time to learn in a restaurant without the pressures of running your own kitchen/answering to owners so I would say take advantage of that time while you're young and don’t be in a rush to move up the ranks.”
