When Cristian Folletti talks about pasta, his eyes light up and he gesticulates even more animatedly than ever. A relative newcomer to the chef scene, Cristian had already learned a lot from his aunt in Italy, who is also a chef, so that when he went to culinary school, what he was learning was really the ‘why’ behind the ‘how’. I sat down with Cristian, his girlfriend, Olivia and his Executive Chef, Karan Negi at the Melbourne Marriott Hotel for a chat. Olivia darted around taking photos of us all and Karan also contributed to the conversation, but I was particularly fascinated by Cristian’s obvious delight in being a chef, and his very clear passion for pasta. Once the interview was over, Cristian, Olivia and I kept talking, they invited me over for dinner and I left the Marriott feeling as though I had made two lovely new friends. How great!