He prepared food for stars like David Beckham and Ashley Cole. Fashion designer Giorgio Armani was his regular guest. Rihanna and her entourage feasted on his burgers in the middle of the night. But for chef Hari Shetty, reaching for the stars means something else.
As a child, Indian-born and raised Shetty often found himself in the kitchen of his father's restaurant. There the chef let him taste all kinds of different dishes and his passion for food grew. To pay for his studies in hotel management, he took a job at the world-famous five-star hotel in Mumbai, where he learned Eastern values from a Japanese teppanyaki chef. “The discipline of Japanese cooking is what made me what I am today, because in the restaurant business, if you don’t have discipline, you cannot be successful. You need to be in time for work, your knives need to be sharp, the kitchen needs to be clean, you need to look clean yourself, when you cut the fish, respect the product. That is what I tell all my chefs”.
Starting to reach for the stars – his career
Shetty mastered his knowledge of Japanese cuisine in London, where he worked at the world famous Michelin star restaurant Nobu at the age of 21. After a few years, he became the head chef and also supported other Nobu restaurants worldwide. Ten years later he moved to Amsterdam to become the executive chef of restaurants MOMO and Izakaya, among others. And another ten successful years later it was time for his own business. Together with his partner Ori Geller, Shetty found the perfect location in the imposing Valley, a sustainable and innovative building on Amsterdam's Zuidas. “There was no infrastructure, no water, no electricity, no exhaust system, there was nothing. It was just an empty shell, which was actually good news because that gave us full control”. They opened Nela in summer 2022.
Knowing what matters – his uncompromising urge for quality
Because of his wide experience with opening restaurants, Shetty knows exactly what is needed and what he wants. “It’s super important that everything works in the way that it should. That is why I am very strict in what I want. I don’t compromise when it comes to technical things. You can buy furniture every two or three months. Sofa’s you can change, but you have to be able to rely on your machines. That’s why I use Hoshizaki ice machines, Rational combi steamers and MEIKO glasswashers and dishwashers. These are the standard products I work with, in any restaurant that I open. I have worked with MEIKO for so many years now and I feel really comfortable with their machines and services. If there is a problem, which rarely happens, I call and it is solved immediately. It’s easy, it’s no headache, it’s a no-brainer. I don’t have to worry or think about it and I can concentrate on what I am good at”.
MEIKO dealer GHI installed two M-iClean U glasswashers and one M-iClean H hood type machine in Nela’s dishwashing area and takes care of the maintenance.
Reaching for the real stars – co-workers and guests
The name Nela means “pure”. Purity can be found throughout the entire restaurant: from live fire cooking to the natural and raw materials of the interior. In combination they create a warm and homely atmosphere. A week after the opening, Nela was nominated for an Entree Award in the Best New Restaurant Design category. What a great boost and recognition! Maybe a Michelin star in the future? “I respect the institute of Michelin, but it is not our aim. If the people who work here feel like home and if the people who come and eat here feel like coming back, that’s like reaching for the stars and actually being able to touch them. Truly satisfying.”
