My life does not remind those success stories like “.. and suddenly I woke up famous.” I was not the best pupil at school or the most diligent student. I was not dreaming of the world stage and universal fame. I did not get the inheritance and did not spend my blueberry nights in the company of sudden crazy acquaintances. I was cutting, tearing, making my hands dirty, breaking and bringing together, but in the end it turned out not only as pleasure out of all of that. I received the highest score from himself, joyful emotions from those who do care, and unique experience that is worth all the millions of this life. My name is Sergey Shpyakin, and I’m a chef at Rokka restaurant.

I do love my mom. She was my first accomplice at the hard path of culinary art. She’s just amazing. Just imagine, the eight-year-old boy decided to cook beef at home. All by himself. And she not just bought the meat, she did not prevent me from doing what I wanted. That was a huge success! I wrapped a steak, generously flavoured with spices and garlic, in a bag, removed the air with the help of a cocktail straw and put it in the quietly boiling water for a couple of hours. Everyone was eating it a bit incredulously first, but then eagerly asking for a helping, and then I got my dose of motivation, “Come on, Sergei, do not be afraid, you’ll manage everything!” Of course, being a third former from a typical five-story building, I did not know that I cooked beef on “Sous vide” technology.

But even then I perfectly understood two very important things in my life. Firstly, my biggest wish was to become a chef, to treat people with delicious food and create new even more delicious and unusual dishes. Secondly, the theory and intuition are great for kitchen gatherings, but something MORE professional requires lots of practical experience, preferable lots of it at once. That’s how I found myself in Kiev, at my very first work in “Arena-City”.

I realized a lot, learned and tried a lot, and taught a lot. Well, it’s great to have a base. Novelty is good with its freshness, uniqueness and spirit of freedom, but it is impossible to realize it without proper source of skills and knowledge.

That’s why I continue to learn from the best, try new things and I’m not afraid to give up something unsuccessful.

You might know what my favorite pan-Asian cuisine itself is one huge experiment. I haven’t seen anywhere else such combinations of flavours and aromas. I suppose that’s my Korean blood’s voice. Yes, I am really a cosmopolitan at the cellular level.
I adore spicy soups, creamy aftertaste and crystal brittle crust hiding juicy spicy stuffing. All of this originates from childhood, I did not suffer from generous portions of grey mashed potatoes and lumpy whitish semolina.

My mom cooked pan-Asian dishes often and very skilfully, and I fell in love with that taste.

In general, our childhood deeds and thoughts are a great start to our future. It is important to listen to yourself and to follow your path in a right way. I’m still fond of sport, collecting ancient coins and badges. And I’m not afraid of experiments. I just know that my life enjoyment is generously seasoned with happy faces of guests, sincere praise of my family and my taste for life! And with those words “Come on, Sergei, do not be afraid, you’ll manage everything!”

Rokka

The stylish interior emphasizes the consistency of Asian-style dishes and in the most honest way reflects the philosophy of the restaurant.

Rokka was and still is a place for leisure talks, perfect business meetings and unique romantic dates. Its open kitchen, unique recipes and always top quality products make Rokka a favorite and popular restaurant.

Adress: Ukraine, Odessa 4, Chernyakhovskogo str

Tel: +38 048-70-70-070

www.rokka.od.ua