Chefs in Ukraine

At school wanted to be an actress, a stuardess, a pilot… I ended up as the student of Kiev’s Hotel management College in 1991, Public Catering Department. I got my first job as waitress in 1993 in Casino Club First (Intourist Hotel – these days – President Hotel Kievskiy). From that time I understood for myself – I like serving people. To serve people! Not to be their servant! Any way I do prefer the verb – “to take care of guest”. It was bar there, I had started to help bartenders, and fell in love with it. I had great teacher mentors like John Siao, Peter Norton, Steve Kelly who inspired me to become a bartender at first place.

’ve been cooking since I was about 8, I remember I was already in the second grade and my parents began to go on tour with the theatre very often, and I stayed at home with friends of my mum, babysitters and relatives. But my main friends were neighbours in a communal flat, in the very old area of Kiev — Podol. I enjoyed meeting them in the shared kitchen. There I realized that domestic work and food could cheer me up. I’m 35 now, and I enjoy washing my floor, doing hand washing and spreading condensed milk and raspberry jam on waffle cakes. When I was in drama school in the UK, I couldn’t afford lunches in a canteen and I cooked pasta with herbs, thai rice and soup. During lunchtime I took out my lunch box and ate what I cooked — it was funny, but everyone thought I was posh, cool and had very picky eating habits. My path to the professional kitchen led through the kitchen sink.

I learned to cook when I married. Prior to that it was not necessary, my mom was cooking. The village is easy. Each has his own business. When I lived with my parents, there was no need to cook. Then, with the appearance of my children, I learned. I have gone through several regimes. And through the hope when everyone believed in communism, and through dispossession of people who want to work and worked. Through the Romanian government, which protected the Bessarabian people from the Nazis, not allowing them to scoff at the simply people, and through the terrible postwar famine. Through the Renaissance and the sunset of a great country, and the time of formation of a new one.

I’m 30. I’ve been working in a restaurant business for 11 years, 7 of which as a chef. Now I work at SEREBRO (Silver) Restaurant & Music Bar. This place is dear to me, because here I can bring into life my most outstanding culinary fantasies, and our guests like it. The first time I got to the kitchen, when my father worked at one of the metropolitan restaurants. He wanted to occupy me with something and offered to work at one of the simplest processes. I was responsible for peeling and cutting vegetables. That’s how it all started… With time, I started taking interest in products, technology of cooking and combination of taste. For 4 years I worked in «my» first restaurant, I was involved in all the processes and I made my way from a person dealing with vegetables to sous chef. It was a really huge experience…

I’m 36. I was born in Italy, in Roncade, which is not far from Venice. My professional path began when I was a child. My family was always good at cooking. My father worked at a restaurant, and when I was six I started helping him at weekends with such big events as weddings and christening parties. At that age I already knew what I would do in the future. Then I studied for 5 years in the Hotel Business School in Italy and got Professional Chef Diploma. Then for two years I worked and trained in Dubai in a 5-start hotel Le Meridien Forte Grand, which at that period had already been named Best Airport Hotel Worldwide, and Italian restaurant of which had been already acknowledged as the best Italian restaurant abroad.

I was born 1978. I’ve been working as a cook for 12 years. I think it’s my vocation. My parents were totally against this, but I chose this path all the same. I’ve made the whole way from a cook’s helper to a chef and worked as a cook, head cook, sous-chef and became a chef in the end. In other words, I know my job inside and out. Contrary to young cooks: they start working as cook apprentice, work for 5 years and think they are professionals. But one shall try to walk the whole path.

I’m 33. I’ve been working as a cook for 14 years. In Klarabara restaurant I’ve been working since 2003 with small breaks. I became a cook thanks to my parents. When I went to school, my mother noticed that I liked cooking, and decided to put me on this way. All children reveal interest to certain things. I liked to cook at home. For example, I fried potatoes by myself and decorated it, and my mother decided that I could be a cook.

I’m 52, and I remember those dormitories. I’ve been involved with the kitchen for 34 years. Deeply involved. And I don’t regret about this. After all, my father worked as a cook for more than 50 years! By the way, my son has been cooking for more than 10 years as well. So, I can say that we are cooks by birth. I try to avoid any preferences. I try to cook and teach others to cook so that our work can bring happiness and pleasure to people. So that people coming to our café feel homey and gladly come to us again.

Just today I’ve turned 36. You’ve got on my birthday. I’ve been working in a restaurant business for 20 years. I dreamt of being a sailor and attended Young Sailor Club when I was a child. But I never studied, as I couldn’t find maritime college in Kiev. My father advised me to study for a cook. I entered training school, and I liked it a lot. I was the best among the students of my year, and right after I passed my exams I started working at a young pioneer camp. I was only 15 then. Young pioneer camp is a very good place to learn. We had to do everything by ourselves: from separating carcasses to baking.

I’m 54. I’ve been working as a cook for 9 years. My milestone is chef at café “Centaur” I worked as a cook for several years right after I finished school, as I liked to cook since childhood. But I had to change my occupation. I tried a range of professions until I finally understood that cooking is my lifework. My favourite cuisine is Ukrainian, because it’s close to me since childhood. Moreover, I took over some traditions from my mother and grandmother.