Michele Fernando

The Climb

At Massilia in Bangkok, the head pizzaiolo role belongs to the dough, the oven, and the repeatable standards that hold a service together. Michele Fernando works inside that system, where timing, texture, and temperature are judged piecemeal and without room for drift. His standing as a pizza chef has been built through training and years of moving through kitchens in Europe before bringing that body of work to Thailand. A foundation in precision starts at Ateneo della Pizza, and that base is visible in the rest of Fernando’s path. From there, the craft moved through Ristorante Pizzeria Al Postiglione in Austria and Acqua Azzurra in Austria, then on to San Remo in Germany and Leipzig in Germany. The sequence matters: each stop adds another layer of repetition, technique, and respect for tradition, with the work defined by close control rather than display. That experience now carries through both service and teaching. Michele serves as Pizza Chef Instructor of The Food School and head pizzaiolo of Massilia Bangkok, applying the same standards in the classroom and on the line. In both roles, the emphasis stays on the structure and heritage of Italian pizza, translated into a Bangkok setting without losing its discipline.

Today

At Massilia Bangkok in Thailand, Fernando holds the current role of Head pizzaiolo. The position sits at the center of the restaurant’s pizza program, where consistency is built into daily practice and the pass depends on clean execution. In this kind of work, leadership shows up in repetition: each stretch, each bake, each pie held to the same standard. That outlook is also reflected in the way Fernando frames the recognition attached to his name. The point is not personal display, but the collective work behind the room. As he puts it: "This award is a reflection of Massilia’s commitment to excellence and our mission to bring the true Italian pizza tradition to Thailand."

In Their Words “This award is a reflection of Massilia’s commitment to excellence and our mission to bring the true Italian pizza tradition to Thailand.” Read together, those lines place the work where it belongs: in technique, and in the people who keep the standard consistent. Fernando’s language stays on the task at hand, with the emphasis on team labor, daily service, and the ongoing effort required to keep a pizza program sharp in Bangkok.

Recognition

Michele's honors include Best Pizza Awards 2025, Top 100 Pizza Chefs in the World (#79) (2025). The recognition sits alongside the work, not apart from it. Built from foundational training and international kitchen experience, Michele Fernando’s record now places him at Massilia Bangkok with standards that have been earned step by step and continue to be practiced in the present.