CM: Can you describe to us your career path, what exactly attracted you to cooking and when did you realize that you wanted it to be your vocation?
In the beginning, I never thought I would get this far. I just wanted to be a chef which was the love from my early age. It was fascinating for me to watch the victuals, tomato, fish, meat, when you bring them home from the store and then to see a completely different dish on the plate. I finished school and directed myself to Europe; I worked in hotels, restaurants, at private dinners, made contacts. I went places - Slovenia, Austria, Italy, Greece, Turkey, France. I can freely say I am a “thief”, wherever I was I “stole” something interesting from their kitchen. After 13 years of painstaking work, I have come to where I am now.
CM: When you look back, which experience or moment would you single out as being a turning point of your career?
Every moment in one’s career is important – from the first day when I was peeling potatoes and chopping onion, because this is where you acquire routine and gain speed. But what made me stand out and made a difference is my coming to the world of yachting. I understood that I could not capitalize on my knowledge or express it in this region and on land. When I came to Monaco, the things went upward and many things happened within a short period of time. It is what people call “overnight success”, while in fact it is a result of the years of hard work. When you come to a right place, once people recognize what you do and when they see the love you invest in it, the wheel just starts spinning.
CM: You travelled a lot, but what did you find particularly interesting?
I’d love for every person in the world to have as many stamps in their passports as I do. Every journey brings a new experience, acquaintance, contact. I feel very much tied with nature; Croatian littoral is one of the most beautiful areas of the entire Mediterranean, so is the French Riviera. But if I were to choose one, it would be the island of Corsica. I visited many places, but Corsica for me is a melange of the Mediterranean, quality and nature.
Milan’s plans for the future: From a chef on board yachts to a chef in his own villa
I am working on a book of recipes, but I keep delaying its publishing because I keep learning and developing. Once I feel “this is it” I will publish it. On the other hand, I already have a company Luxury Private Chef, which is into business of private events and yachting. It is not just cooking – it is also networking, staff recruitment, management. We work with luxury clients: Monaco Grand Prix, Cannes Film Festival, perfume events, Hollywood. I am also planning to open a cooking school, perhaps even a restaurant in Montenegro. It is my goal to help young people and share my knowledge. When it comes to my personal plan, in a couple of years I would like to settle down on land and organize private dinners in my own villa. I will continue doing yachting on a temporary basis, but my main focus will be on my own facility and project.
CM: What does a typical work day of yours looks like when you prepare food on board a yacht?
Yachting and the preparation for a work day is similar to the army, discipline is crucial. In order for the coming day to be successful, you need to start organizing it the day before. When you work for clients with “no limit” budget, requests are unbelievable. Breakfast is in Cannes, dinner on Ischia, next morning you are in Portofino. In a matter of few days, you visit three high-class destinations and you need to organize everything, you need to bring the best products from every place you visit. On the one hand, it is a routine since you have to be capable of multitasking and well-organized, and on the other, every day is different. Besides cooking, there is also your private life: tidying your cabin, maintaining hygiene, meetings with the crew. Your work day often extends over 15–20 hours. It happens that the guests ask to have dinner at midnight or at one in the morning. Your day is filled from the very moment you open your eyes till you go to bed.
CM: Can you relate to us some situation from the kitchen, some unforeseen moment like the shortage of spices in the midst of the preparation of meals whilst at sea?
Guests are often unpredictable, so you have to be capable of making something even when not all conditions are met. The experience and my contacts help me a lot today. My other job is networking. Over the years, I have built huge network of people. If I miss something, I call the agent, make a couple of phone calls and in an hour or two or in a day I met what I need. Formerly, when I had still not been skilled enough, there were various problems, shortage of spices, dishes which could not be made, but you can always find a way. Sometimes you replace an ingredient, offer something else. It is important to solve the task. There also situations with celebrity guests, you are on board a yacht, everything goes on smoothly, and all of a sudden you are told that in half an hour a famous football player will come on board. In yachting there are always unexpected situations, it is like in an action movie.
CM: Which dish do you consider your “trademark”, and/or which dish did your guests like most?
On board a yacht you have to be complete chef, you do everything by yourself: pastry, bread-making, meat, fish, cakes, Asian, Japanese, Indian cuisine. Requests are varied. I particularly like and I am good at making pastry, cakes. It is my “secret card”. I always make them with seasonal fruit and produce from the area I am in. If I am in Amalfi, I use their lemon and make citrus-based desserts. In the spring, I use berries, in wintertime whatever is current then. However, my cuisine is exclusively Mediterranean and I am known for it. I also have a nickname, chef Milano Mediterrano. It is my signature: fish, carpaccio, seafood menu.
CM: Have you ever had the opportunity to prepare some Montenegrin speciality for foreigners? What were their reactions?
Although I cook at the guests’ request, my dishes always have a tiny “touch” of Montenegro. I use our olive oil, cheeses, homemade products. This is a way to present myself and my country. Montenegrin cuisine in itself is not big not versatile, it is rather a part of a wider Mediterranean cuisine, similar to Portuguese, Italian, Greek or Croatian. Still, I often present to my guests the things we are famous for, fritters. I often make them for breakfast. People find it interesting since they can eat them as savoury and sweet, with cheese, or with honey and walnuts. Reactions are always excellent.
CM: Your hobby is spearfishing, and when cooking you prefer the Mediterranean cuisine. Are fish specialties those you prepare most often?
- My hobby is spearfishing and diving. Even though it is a hobby, I am a real professional. This is why I like yachting, because I am at sea. I often go for a dive, catch some fish and then cook it immediately to my guests. It is a special attraction and luxury, for chef himself to catch, gut and serve fish to them. The whole process, from the sea to the plate, goes through my hands.
CM: Do you have a message for young people in Montenegro who wish to follow your professional path?
The first and most important thing, you have to love this job. Without love, there is no result. It’s a difficult journey, there is no overnight success. I worked a lot without payment just to acquire knowledge. Young people must travel, see other cuisines and learn. Particularly worrying is the fact that the system in Montenegro is outdated, the books are from Tito’s time, while modern gastronomy has gone miles away from these books. Young people cook without using basic modern techniques, without equipment. This is why I keep saying to them: go out, see the world, learn. Also, do some sport, healthy soul and body are crucial, because cooking is a stressful job. There are many examples of people coming to the world of professional cooking and then end up deep in vices. One needs to choose a healthy balance. And finally, knowledge brings success and money. The more you know, the more you are worth. But, I repeat, there is nothing without love.
