The secrets to success in the restaurant business are three-fold, says Italian chef Antonio Mellino. You can't skimp on quality ingredients, you can't do it without a solid educational background and you can't afford to be too rigid in your approach.
Mellino's success would indicate he knows what he's talking about. A two Michelin-starred chef from Italy, he opened his first restaurant in 1984, the original Quattro Passi, on Italy's beautiful Amalfi Coast, after years building it himself.
It was his dream restaurant, and once he got it up and running, he never looked back, following it up with a Quattro Passi in London in 2014.
Mellino recently opened his first Dubai establishment, with a beautiful and luxe Quattro Passi taking pride of place at the Five Palm Jumeirah Dubai.
“My career started as soon as I go into culinary school,” says Mellino. “I went to school for five years in Italy before I started work. This is the foundation, this is what anyone who wants to work in this industry should do. Never underestimate the importance of education.”
Mellino's path to success began in hospitality, on Costa Cruise liners for 11 years all over the Caribbean, where he honed his skills in a busy floating kitchen.
“It was an amazing, beautiful experience on the cruise, and then I worked in many different hotels and restaurants. But my dream was to open my own place, with my family.”
Eventually, Mellino was able to buy a plot of land with the help of his father, brother and sister and he began to build his dream.
"I build it all myself, with my two friends. We started in 1975 … everything by my hand, and didn't open the pizzeria until around 1983."
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Read more:
A chat with Richard Sandoval, the chef who brought Toro Toro to Abu Dhabi
Gordon Ramsay returns to Dubai to celebrate pies and more
Three Michelin-starred chefs, one night in Dubai
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Until 1990, Quattro Passi was predominantly a pizzeria, and a few antipasti dishes. "It was just a little trattoria, between Capri and Positano, in a little sea bay called Nerano. It is famous all over the world, the rich people like to come to pay and park their yachts and come to eat in our restaurants. For me, it's good business."
Slowly, Mellino's menu began to evolve. "I like to make it my own," he explains. "Everybody around me make good, regular trattoria food, so I had to be a little different. The basics are there: we have fresh ingredients grown here, we have fresh fish every day, but it all needs a little extra touch."
For eight or nine years, Mellino he poured his all into his restaurant. "I had big dreams … I want to be known for my food. I want to grow."
In the early 2000s, restaurant received its first Michelin star, and it was the drive he needed to keep pursuing success.
"The trick is you must never stop. I keep going. Every year, something new, every few months, create something new. In 45 years of my working in this industry, I never stop … experimenting. Do a new dish. A new decor. New this. New that. Don't get boring. And of course, the menu."
The second Michelin star came eight years later. "It is the ultimate gratification," says Mellino. "What chef doesn't want a Michelin star? It is the appreciation of the work you have been doing for such a long time. You go to university so you can get a degree. In this business, you open a restaurant so you can get a star. It's this need to have something tangible in your hands."
The problem, however, says Mellino, is a star might be incredibly difficult to acquire, but unbelievably easy to lose.
"You can't get too comfortable. A star doesn't mean you sit back and you are done. It means you have to work extra hard to keep it."
Coming to Dubai to open a Quattro Passi was a natural evolution for someone who is both business orientated as well as always up for a new adventure.
"This is the place for amazing restaurants, this city," says Mellino of Dubai. "The opportunity came knocking for me to open my restaurant here and I say, why not? I like it. I like the people here. They are friendly, they like to live, they like to eat."
Getting ready to open was not without its hurdles, says Mellino. Sourcing fresh, quality ingredients in Dubai was of the utmost importance to him, how to find suppliers he could trust.
"Italian cooking is simple: it relies on few ingredients, but they have to be good quality, fresh, the best. Slowly, I find Italian suppliers, I find the best burrata, the fresh mozzarella, the right pasta. I find local fresh ingredients that are right for me. I cannot open until every single thing is perfect."
The result is a Mediterranean kitchen presenting southern Italian fare; food that pays homage to the simple ingredients of the south. A signature dish, for example, combines linguini with zucchini and zucchini flowers in a white sauce that Mellino has been perfecting for 10 years. "There are very rich ingredients … and I am always working to make it lighter, without losing taste. It is all in the technique. The dish is not new. It is the technique and how I approach it that is new.
The menu will change with seasons. "You can't make crazy things when it's not the season for the products, because it will not be fresh. You need everything to be fresh
… The dishes are simple and familiar, the trick for me is experimenting with new techniques when I cook,” explains Mellino.
And pursuing an education first and foremost is of the utmost importance, maintains Mellino. "You cannot become a chef without going to school and learning the basics. That doesn't work anymore. Experience is important, but anyone can read a recipe and create it with a little intelligence. Your edge is the education," he says.
But despite a chef's prowess, and regardless of how diverse the menu might be or delicious the dishes that are served, no restaurant can maintain its success if flexibility is underestimated, cautions Mellino.
“You must be aware of your clientele, of who you are serving, of what they want. Don’t make everything rigid, don’t say you cannot eat here without a jacket because I have a Michelin star. This will make your restaurant empty. You need to understand who you are feeding, you need to create atmosphere,” he says. People want to be comfortable, to relax and enjoy the restaurant setting; that’s what makes them come back.
