Manini, 54, was most recently senior wholesale manager at Bulgari, a company he worked at for almost 25 years. But over the years, he says, work became increasingly challenging and he did not have the same energy he once did. It was time for a change.
No doubt the Maninis had the emotional support of family and friends. But taking the leap of faith was not easy. “Fulvio will be collecting his CPF [Central Provident Fund] this year, so for us to plunge into something like this took a lot of soul--searching and consideration,” explains Fiona.
Manini’s paternal lineage can be traced back to the Bergamo, Lombardy region of northern Italy. In 1915, his architect grandfather built the family house in a village near Bergamo. The family also operated an eatery, Ristorante Manini, on the premises. Family affair
Manini’s paternal lineage can be traced back to the Bergamo, Lombardy region of northern -Italy. In 1915, his architect grandfather, also named Francesco, built the family house in a village near Bergamo. The family also operated an eatery, Ristorante Manini, on the premises. Francesco’s wife Lucia was resident chef. Manini never saw the house, but he remembers his father mentioning it briefly. “My father was born in 1929 in that house, like most of his brothers and sisters. This was the house they lived in, and it was also where they had a restaurant, where my grandmother cooked. “My father grew up with the motto, ‘no men in the kitchen’. Maybe that was his excuse for not helping in the kitchen! They cooked typical things from the north of Italy: polenta, Casoncelli, which is a kind of ravioli dumpling. “When Italy became Fascist, something happened that nobody wants to speak too much about. My father didn’t want to talk too much, because it was a sad time for them. They had to leave the house and go somewhere else. “My family left the village, went to another place [not very far away], and built another house. In the 1950s, my father and his brothers went to seek their fortunes in Switzerland.” Italian identity
Manini was born in La Chaux-de-Fonds and grew up in Switzerland, but he maintains an Italian passport. More importantly, he maintained strong ties to his Italian identity and heritage. “We would go to Italy every year and spend a month holidaying there. We had Italian blood boiling inside.” Food, of course, played a central role in shaping his identity. “I like Swiss food, but I think Italian food is better! I used to enjoy spending time in the kitchen with my mother. She would have the radio on, listening to crime stories. I observed what she was making — things such as home-made gnocchi and béchamel sauce.” But Manini’s interest in cooking had yet to be sparked. His first attempts at cooking, during his teens, were born out of necessity rather than enthusiasm: He had to feed himself while his parents were away. Those early attempts would prove useful later on in life. As a student at the University of Neuchâtel, he shared an apartment with two Swiss friends. Eating out in Switzerland is an expensive affair, so Manini and his flatmates took turns cooking for each other every night. When it came to his turn, Manini would defer to his mother for recipes. From there, his interest in cooking grew. “From my mother’s recipes, I started to add my own touches once I got to know the ingredients, how they tasted and how they interacted together. This is how I created my own recipes.” Eastern promise
Manini joined Bulgari’s watch division, headquartered in Neuchâtel, in 1993. Not one for Switzerland’s temperate climate — “Neuchâtel in winter is awful” — he would often holiday in the tropics. A trip to Thailand one year changed his life forever. “In 1997, I went to Phuket for a holiday and it was fantastic. Back then, it wasn’t like it is today.” He loved Asian food and he found the tropical climate extremely agreeable. A transfer to Bulgari South Asia, headquartered in Singapore, did not seem much of a stretch. In fact, it was the obvious next step in his career — and life. It was also here that he met his wife, Fiona. Fiona still remembers the first dish he cooked for her: chicken and endives with lemon sauce and pepper.
The lasagna pasta is perfectly cooked, not too dry and not too floury. The Bolognese, made of beef and pork, has the right amount of tartness Giving back and moving forward
Now happily ensconced in his new role, Manini has found his true calling — as the self-proclaimed heavy metal chef, in reference to his love for the hardcore music genre (Iron Maiden and Metallica are among his favourite bands). “I feel like this is what I should be doing. I’ve been ‘sleeping’ in a way, not doing what I’m supposed to be doing. This is more me. Who I am as a person. And then, other things will come along,” he says, referring to charity work. Casa MANINI is already planning to give back. Although many enterprises prioritise CSR (corporate social responsibility), it is rare to find new businesses that are such keen advocates from the start.
Prices are reasonable — pasta dishes are around $20, while pizzas cost less than that The Maninis are currently in discussion with Babes Pregnancy Crisis Support, an organisation that reaches out to pregnant teens, to offer cooking classes to the girls. Fiona says: “What they say about helping people is not to give them money, but to teach them a skill. ‘Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; show him how to catch fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.’ Fulvio’s very nurturing, he likes to teach children. He’s not afraid to have someone in the kitchen learning.” The Serangoon Gardens neighbourhood, too, has a strong sense of community, something she is keen to exploit. “I have a lot of friends with kids, and they’re always asking if I can do workshops for kids. So maybe once a month we’ll have an art programme, with all art supplies provided. It could be stringing beads or painting bottles, things that bring the community together.” Manini says: “I would like to do well, but it’s not so much for the money, it’s more about making sure people enjoy themselves.” The menu is a reflection of this philosophy. It features crowd favourites such as lasagna and pizzas. There is also a kid’s menu, reflecting the family-friendly approach. And prices are reasonable — pasta dishes are around $20, while pizzas are less than $20. The most expensive main dish, Australian rib eye, is $29, while the costliest wine, Amarone della Valpolicella, is $110 (all prices are before service charge and GST). The idea is for Casa MANINI to be a place diners can visit on a weekly basis. The Maninis’ neighbour Loo sums it up best: “Casa MANINI — both the home and the restaurant — is warm, comforting and homely.”
Timothy Chiang is a design junkie through and through, believing that everything from a doorknob to an entire building needs to display thoughtful design. He lives for meeting design luminaries. This article appeared in Issue 820 (Mar 5) of The Edge Singapore. Subscribe to The Edge at https://www.theedgesingapore.com/subscribe
