Cooking up opportunities
Manama : Cooking comes first for Susy Massetti as her family had owned a restaurant. Needless to say, by the age of 14 she found time to work at a restaurant after school.
She started her career quite early at her grandmother’s family restaurant in Milan, Italy and married quite young into a well known family of restaurateurs in Milano.
After her divorce, she moved to Tuscany with her brother and opened a small restaurant by the sea. A few years later, she was hired as a personal chef by a Spanish powerful businessperson with whom she travelled extensively, widening her culinary expertise. Eventually she realised that Italy was too small for her.
She then moved to USA for over 10 years where she opened and managed stand-alone restaurant concepts in Georgia, USA. During that time, she was asked to be the talent chef of a cooking show for PBS titled ‘The World is my Oyster’.
After an eventful period in the US, she moved to the Middle East in 2005 and since then to 2009 she had been the only female Executive of a five star hotel in the Middle East.
In 2011, she opened Masso, a fine dining Italian and Southern European restaurant. In 2015, she opened The Orangery, a Middle Eastern influenced Bistro, Tea Room and Patisserie both of which are supported by her Organic Garden in Budaiya.
In late 2015, she was promoted as Operation Manager of the Palace Boutique Hotel.
She was honoured with “Outstanding Contribution Award” by Time Out Bahrain for raising the bar of culinary standards in Bahrain.
Susy’s Achievements
While speaking to Susy Massetti, she expressed how she considers planting a successful dining scene in Bahrain to be a huge success to her.
She said, “I won’t go back in the past and mention the kings, queens and presidents I’ve cooked for. Bahrain is where my work has become relevant, where it has the most value, where I feel I’ve accomplished for what I was born for.”
She further explained on the growing success of the two restaurants. “Masso has been a smashing success and has become an icon in Bahrain dining scene and I’m very proud of that.” “We were the very first restaurant to start the “a la carte” brunch concept. The Orangery is operating since January 2015 and offers a very similar track record, like Masso. We have brought to Bahrain something very different, a high level of uncompromised quality and a unique attention to details and our guests and friends appreciate that,” Susy elaborated.
“We are the only restaurant, or group that has their very own organic garden in the Kingdom,” she added.
Passion to cook
Susy also shared her passion in cooking and excelling in managing the scene of restaurants.
“I believe that food is a trip into the soul of a country and I admit that I live and travel in a continue discovery of culinary treasures. New ingredients or a new technique excite me. I read, research and travel continuously. I’m amazed by the variety, the difference and the similarities you find in the cuisines of the world,” Susy pointed out.
“I love what I do and I can’t call it a job. I have a team of dedicated wonderful people who feel far more like a family than anything else and I’m paid for, how lucky am I?” she asked.
“I do not have necessary role model besides my mother. To the young or not so young apprentices out there I would like to simply say be yourself, be humble, be curious and have fun!” she advised.
The Palace Boutique Hotel
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