Not Here to Yell—Here to Build

Building the kitchen he never had—with soul, patience, and respect.


Thyago Rocha Sanches de Oliveira

I didn’t grow up dreaming of becoming a chef. I grew up learning how to survive. After my father passed away, it was just me and my mom. I was only eight or nine, staying home alone while she worked, cooking lunch for myself, doing the dishes, cleaning the house. That’s how I learned to care for myself, for a home, and eventually, for others.

 

At 12, I was already working as an office boy. By 18, I was flipping burgers at McDonald’s while studying at university. I studied physiotherapy, earned my degree, and even started building a life in that world. Still, when it came time to choose postgraduate programs in physiotherapy, I surprised everyone, including myself, and enrolled in a culinary course. That was the first leap. I was broke, so I picked up commercial modeling gigs, taught Aikido, and did some theater to make ends meet. It didn’t make sense on paper, but it made sense in my gut. Years later, I would go on to train in Italy, cook in Michelin-starred restaurants in Switzerland, teach gastronomy at a university in Brazil, and take my creativity to MasterChef and beyond.

 

One of the first kitchens I worked in was in Brazil. I was still a student when I answered an ad on Orkut for a head chef at a small buffet restaurant. I had no idea what I was doing, but I showed up confidently and learned as I went. That hustle, that energy, never left me.

 

Later, I took an internship in Piedmont at a restaurant perched on top of a hill. It was beautiful, demanding, and relentless. The real challenge wasn’t the technique; it was the isolation, the unpaid labor, the grueling hours with barely a day off. Eventually, I left in search of better working conditions and found a new opportunity in Switzerland. Despite the chef’s desire to hire me and my wife, a pastry student at the time, the human resources department refused because we held South American passports. That rejection stung. It still does.

 

Australia came next. I arrived with no job, no connections, just my wife and me. Within a week, I was scrubbing grease off a range hood while missing the last bus home. That moment lit a fire in me. I told myself that one day I’d be cleaning my own kitchen—and I did. I returned to Brazil, ran hotel kitchens, became a professor, and found my rhythm again. During the pandemic, I started plating again. Something clicked. My creativity surged, and I shared it online. My audience grew organically from 2,000 to 10,000, just from the joy of plating.

 

Now, I live in Perth and work at @tucciperth under Chef Chris Taylor, a creative force who believes in me. I’m grateful for that support, especially in an industry where work visas and bureaucracy can chip away at your spirit. Some days, I think about leaving the kitchen. But I find strength in meditation, nature, and conversations with myself and God. I still have something to say.

 

My cooking philosophy is simple: do the best you can with what you have. Reinvent constantly. Keep your head down and your knife on the board. I don’t believe in yelling or cruelty in the kitchen. I believe in building teams that work like families and creating experiences that merge food, music, and soul. I’ve paid out of my own pocket for musicians when restaurant owners didn’t see the value. I’ve driven my staff to and from work during transit strikes. I’ve made mistakes, sure. But I believe in showing up for people, including myself.

 

After MasterChef, I went through burnout and depression. I was eliminated early and thought I’d ruined two years of preparation. I isolated myself. I drank too much. I lost my sense of purpose. But eventually, I found my way back—not because someone handed it to me, but because I reached for it. Even on the hardest days, I know this work matters. I may not have a trophy, but I have something better: respect from my students, admiration from my team, and the knowledge that my story inspires others to keep going.

 

I love the energy of restaurants, the way they breathe and pulse like living things. But I also know their dark side. The injuries, the addictions, the exploitation, the long hours without dignity. We have to do better. I make videos, share what I’ve learned, and try to be the kind of leader who listens. I want to leave this industry better than I found it. That might not be the fastest path to fame, but it’s the one that makes the most sense to me.

 

Even on the days when I think about quitting, I remember that. And I keep going.

 

Credits:

Photos 1, 2, 3, 5 @brunobonif

Photo 7 @celinparadise

Secret Sauce

  1. What’s the most unexpected ingredient you’ve ever worked with, and how did it change your perspective on cooking?

Unfortunately, nothing uncommon, but I once came into contact with crocodile meat. To be honest, I thought it was a waste to kill such an animal for meat that isn’t particularly flavorful or has a good texture.

  1. What’s your “guilty pleasure” meal?

BOLOGNESE!!!!

  1. A food trend that you hate and why?

Truffle oil. Is it truffle? Is it oil?

  1. What’s the craziest shift you’ve ever worked in the kitchen? What happened, and how did you manage to get through it?

I once worked at a hotel without going home, starting at 6 a.m. and leaving the next day at 11 a.m.

5. What happened, and how did you manage to get through it?

It happened that I was the executive chef, with dishwashing staff missing, a football team staying at the hotel, a new bar menu to present, and the busy period of creating rosters.

  1. What tips would you give to other cooks and chefs to help them navigate their culinary careers and find peace amid the chaos of the kitchen?

Seek a routine that is as healthy as possible, not only for the body but especially for the mind. Constantly pursue inner peace. Do not let anyone take it away from you.

  1. What’s an underrated ingredient and why?

In Brazil, the Flat Iron. Brazilians are always looking for picanha and sirloin.

8. What’s a must-try dish from your kitchen or the one you’re proudest to have prepared?

I make any and all fresh pasta. With all the humility in the world, my pasta and how I prepare it are well above average.

About Your City!

Curitiba
  1. If Anthony Bourdain or a chef came to your city, what would be the perfect tour itinerary from breakfast to dinner?
  • Brekkie: misto quente e um pingado. (ham and cheese sandwich and flat white)
  • Lunch: Santa Felicidade (typical Italian quarter)
  • Happy Hour: Barbaran – carne de onça (Uranian bar with typical food and drinks)
  • Dinner: Lelis tratoria (cantina italiana)