Since competing on season 10 of MasterChef Australia, things have been nonstop for Aldo Ortado.
He’s appeared in numerous television cooking segments, and opened pop up restaurants in Sydney. With his return to the MasterChef kitchen imminent, Ortado told The Latch in a Q&A that he has “paused his job for the moment”.
“I do love hospitality and running Giro Osteria,” he said, adding: “I’m going to miss all my beautiful customers and friends.”
If there’s one thing Ortado wants his fellow competitors to know, it’s that he’s got his eyes on the prize. Ortado is back to win.
Food has always been one of Ortado’s great loves, and his favourite food memory is of his big family “all reunited on a Sunday long lunch around [his] nonna’s table.”
In fact, shared dining experiences were a major key to Ortado’s childhood.
Growing up in the Italian province of Bacoli, Ortado would cherish his nonna’s cooking, which he recalls was always about using the freshest ingredients.
After studying statistics in Rome for four years, Ortado moved to Australia in 2013 in pursuit of new adventures and opportunities. Soon, he began working for an event and catering business as a food attendant on the floor, which eventually led him to take on the role of restaurant manager at Giro Osteria, a local Italian restaurant.
With the COVID restrictions as they’ve been over the past few years, Ortado has been longing for the opportunity to return to his home country, where his extended family still reside.
In the meantime, though, he has his husband Mark with him in Australia, to cheer him on while he embarks on his second MasterChef adventure. The couple met in early 2014, and tied the knot in 2020.
As for what’s next, Ortado hope to one day open his own café and restaurant, which would specialise in southern Italian food. His vision is to have a place that has a relaxed feel during the day but transforms into a fine dining experience at night.
He hopes to create a space that makes customers feel like they’ve just arrived home.
MasterChef Australia premieres at 7.30pm on April 18, 2022, only on 10 and 10 Play on Demand.
Want more MasterChef Australia? Read here.
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