Mario Kesemeyer
In this interview, Mario Kesemeyer tells of the journey that took him to Malaysia and his current position as executive chef at Gesuto.
What do you do?
I am a chef and consultant. Currently, I’m the executive chef at Gesuto in TTDI.
How did you get into the industry?
My grandfather was a baker and pastry chef. That inspired me to do my Ausbildung (a 3-year German Education Certificate) in Pastry Culinary, and voila! I entered the F&B world. After my Education in Pastry, I had planned to enter more to the savoury side/ kitchen to cover all sections of the culinary arts. I held stations in 5-star hotels, fine dining restaurants, and several Michelin Starred restaurants in Hamburg, Munich, with TV celebrity chefs and mentors. I had different experiences with French, Japanese, modern Nordic and Italian cuisines. I came to Malaysia in 2016 to explore new challenges. I was supported by my Malaysian uncle and family. I decided to stay longer and joined YTL Hotels – JW Marriott & Ritz Carlton. For the past two years, I have been able to pursue my interest in Japanese and European flavours with our Japanese fusion concept with my great team and partners at Gesuto. We serve our guests in a modern casual fine dining setting.
Share with us a story from behind the scenes.
In April 2010, during my enjoyable time working with Grand Elysée Hotel in Hamburg, we were planning and preparing a catering event for 2000 people for a pre-UEFA World Cup Conference. Just one day before the conference started, and after preparing a lot, there came the news that the conference was cancelled due to the eruption of a volcano in Iceland. No guests could fly in! We didn’t know if we had to be happy or sad. We started packing all the food to send for donations. And guess what? With the rest, we had a memorable staff party.
What’s a food memory from your childhood or travels that stands out?
My first experience of Japanese food. I was eight years old when we travelled to Malaysia for a three week holiday. We ate at a teppanyaki restaurant. I was amused and entertained by the chefs’ cooking skills, the show and the ingredients used.
What’s the best/ worst part of your job?
Tasting the newly created dishes is the best part.
The not so pleasant part is that we are working when most people are off – mainly during festivities.
Mario Kesemeyer’s favourite food and beverage pairing?
Bratkartoffeln (German roasted potatoes) and ice-chilled beer! German blood. Can’t help it!
What’s one of the funniest things you’ve seen behind the scenes?
In 2012 during my tenure with a Michelin-Starred restaurant in Hamburg, I planned to take some inventory. I went to the storeroom to check some nougat. The nougat carton was on one of the top shelves. Seems that the nougat was softened a bit, and the packaging was loosened in a way. As I tried to pull the carton, the whole nougat poured on me and here it was, a Nutella man, a sweet and yummy boy.
The perfect day off would be…
A day on a beach or pool with friends, relaxing, sunbathing with yummy food.
A day in the life of chef Mario Kesemeyer is…
Hectic. With a lot of advance planning and coordination. We are flexible for any last-minute requests or changes. Interaction and feedback from our guests are important for us. It’s great to meet new people and talk about our concept or food. As a chef, you make people happy with your food. The talent and passion as shown in your dishes.
What do you do for fun?
Try the food at other restaurants and explore Kuala Lumpur with friends and family.
What’s something you’d like guests to know about Gesuto?
Gesuto is a casual fine dining place with a Japanese fusion theme. Gesuto has not failed to inspire its guests with its quality and creativity behind each dish. The team comprises passionate chefs and service staff; supremely talented and hardworking. We at Gesuto work dynamically to materialize our ideas by introducing new dishes every month.
How has the pandemic changed you, your perspective, or how you operate?
The pandemic has broadened our horizon and definition of a restaurant from being a merely dine-in place. We had to adapt swiftly to customize a take-away menu for the big Gesuto fans who couldn’t dine in anymore and establish other communication channels. We have learned to be quick and flexible with all these changes, should there be another lock-down. As I feel the pandemic made us even stronger to work on our DNA as many restaurants closed and new ones opened. With our food quality, flavours and service at the restaurant after months closed, we are able to bring new and known guests back to visit us.
What’s something you’d like people to know about being a Chef as a profession?
A chef is an artist. A chef goes through a journey for days or even months for a dish to be born. Creativity and patience are fundamental requirements for this job. And make sure you have strong legs to stand for long hours every day.
What’s your view on the F&B scene in KL?
There are a lot of creative concepts out there. KL being cosmopolitan offers a lot of varieties. I am happy that we at Gesuto play an important role in KL in introducing contemporary culinary arts to KL netizens. Something unique about KL/Malaysia is that, unlike Germany, France, Japan and many other countries, Michelin-Star guides are not introduced here. So, the people (guests) are the ones rating the restaurants and rank them according to their experience. It’s great to see that The Yum List is helping both diners and business owners by giving deeper, more professional and honest feedback to restaurants.
What practices do you currently implement or hope to implement in the future to work towards social responsibility and sustainability?
Gesuto has played a part in giving a helping hand to victims of natural disasters. The recent one was our participation in sending food and essential needs to those affected by the flood in Klang and Shah Alam. As much as possible, we try to work with local suppliers for certain items (e.g. organic vegetables) to support Malaysian Businesses.
What’s in store for you in the upcoming months?
We have recently started our Japanese fusion Afternoon Tea and our premium menu. This year Gesuto is offering a memorable evening on Valentine’s Day with our special Valentine’s Menu and live band! For the upcoming months, we are looking into having more dynamic engagement with our guests. Please stay tuned for our forthcoming menus and events.
Find more interviews similar to this one with Mario Kesemeyer here, and stay up to date with the latest food and beverage happenings in KL here.
Wowww!!! He sure has been around, looks really young. LOL!!! A Nutella boy, that’s cute!
He is the best what ever he cook is absolute perfect