Armando Percuoco exits Buon Ricordo after 31 years

• Callan Boys reviews Buon Ricordo

On the evening of Saturday, July 28 Armando Percuoco exited the Paddington restaurant he has presided over, with an iron fist on the floor and a light hand in the kitchen, since 1987.

Buon Ricordo, which Percuoco ran with wife Gemma, has a new emperor and empress.

The Percuocos have sold the restaurant to long-term head chef David Wright, and his partner Rosalba Bertocci.

Was it Percuoco's last shift? "Yes and no. He's officially handing over on the weekend, but he'll always be there for us as a mentor, and he loves the customers so he'll still be popping in. He's amazing, how many people are still working at 72?" Wright says.

Percuoco, who quips he's looking forward to being able to eat in the restaurant rather than just working there, says he's mellowed in recent years.

One example is his pet hate of customers eating bruschetta with a knife and fork. "Years ago I would have said 'what are you doing', now I let it go," he says.

The chef, who has ejected food critics and put Hollywood stars in their place, says he's been controversial all his life, but his actions have been mostly driven by his love for the restaurant industry.

And rest easy if you think the truffled egg pasta is suddenly an endangered dish.

The restaurant's new co-owner – who sports Sicilian lineage and an anglo name – started work at Buon Ricordo as a 17-year-old, packed off by his boss to work at a two-star Michelin restaurant in Italy before taking up the head chef role at Buon Ricordo seven years ago.

"I've had control of the menu for some time, if anything major was going to change it would've happened by now," Wright says.