STEFANO VERRILLO

Restaurant: Marco Polo Plaza Cebu Best sellers: Eggplant Parmigiana, Ravioli, Risotto Porcini, Tiramisu

Profile: Chef Stefano Verrillo was born in Italy, raised in Switzerland, and has lived in Australia, Bermuda, and Malaysia, just to name a few of the countries that he has worked in. His travels have played a tremendously important role in his culinary career, as it was the exposure to different cultures, and how these cultures treated food, that made him realize his passion for cooking. He cites Southeast Asian and classical French as two of his favorite cuisines, but considers traditional Italian to be closest to his heart, pointing out that, as much as possible, he makes dishes “the way an Italian momma would do them.” After holding kitchen jobs all over the world for roughly three decades, he has finally decided to settle down in the Philippines with his wife and two children. He now holds the prestige of being Marco Polo Plaza Cebu’s executive chef, and, in the process, exposes this island to the different flavors of the world.