Dimitri Rosli, Chef de Cuisine, Delia Wines & Bistro

Dimitri Rosli

Dimitri Rosli, chef de cuisine at Delia Wines & Bistro, shares how he became a chef and some challenges behind the scenes.

What do you do and how did you get into the industry?

Well for starters, the first part of that question is easy. At the end of the day, title aside, I’m a cook. And there’s no need faffing about that. Although if I’m being frank, it still feels a bit odd calling myself one, a ‘cook’, let alone a ‘chef’. 

That being said, it then brings us to the second part, the how’. That’s the interesting bit, or at least some people think so. You see, I’ve never been to culinary school. My background in cooking is me graduating from the “University of Cookbooks and YouTube”. Because technically and professionally speaking… I’m a lawyer (*cue the disappointing rants from all the traditional Asian mothers and fathers). Anyway, I’ve been cooking as a pastime since I was 19. It was the one thing that really made me feel grounded. The plan was to enter culinary school right after becoming a lawyer but well…COVID-19 happened.

Nevertheless, I found myself where I am now with a little bit of luck, and I’m truly grateful for that. So, I guess everything happens for a reason. I’m nowhere near where I want to be, both knowledge and skill-wise, but as they say, ‘all in good time’. 

Share with us an interesting story from behind the scenes.

We meet all sorts of people and with that comes all sorts of interesting stories …most of which I should not say. I think it would be rather cheeky for me to share any, so I best keep my mouth shut before I get into any trouble. 

What’s a food memory from your childhood or travels that stands out?

That would be my grandmother’s clear chicken soup. It was always a staple at every dinner at her place. Thinking about it, it was some chicken parts, a few vegetables and one or two spices. There really wasn’t much to it, but broth… the broth that came out of her stockpot was absolutely amazing—every single time. Mother still makes her version of it, and it’s close, but it just doesn’t make the cut, and I’m nowhere near the broth of either of them. 

From my travels? The pigeon from Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. One of the best things I’ve ever had in my life. 

What’s the best/ worst part of your job?

The best part is that I finally get to spend almost every day doing something I love, which I’m passionate about. I used to do that nearly every day whilst I was away at university, cook. When I came back and started my pupillage, I barely stepped into my own kitchen. I think I can still count the number of times I did cook over that year on my fingers. Ah well, the past is the past. As for the worst part I suppose, which is a bit of a paradox, I am too spending almost every day doing the thing I love to do. It comes with a lot of loss on all ends and self-sacrifice. Still, if you’d ask me if I’d do all of this all over again knowing what I know now about the industry? I’d say yes in a heartbeat. 

Dimitri Rosli’s favourite food and beverage pairing?

This changes with my mood, but at this very moment, it would be a spicy and oily pad thai, washed down with an ice-cold Thai iced tea. 

What’s one of the craziest things you’ve seen behind the scenes?

A very drunk customer tried to knock me out because I told him we don’t serve a mignonette with our oysters. Needless to say, he now rues that very day. We now call him the ‘Onion Man’. 

The perfect day off would be…

Catching the perfect sunset by the beach on a windy day; either alone with a book or with my small, and I mean tiny, circle of close friends over a barbecue. That’s definitely my go-to. I can’t think of anything better than that. Not at the moment at least. But that’s definitely going to be hard to beat. 

A day in the life of a chef is…

‘Efficiency’. If you’re not efficient with the way you run your kitchen, the whole system comes crumbling down. You’re always thinking about different ways to get everything done on time and in a particular order. It’s like clockwork, and your mind is a bunch of never-ending gears, constantly rotating. At the end of the day, it is more mentally draining than it is physically. So, you’ve really got to love what it is you’re doing. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck in a rut. 

What does Dimitri Rosli do for fun?

Cooking’s always been what I did for fun, but since that’s become part of my job now (don’t get me wrong it’s still fun), a good waterfall hike every now and then hits the spot. As long as it’s nature-orientated and has a view, or a water feature, or a bonus – both.  

What’s something you’d like people to know about being a chef as a profession?

There’s too much honestly. But if I could grab one from the back of my head right now, it would be that ‘good things take time‘. We do almost everything here from scratch, and that’s why we take the time we take and charge the prices we charge. Whether it be the scrambled eggs we do in the morning that take 20 minutes or the beef cheeks for the Plat du Jour that takes two days. There are so many little in-between steps, unknown to most consumers that we have to go through to get to these final results. So, yeah, I think that’s what’s still not yet appreciated nor comprehended by some. Hence, just like many other restaurants emerging nowadays, we make an effort to explain these things to the customers whenever necessary. 

What’s your view on the food/drink scene in KL?

I’m 50:50 on this one. You have so many excellent emerging cafes, bistros and restaurants that have come up over the past couple of years. These guys really know what they’re doing, and they do it so well. And on that note, there’s a lot more hope that I have now for it than I used to years ago. On the other note, there is the other half, the ‘Instagram-able’ cafes and restaurants where you go for the scenery only, nothing more… The service and ambience are great but the food sub-par, sometimes trash. But some people don’t mind as long as they get that pretty picture, and over time they forget what good food actually is. The sad thing about this is that this then becomes a gold standard for most people who don’t know, and it spreads like wildfire. I’ll stop here for now. Otherwise, I’ll write a book by the time I’m done with this question. 

What’s in store for you in the upcoming months?

Lots and lots of new recipes, with some returning favourites, of course. Snails are going to be on the breakfast menu for a wee bit. So, I guess that’s something to look out for. 

Find more interviews similar to this one with chef Dimitri Rosli here. And, stay up to date with the latest food and beverage happenings in KL here.