Restaurant openings
From feasibility and concept to soft opening: a practical launch plan for new restaurants in Singapore and across Asia.
Gastronomy Consultant
Heritage
refined.
Hospitality
reimagined.
Twenty-three years across European and Asian kitchens, translating culinary identity into memorable food, disciplined teams and commercially strong restaurants.
SingaporeEst. 2003
23+Years in professional kitchens
6Countries across Europe and Asia
463Pages in the signature cookbook
6Core consulting disciplines
01 — The Chef
Precision with
a point of view.
Djordjo Cetkovic is a Serbian gastronomy consultant based in Singapore.
His cooking is grounded in the generosity of Balkan and Mediterranean tables, sharpened by more than two decades of international restaurant experience. His career has moved through Serbia, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Portugal and Singapore — each place adding technique, discipline and a deeper understanding of hospitality.
Today, as Executive Chef at Pano Kato, he leads with clarity: strong flavours, honest ingredients, disciplined execution and a kitchen culture where standards are understood, not merely announced.
Singapore is also home. Married to Singaporean Masziana Ali Cetkovic, Djordjo’s life connects Serbia and Singapore on a deeply personal level. Through food, professional exchange and community relationships, he works to strengthen understanding between the two countries and to represent Serbia with dignity, openness and pride.
His ambassadorial message reaches beyond cuisine: Serbia is a country of culture, education and remarkable historical depth. The Vinča culture, one of Southeast Europe’s most important prehistoric civilisations, flourished millennia before the Egyptian pyramids. By sharing this wider story, Djordjo aims to replace outdated stereotypes with curiosity, respect and genuine connection.
“A memorable restaurant is built when identity, people and discipline move in the same direction.”
Djordjo Cetkovic Executive Chef
The person behind the journey
My wife.
My greatest support.
Masziana Ali Cetkovic is the steady presence beside every demanding service, new beginning and international chapter.
Her support gives strength to a life built between Serbia and Singapore. Together, we believe that respect, family and genuine hospitality are the foundations of every lasting achievement.
“Behind every professional journey is someone who believes in it before the world sees the result.”
Culinary philosophy
Rooted in memory.
Built for now.
Tradition is not a museum piece. It is a living language — one that can be respected, questioned and expressed with contemporary technique.
- 01 Flavour before fashion
- 02 Discipline without losing soul
- 03 Hospitality as a complete experience
02 — Consulting
From vision
to service.
Practical advisory for Singapore restaurant owners, investors and hospitality groups — from feasibility, kitchen budget and menu development to opening, training and daily performance.
Concept & menu
A distinct culinary identity and executable menu shaped by local demand, seasonality, speed of service and guest appeal.
Kitchen budget & design
Equipment planning, production flow, staffing assumptions and capital priorities aligned with the business model.
Food cost & systems
Recipe costing, yields, purchasing controls, waste management, SOPs and quality standards that protect margin.
Team training
Hands-on station training, leadership coaching, service simulations and clear standards for confident kitchen teams.
Operational recovery
Focused audits and corrective plans for restaurants facing inconsistent food, slow service, high cost or weak structure.
Planning a restaurant in Singapore or strengthening an existing operation?
Request a consultation ↗03 — Career
A journey across
cultures and kitchens.
Executive Chef
Pano Kato — Mediterranean restaurant leadership, menu direction and operations.
Culinary Ambassador
Representing Serbian culinary heritage and building professional bridges across Asia.
Worldchefs Community
Active participation in the global culinary community, including Worldchefs Congress & Expo 2024.
Professional Foundation
A career shaped through Serbia, Austria, Switzerland, Germany and Portugal before Singapore.
Chef’s Field Notes
Principles behind
the precision.
Practical ideas developed through twenty-three years of opening kitchens, leading teams and serving guests across Europe and Asia.
01 · Flavour
Season in layers
Build seasoning through the process. Salt should reveal flavour, not announce itself at the end.
02 · Texture
Create contrast
A memorable plate needs tension: crisp against tender, bright against rich, warm against cool.
03 · Service
Design for the pass
A dish is only successful when the team can reproduce it beautifully during the busiest service.
04 · Leadership
Make standards visible
Show the result, explain the reason and repeat the standard until excellence becomes habit.
05 · Costing
Cost every component
Profit is protected in grams, yields and waste control — never by compromising the guest experience.
06 · Identity
Edit with courage
Remove anything that does not strengthen the story. Clarity is the foundation of a signature style.
✦
“The recipe is the map. Technique is the vehicle. The chef’s judgement decides where the journey ends.”
Signature repertoire
Bold flavours.
Quiet confidence.
A personal culinary language connecting Balkan memory, Mediterranean generosity and contemporary restaurant craft.
01 · Fire
Beef · Ember · Jus
Depth, restraint and the clean power of open-fire cooking.
02 · Heritage
Lamb · Herb · Earth
Mediterranean warmth interpreted with modern precision.
03 · Hospitality
The Shared Table
Food designed for conversation, generosity and return visits.
HERITAGE ✦ PRECISION ✦ HOSPITALITY ✦ LEADERSHIP ✦ HERITAGE ✦ PRECISION ✦ HOSPITALITY
Worldchefs · Singapore 2024International representation
Serbian roots.
Asian perspective.
Serving as a culinary ambassador for Serbia in Asia, Djordjo champions the country’s food heritage while building connections through the international chef community.
Culinary Federation of SerbiaAmbassador for Asia
Association of Chefs of SerbiaProfessional community
Worldchefs / WACSInternational culinary network
Professional culinary network
Built through
people and craft.
Professional relationships shaped through education, hospitality and the international competition community.
Cultural connections
Hospitality beyond
the kitchen.
Encounters with distinguished Serbian artists whose work carries Serbian culture to audiences at home and abroad.
04 — The Signature Book
The Djordjo Cetkovic Collection · English edition
The Executive
Chef’s Cookbook
A 463-page culinary journey through Serbian heritage, Greek and Mediterranean hospitality, artisan charcuterie and modern fine dining.
✦ Recipes for 4◇ Complete methods◎ Nutrition per person
Written as a working chef’s book: full ingredients, careful preparation, service notes and practical guidance shaped by more than two decades in professional kitchens.
05 — Selected Work
On the plate.
Behind the pass.
Competition, representation, restaurant craft and dishes guided by one standard: every detail must earn its place.
06 — Public Record
Verified professional presence.
Selected international projects
Build a restaurant
with a point of view.
Restaurant openings · Kitchen budgets · Menu engineering · Food cost · SOPs · Team training
Start a conversation ↗djordjocetkovic8@gmail.com