Portfolio

My name is Luca Marinelli. I’m a chef of the Italian restaurant Il Posto 97 in Hong-Kong. I was born on the 30th of March 1985 in Varese, North-Western Lombardy, in northern Italy. As my parent separated since I was young, I was raised by my mother in Varese, and during weekends say every 2 weeks I would alternate and spend time with my father who lived in Milan.

My name is Olga Martynovskaya. I teach culinary arts at the Culinary Academy of Hector Jimenez Bravo, but I’m better known as the winner of the third season of the Ukrainian version of the Master Chef. I was born on September 2, 1989 in the small village Yuryevka, Ukraine, in a family of teacher and beekeeper. My childhood was very happy: fun, carefree, with lots of sun, air and games with the other kids. I enjoyed tree climbing and running. Mother used to call me «windy» — the fidget one… One of my mother’s favorite memories from my childhood is when I was 4.5 years old, and some guys from high school asked me, mocking: «Olga, do you know where babies come from?» — «I’ve learned where they come from for long time ago” – I said, — “but where did the very first person came from is still a mystery for me!». From an early age and till now my disadvantage and advantage in the meantime is curiosity, which I feel absolutely always and about everything that surrounds me. Parents never forced me to do something that I didn’t want. I was a freedom-loving child, and remained the same now. I wanted to become a doctor, but later changed my mind and confused in choosing a profession.

My name is Stephane Istel, I am the chef and owner of Bar-Roque Grill. It’s French in Singapore, just like me. I was born in May 3, 1978 in picturesque Alsace, France. It’s a beautiful place with delicious cuisine. I grew up with the beautiful aroma from my mother’s kitchen. My mother expresses her love for the family through her amazing cooking of classical Alsatian dishes such as baeckeoffe. I remember the anticipation and joy as a child when she brought her claypot of potatoes, carrots, lamb, pork and beef, marinated in white wine onto the dinner table. The flavor, the aroma, an amazing taste, and her kind smile… It was from my mother I learnt to «cook with love». I have been working as a Chef for a 20 years now, since I was 15 years old enthusiastic young cook (maybe not so professional yet, but really passionate one).

Victoria: I was born in May 1987 in my beloved Odessa. Since childhood food has been meant a lot for me. My dad was an excellent cook, and my mother always liked to “invent” something delicious, and surprise us. I have never had any problems like «fried onions», «fish», «greens», and so on, which are usually children have. I ate everything that was cooked deliciously. The food was not just a meal in our family. It was with sense; it was varied and beautiful. Anna: I was born in winter, January 1, 1988, here, in Odessa. I spent my childhood in a beautiful house with a large shady garden. My grandmother always had the goal «To feed Anna the best and healthy everything,» and I carefully hid meatballs from my soup, hoping not been exposed. I loved my mom’s adventures in cooking much more: rose-shape cookies with rose jam topping; three-layer ice cream cake, decorated with mulberries, we have gathered together, coming back from the beach; crunchy mini-toasts with colored herring butter. My mother always had unusual game approach to cooking and eating.

My name is Jerome Abraham. I am French, and I’m a chef in a French restaurant Saint Germain. It’s a place in Hong Kong with Parisian charm, energy and living spirit of Montmartre. I was born at the end of the summer 1979, in August 28. I was born in Athis-Mons closed to Paris. But my hometown is St Paul de Vence, where I grew. It’s in Provence, South of France. Growing up in Saint Paul de Vence was amazing. This area is so beautiful… It’s one of the most incredible parts of France. So being and living there has been a chance of my life. If you ever come to the Cote d’Azur, you just have to visit this place.

My name is Alex Liu. I‘m 34 and I was born in Hong Kong. I have a guilty pleasure to pasta. I have always been a fussy eater when I was child, but pasta was one thing I could always eat –so I ate a ton of it during growing up. I became a chef at 17. The entire male in my family were chefs but none of them treat it as a lifetime career. I want to be different. Throughout my 17 years of chef career, I love cooking seafood the most. Because fresh seafood do not require much extra seasoning and only we focus on the original taste.

My name is Matthieu Bonnier, I’m the Chef de Cuisine of French Window Brasserie and Bar in Hong Kong.I was born in Nantes in 1978. I grew up in a middle class family. My mother and father were teachers, so you can imagine my childhood was based on some fairly strict rules thus my environment was rich and open-minded. It is from my grandparents I got the inspiration to become the chef I am today. My grandfather was a wine amateur and used to own a massive cellar underneath their house although he was also a fine cook. My grandmother in the other end made her kitchen the main room in the house. It is where she was spending most of her day. Times were different back then, nothing but family mattered the most. Making an apple pie was a way to communicate and spend time together… It was a great way to learn!

My name is Shaun Anthony. I’m the chef, spending in my kitchen most of the time, in the restaurant Madam Sixty Ate. Geographically, we are in the north of Hong Kong Island — at its most affluent area of Wan Chai. I’m not a typical Italian, Spanish or Chinese. I was born in Canada, June 30, 1978. After the war, my mother’s family emigrated to Canada from Germany. So from my mother I have something German and my father — an Irishman and a Ukrainian — here and add to Shaun Anthony a bit of both countries.

My name is Oyvind Naesheim. It’s one of those names, which is difficult to pronounce, even if you know how to do it. I’m a part of worldwide empire NOBU, consisting of 28 restaurants in different parts of the world. Its owner is the actor Robert De Niro. I’m the chef of NOBU InterContinental Hong Kong. I was born on the 20th of February, 1980, in Norway, in the ancient and beautiful city Staverger. It was there, being a child and I got my passion for food. I spent countless hours on the home kitchen, next to my grandma. Thanks to her, I recognized the «soul» of Norwegian cuisine and don’t forget it until now, even cooking Japanese food at Nobu.

My name is Tony Rosetti. I’m the chef of Noti Restaurant & Bar, luring the guests with Italian dishes in Singapore. Title of the bar is an anagram of my name. So yeah, I’m still the owner. Singapore is home to over 5 million people, and I was born in the small Italian town where less than two thousand people. Palmariggi, the city in the province of Lecce, is situated on the tip of the Italy «heel». On the 31th of March I was born on the «heel».