Interview with Chef Keli, Portofino, Bangsar

Chef Keli

In this interview, Chef Keli, chef and co-owner of Portofino, shares his journey in the hospitality industry and how he chose Malaysia as a base.

Why did you choose Malaysia? 

It was by chance, really. I came for a holiday and really liked what I found. When I went back to Italy, I proposed to my friend Luca that we invest in Malaysia. It was very easy to convince him. We bought our travel tickets in less than a week and began the nine-month opening process.

What do you enjoy most about Malaysia? 

I really like the weather. It is a dream for me to live in the tropics. I enjoy diving, so a chance to visit so many beautiful islands such a Tioman, Langkawi, Labuan, Sabah and the Perhentians is like a dream come true.

What do you do, and how did you get into the industry? 

I’ve had a passion for good food since I was a young child. I always helped my mom cook at home, and it was very easy for me to choose what to do with my life.  I registered in a cooking school called “istituto alberghiero Orio Vergani” at Ferrara, Italy. In five years, I earned a diploma in cooking. It was an amazing experience for me. I studied every day, and during the summer holidays, I started to work at a 4-star hotel in Milano Marittima called Hotel Bellettini when I was just 14 years old. Every year, I return to this hotel.  The first year wasn’t easy. The only thing I got to do was peel garlic and potatoes, cut onions and clean the kitchen. I worked every day for at least 10 hours. I was always the last to leave the kitchen. In these first three months, I learned discipline. When I went back to the second year, I began earning a bit more, and I was able to be more involved with the cooks. I learned very fast. The third year I started doing the pasta section. Every year in this hotel I had more responsibility and I became very important for the main chef. After I finished the diploma, I started to work in the best restaurant in my town called Il Don Giovanni with a Michelin Star, and it was in this place that I perfected the skill of hand-making pasta. Other restaurants followed, such as Il Tinello in Bologna, Da Pippi in Poggio Renatico… and now I’m here!

What’s the best/ worst part of your job? 

The best part of this job is that you can travel the world, and girls like guys who know how to cook. The worst part is that you can’t spend too much time with your family. When your friends are enjoying the weekend, you are working until late. In the kitchen, it is very hot and tiring, and you need to try everything and make sure everything is just perfect for the customer to have a good experience.

What’s your favourite food and wine pairing?

My favourite drink is red wine. I enjoy a glass of Lambrusco or Barolo nightly. My favourite food is fish, and I find wonderful seafood in Malaysia. They have amazing tiger-king prawns, spiny lobster, squids, red snapper, garoupa and lots of other tropical fish. In Portofino, we have a good choice of seafood, which I buy fresh at the local market.

What should guests try at Portofino?

The specialty in Portofino is homemade fresh pasta. The seafood ravioli stuffed with lobster and prawns, the squid ink pasta and the tortellini are best sellers. For dessert, you must try the tiramisu made with Marsala wine zabaione.

What’s one of the  funniest things you’ve seen behind the scenes?

I started cooking when I was 14, and now I am 25, so I have done a lot of funny things. Once, I was making 600 Cottolette (a famous Italian dish made by deep frying meat and bread in very hot oil) for a function. It was funny because I started to prepare it at 7 a.m., and I finished it 10 hours later!

What do you do for fun?

I like fishing and playing basketball with friends. One day, I’d like to learn how to prepare Japanese cuisine. I have a good friend in Yokohama named Naoto, who has an Italian-Japanese restaurant called Cambusa. One day, when I have a bit more free time, I will visit him.

What’s in store for you in the upcoming months?

The menu will be changed slightly, and we will expand our wine list to include more Italian wines.

Check out some of Chef Kel’s dishes and scrumptious handmade pasta here.