The vibrant story of Chef Roberto Fortuno’s humble beginnings started when his grandmother taught him how to cook Asian and Spanish cuisines. His passion for cooking made a remarkable culinary journey.
His innate love for cooking turned out to be an avenue to help him support his education during his college years. While pursuing his formal education, he became a working student and started as a kitchen staff, then was promoted to supervisor at well-known food chains in the Philippines. He then eventually handled restaurants as a sushi sous chef and sous chef. When Chef Roberto graduated from college, it was the same year that he realized to build his international career as a professional cook.
Job hunting back then took a lot of work, he recalled. There were selections of vacancies from international agencies, but he wanted to propel his career path in UAE. 2006 was his biggest break when he finally moved to Dubai and joined a global company. However, he faced unexpected things, such as being offered a job that didn’t match his experiences back home. His determination to pursue his dreams would not stop from this uncertainty, he thought to himself.
Patience is the most valuable virtue one can build throughout life. Since he loved meeting and greeting people, he met a British lady that offered him to be a sous pastry chef, which paved the way for him to work at Mama Thani Coffee Shop as an executive chef.
With enough knowledge, Chef Roberto climbed the ladder of the corporate world. He became a chef consultant for a company that deals with sunflower oil. There, he learned the finer details of business operations.
Chef Roberto knew that working in the kitchen would always be in his heart. To fill the void, he joined Ritz Carlton Hotel, where he worked full-time and part-time jobs. He realized that more demanding assignments and designations would lead to more learning.
It led him to his current job as a chef consultant for KITOPI, a managed cloud kitchen platform that partners with restaurants to grow their business and expand their delivery reach. His current profession has also paved the way for him to become the only Filipino and a culinary judge certified by Worldchefs, a global network of chefs’ associations. He is also a member of the Young Chefs Committee at the Emirates Culinary Guild, an association of professional chefs and organizations dedicated solely to advancing culinary art in the UAE.
In his current employment, Chef Roberto leads a powerful team whose mission is to satisfy the world and its appetite through their over 200 F&B brands and restaurants across five countries. He and his team help run restaurants with their operations efficiently with an in-house operating system that enables their partners to grow their business and expand their delivery reach.
“Working overseas is a dream. Financial security is the number one reason,” he said, noting that being exposed to different cultures, especially in the culinary field, gave him the opportunity to broaden and unleash his potential as a chef.
Chef Roberto never stopped learning. Despite having a full-time job, he still enrolled in a culinary school and secured another degree from a known university in the Philippines.
When asked about his plans for the future, he said he wanted to put up his own company and apply what he learned.
“I want to give also my best support to the young chefs here in the UAE as part of the core group. Remembering how I started, I want to share with others, especially those young and hardworking Filipino chefs, and inspire them to make it to the international arena,” he added.
The seasoned chef advised his fellow Filipinos abroad to always look at the bright side of any challenges.
“Challenges overseas are not permanent, hence pursue your biggest dreams, and do not let discouragement stop you. Hustle and earn big abroad but make sure to prioritize better things,” he said.
“Multiply your skills and make sure to give back,” he added.