People Who Rock Hong Kong: Meet Chef Fred Sistelo From Mr Wolf

Offering fabulous European food in Central, popular plates at Mr Wolf include steak tartare with soy-cured egg yolk and house-made crackers, grilled Galician pork chop and aged Spanish duck breast – and they also do a delicious Sunday roast, with the option to choose two meats from three mouthwatering choices: roast beef with horseradish, crackling pork belly and roast chicken leg with bread sauce.

If you haven’t swung by Mr Wolf yet, check out their great menu. Just fancy a drink? They have an extensive cocktail list, including wolf-themed mixes like White Fang and Nighteyes! Got a big celebration coming up? You can book the terrace, main dining hall and more.

Read on and get to know chef and dog lover Fred Sistelo…

How long have you lived in Hong Kong?
I’ve lived here for six years now. We live in SoHo, because everything is convenient and all our friends are close so it’s easy to catch up and is a great are to walk our dog.

Are you a parent? If so, how many kids do you have?
No kids for now, we have a beautiful dog.

Tell us about you
I’m a Portuguese chef that loves to cook and in my spare time like to try different types of cuisine.

What are three of your favorite things to do in the city? Any secret finds?
I love the fact that Hong Kong has its big green side, despite being a urban jungle with so many buildings literally on top of each other, there are a lot of mountains and green areas to explore around, so hiking is one of my favorite things to do.

Being a chef, and passionate about food, I always like to search for the local restaurants, those that you have to put your “siu siu” Cantonese into action.

One of my favorite places would be Tai Long Wan, I love that in such a short period of time you can be in such a paradise-like beach, not to mention the waterfalls.

In my fridge, you’ll always find…
Eggs, minced garlic and chocolate, those three for sure. Eggs are very versatile, there are so many options. Garlic, it’s almost part of Portugal. And chocolate, just because…

What is the best gift you have ever received and why?
The best gift of my life was marrying my best friend.

When I feel the need to be inspired, I love to…
To be honest, I think with the years passing in this profession, I find myself thinking about new creations all the time, although one place I really like to go is to the fish and veggies local market and source seasonal products.

What is the best book you’ve read in the past 12 months?
Anthony Bourdain, Down and Out in Paradise.

What is one place that means a lot to you and why?
Have to be Porto, where I’m from in Portugal. Growing up there was very special, I have great memories with my friends and family.

In another life, I would be…
If I can choose I’d be a dog!

What words of wisdom would you pass down to your younger self?
Follow your passion, believe in yourself, do the work, be brave, and trust the process.