Chefs in Ukraine

My life dies 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'm Anastasiya Holoborodko, food journalist, author of blog on healthy food spoon.com.ua, food-editor at bit.ua, nogibogi.com.ua, student and host of culinary workshops, modern gastronomist and a very enthusiastic person. My childhood was far from glamour everyday life of city ladies. Small Ismail town, where my family still lives, frozen in its semi-city development. Quiet and cozy as granny's kitchen, it even used to play a significant role in history. I like Ismail for its diverse gastronomic melody. Just imagine: Turkish, Bulgarian and Romanian cuisine, endless curving vineyards and fluffy sheep-walks... I am so inspired by my native town that I can keep on talking and talking about it. But this is not the point.

A woman in the kitchen, a woman and a kitchen - these notions are very comfortable and familiar for everyone. Creation of food has been always something magical and ritual. But at the same time, technique, accuracy and calculation are parts of multilayered gastronomic puzzle. Could I imagine that selection of products and creation of dishes will become the business of my life? No and yes. I will tell you, how I - Daria Grositskaya - became a chef at Under Wonder.

My meadow is endless! And I keep discovering new wonderful horizons, flavours and accept new challenges. Can't help being so curious. I just can't get enough: knowledge, experience, emotions. I love to learn and love to teach. Or even rather share myself than teach. It is so cool, when you see how your colleges, friends, finally children grow. And you don’t just stand nearby – you help them, direct and contribute. This is how I see my mission. My name is Yuriy Chernous. And despite my age specified in the passport, I'm a boy who has dedicated all his life to the art of cooking.

You are what you eat. This is a well-known axiom. Eating fresh food prepared with high-quality products and proper techniques is a valuable donation to a healthy life. But you can do even more for your wellness. Dishes made with love and knowledge are trendy in our restaurants today. That is why I am spreading a raw food philosophy, with its ancient roots and modern interpretation. I am Vladimir Stukotin, a raw chef. I would not say I am unique. But still a rare sample!

My name is Yan Nguyen. I’m happy to live and create in a city of chestnuts and endless quays of the blue-grey Dnipro River. Did I dream about becoming a chef in a cap? Of course, not! I was an ordinary mischievous guy full of brilliant ideas. I was as mischievous as a monkey. But I always knew what I wanted. I wanted to dance. And my life was for a long time connected with the art of movement. This is definitely my element. And thoughts about food and its creation were mainly shaped in my crazy head by bright images from my childhood.

I was born on 26 May 1980 in Kyiv. And although 34 years have passed, I can still clearly remember, when I decided to become a Chef. I was always amazed with how my father cooked, and although cook profession was considered women’s one at that time, in the 7th grade I was 100% sure that I would learn to become the best chef. My parents say my first attempts to cook something were quite successful, but perhaps they, like all other parents, wanted to support and inspire me.

One can think that Pizza&Grill has only pizza and grill food – similar to famous world Burger & Lobster chain, where you can eat everything provided it is burger or lobster. But despite its simple name, I work at Pizza&Grill in Odessa, and I specialise in a completely different food. My name is Ruslan Vycherov. I’m a Pastry Chef in the above mentioned chain in the city, where people still dry their clothes on ropes in yards of the central streets. And they shall be definitely multicoloured. This is Odessa!

My name is Olga Martynovskaya. I teach culinary arts at the Culinary Academy of Hector Jimenez Bravo, but I’m better known as the winner of the third season of the Ukrainian version of the Master Chef. I was born on September 2, 1989 in the small village Yuryevka, Ukraine, in a family of teacher and beekeeper. My childhood was very happy: fun, carefree, with lots of sun, air and games with the other kids. I enjoyed tree climbing and running. Mother used to call me «windy» — the fidget one… One of my mother’s favorite memories from my childhood is when I was 4.5 years old, and some guys from high school asked me, mocking: «Olga, do you know where babies come from?» — «I’ve learned where they come from for long time ago” – I said, — “but where did the very first person came from is still a mystery for me!». From an early age and till now my disadvantage and advantage in the meantime is curiosity, which I feel absolutely always and about everything that surrounds me. Parents never forced me to do something that I didn’t want. I was a freedom-loving child, and remained the same now. I wanted to become a doctor, but later changed my mind and confused in choosing a profession.

Victoria: I was born in May 1987 in my beloved Odessa. Since childhood food has been meant a lot for me. My dad was an excellent cook, and my mother always liked to “invent” something delicious, and surprise us. I have never had any problems like «fried onions», «fish», «greens», and so on, which are usually children have. I ate everything that was cooked deliciously. The food was not just a meal in our family. It was with sense; it was varied and beautiful. Anna: I was born in winter, January 1, 1988, here, in Odessa. I spent my childhood in a beautiful house with a large shady garden. My grandmother always had the goal «To feed Anna the best and healthy everything,» and I carefully hid meatballs from my soup, hoping not been exposed. I loved my mom’s adventures in cooking much more: rose-shape cookies with rose jam topping; three-layer ice cream cake, decorated with mulberries, we have gathered together, coming back from the beach; crunchy mini-toasts with colored herring butter. My mother always had unusual game approach to cooking and eating.