Like all ambitious chefs, Mellino hopes to earn a third star. "My dream was to open the best restaurant in my area, I worked for 45 years and now I am in a city like Dubai … this makes me very very happy."
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dubai World Cup Carnival card
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group 1 (PA) US$75,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.05pm: Al Rashidiya Group 2 (TB) $250,000 (Turf) 1,800m
7.40pm: Meydan Cup Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,810m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,600m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
9.25pm: Al Shindagha Sprint Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m
The National selections:
6.30pm - Ziyadd; 7.05pm - Barney Roy; 7.40pm - Dee Ex Bee; 8.15pm - Dubai Legacy; 8.50pm - Good Fortune; 9.25pm - Drafted; 10pm - Simsir
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
'Cheb%20Khaled'
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The Freedom Artist
By Ben Okri (Head of Zeus)
Federer's 19 grand slam titles
Australian Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Marat Safin; 2006 bt Marcos Baghdatis; 2007 bt Fernando Gonzalez; 2010 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Rafael Nadal
French Open (1 title) - 2009 bt Robin Soderling
Wimbledon (8 titles) - 2003 bt Mark Philippoussis; 2004 bt Andy Roddick; 2005 bt Andy Roddick; 2006 bt Rafael Nadal; 2007 bt Rafael Nadal; 2009 bt Andy Roddick; 2012 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Marin Cilic
US Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Lleyton Hewitt; 2005 bt Andre Agassi; 2006 bt Andy Roddick; 2007 bt Novak Djokovic; 2008 bt Andy Murray
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Golden Shoe top five (as of March 1):
Harry Kane, Tottenham, Premier League, 24 goals, 48 points
Edinson Cavani, PSG, Ligue 1, 24 goals, 48 points
Ciro Immobile, Lazio, Serie A, 23 goals, 46 points
Mohamed Salah, Liverpool, Premier League, 23 goals, 46 points
Lionel Messi, Barcelona, La Liga, 22 goals, 44 points
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
The Energy Research Centre
Founded 50 years ago as a nuclear research institute, scientists at the centre believed nuclear would be the “solution for everything”.
Although they still do, they discovered in 1955 that the Netherlands had a lot of natural gas. “We still had the idea that, by 2000, it would all be nuclear,” said Harm Jeeninga, director of business and programme development at the centre.
"In the 1990s, we found out about global warming so we focused on energy savings and tackling the greenhouse gas effect.”
The energy centre’s research focuses on biomass, energy efficiency, the environment, wind and solar, as well as energy engineering and socio-economic research.
Book%20Details
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if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
Notable salonnières of the Middle East through history
Al Khasan (Okaz, Saudi Arabia)
Tamadir bint Amr Al Harith, known simply as Al Khasan, was a poet from Najd famed for elegies, earning great renown for the eulogy of her brothers Mu’awiyah and Sakhr, both killed in tribal wars. Although not a salonnière, this prestigious 7th century poet fostered a culture of literary criticism and could be found standing in the souq of Okaz and reciting her poetry, publicly pronouncing her views and inviting others to join in the debate on scholarship. She later converted to Islam.
Maryana Marrash (Aleppo)
A poet and writer, Marrash helped revive the tradition of the salon and was an active part of the Nadha movement, or Arab Renaissance. Born to an established family in Aleppo in Ottoman Syria in 1848, Marrash was educated at missionary schools in Aleppo and Beirut at a time when many women did not receive an education. After touring Europe, she began to host salons where writers played chess and cards, competed in the art of poetry, and discussed literature and politics. An accomplished singer and canon player, music and dancing were a part of these evenings.
Princess Nazil Fadil (Cairo)
Princess Nazil Fadil gathered religious, literary and political elite together at her Cairo palace, although she stopped short of inviting women. The princess, a niece of Khedive Ismail, believed that Egypt’s situation could only be solved through education and she donated her own property to help fund the first modern Egyptian University in Cairo.
Mayy Ziyadah (Cairo)
Ziyadah was the first to entertain both men and women at her Cairo salon, founded in 1913. The writer, poet, public speaker and critic, her writing explored language, religious identity, language, nationalism and hierarchy. Born in Nazareth, Palestine, to a Lebanese father and Palestinian mother, her salon was open to different social classes and earned comparisons with souq of where Al Khansa herself once recited.
TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel
SQUAD
Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Adel Al Hosani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammed Barghash, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Hassan Al Mahrami, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Yousef Jaber, Saeed Ahmed, Majed Sorour, Majed Hassan, Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Khalil Al Hammadi, Fabio De Lima, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Ali Saleh, Caio Canedo, Muhammed Jumah, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')
Liverpool 1 (Lallana 84')
Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
The End of Loneliness
Benedict Wells
Translated from the German by Charlotte Collins
Sceptre
The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
Price: Dh13,400,000
On sale: now
THE SPECS
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 275hp at 6,600rpm
Torque: 353Nm from 1,450-4,700rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Top speed: 250kph
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: Dh146,999
Match info:
Real Betis v Sevilla, 10.45pm (UAE)
THE BIO: Mohammed Ashiq Ali
Proudest achievement: “I came to a new country and started this shop”
Favourite TV programme: the news
Favourite place in Dubai: Al Fahidi. “They started the metro in 2009 and I didn’t take it yet.”
Family: six sons in Dubai and a daughter in Faisalabad
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5