Queridos Ladies and Gentelmen,
We are MYSYBARITAS your Spanish Gourmet Food Store in Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, today we have asked Chef Gabriel
Bonnin, to tell us a bit about himself and what he does here:
Hi Folks!
My name is Gabriel Bonnin and I' m Spanish, from a small town in Mallorca, Spain called Felanitx. A charming place very close to the sea, beaches and mountains.
Welcome to our space where we offer different concepts to taste and savour MYSYBARITAS gourmet delicacies so that you can enjoy a unique experience with a Spanish soul.
Since I can remember I always wanted to be a Chef, I started to take my first steps in the kitchen at home when I was very young helped by my grandmother and my mother. I have been working professionally in kitchens since I was 17 years old, that means 21 years now!
I studied at the "Juniper Serra" culinary school in Palma de Mallorca for four years, where I was taught to understand, love and respect this beautiful profession.
I took my first steps in the professional kitchen in a small and charming French restaurant near my home. Chef Gerard and Chef Vincent, two French chefs marked me forever in the way I understand cooking: work, more work, perfection and humility. They don't appear in magazines or on television or even have any mention in the Michelin guide books. But that does not mean that they are less important, I keep a great memory of that time.
After finishing Culinary School, I had an internship in my first Michelin-starred restaurant, run by a popular Basque chef on the island, Koldo Royo. In his restaurant of the same name, I learned how hard it is to work at these level, endless working days, stress to the max, some days I didn't even have time to eat. And I have to admit, for the first time in my short professional
career, I thought about quitting. "Who wants to work 14 hours a day?" "When do I go to see my family and friends?" "Why is the Chef so demanding on me?" These were all questions that went through my mind.
Today I still don't know how, but I took strength from my weakness and continued in that restaurant until I finished my internship. Today I thank my past self for that effort that was my first step on my professional path.
Soon after I decided to go to work in Madrid, that summer in 2005, I met a famous chef in Mallorca, he was on holiday on the island. Sergi Arola is his name, at that time he ran one of the most famous and acclaimed restaurants in Spain, La Broche. I didn't hesitate and asked him to please let me go to work with him, I didn't care if he didn't pay me any salary. I just wanted to learn from him and know what it felt like to work in a two Michelin star restaurant. He accepted and
a few months later I was already working in his restaurant. If I thought my previous experience at Koldo Royo had been hard.... But the one at La Broche was by far the toughest! Everything was twice as hard, but as I already had some experience in this, I adapted quickly and a few months later I was offered a contract. I started out as a kitchen assistant and a few years later I became the head chef.
My Asian adventure began almost three years ago when I arrived to Singapore, with my friend Jose Alonso. He had created a Spanish cuisine restaurant called Tapas Club and needed Chefs to expand that concept. I didn't think much about it and accepted that job offer. A few months later my company sent me to Malaysia to open one of the restaurants in Pavilion Shopping Mall, I have to confess that at first I didn't like the idea of coming to Malaysia very much, I had never been here before and I guess I was a little afraid of the unknown.
But honestly I have to be grateful for coming, I love Malaysia, its people, the food, the way they understand life and I have made great friends here.
And here we are, embarking on this New adventure with MYSYBARITAS, so far my most personal project, where both Aida and I are putting all the love and care possible into making you taste and travel to Spain without leaving Malaysia.
We offer, several ways to show you what you can do with MYSYBARITAS Gourmet Products from dinners to Spanish cooking classes and private events. Where we present you how to taste and live a genuinely Spanish experience.
Our showroom is worth seeing and enjoying, so....don't hesitate to contact us.
Are you ready for a full Spanish experience?
I hope you enjoyed the article!
Be First Class!