Luca Marinelli, born in Varese in 1985, learned to cook in his mother’s kitchen, worked as Chef de Partie at Uliassi, and is now the chef of iL Posto 97 in Hong Kong.
My name is Luca Marinelli, and I’m the chef of the Italian restaurant iL Posto 97 in Hong Kong.
I was born on March 30, 1985, in Varese, in north-western Lombardy in northern Italy. My parents separated when I was young, so I was raised by my mother in Varese, and every 2 weeks I would spend the weekend with my father, who lived in Milan.
I grew up playing sports: I played basketball from 6 to 15 years old, then switched to football at 16 and have played it ever since. At school I was quite a cheeky and mischievous kid. I could never sit still and didn’t quite fit into the academic school system there, but my favorite classes were geography and PE.
Since I was raised by a single mother who worked full time, I often helped around the house, and on weekends at home in Varese, Mom and I bonded a lot in the kitchen. As Italian culture puts it, “La cucina è il cuore della casa,” which means “the kitchen is the heart of the home.”
I would watch and help my mom with whatever dish she was preparing and learn along the way. That was where my interest in and passion for cooking were sparked. We would have home-cooked gatherings with friends and neighbors. Every Saturday I played matches and brought my friends home afterward to enjoy Mom’s homemade crostata (a typical Italian home-baked fruit tart), piping hot and ready to eat when we arrived.
I remember weekend visits to my dad’s: spending quality time with him and his friends on Sundays watching football on TV, playing the popular Italian card game Briscola (played with a deck of 40 cards by 2 to 6 players), and checking out the historic sights of Milan.
I started working at 15. The highlight among my most memorable moments came in 2005, when I was finally accepted as a full-time team member and became Chef de Partie at Uliassi, a highly regarded restaurant with 2 Michelin stars. After my apprenticeship, after putting my blood, sweat, and tears into proving myself, finally earning the team’s approval was an amazing feeling.
I recognize the importance of building relationships with co-workers with an open mind, understanding and respecting each other’s differences. We are individuals from different walks of life, and it takes patience, determination, and trial and error to overcome obstacles.
I love seafood, and it’s hard to narrow it down, but definitely fish soup (almost any fish) and seafood casserole. My favorite flavors are bitter (like endives or lemon rind) and sour (like the acidity of lemons).
On my days off I enjoy spending time with my partner, having a relaxing weekend breakfast with a great cup of coffee, or going out for really good gourmet dim sum in town. I also play football once a week, and I enjoy boat trips in the summer and hiking. My father and I are die-hard Juventus fans, and I’ve followed them since I was 5 years old.
My dish is called “Banana Cake 2014.” I was inspired by my mother’s homemade banana cake and reinterpreted it as my own version, with a gourmet twist.
