Chasing down the chef

• How did you become a chef?

Because of my grandma, a hundred percent. I was always amazed at how elegantly she worked in the kitchen. She was able to cook for the whole family and still play with us kids.

• We know you’ve celebrated success at home and abroad, but what gave you the courage to head up a whole team?

I’ve worked in almost every kind of culinary operation. Even school and factory cafeterias, bistros and an ordinary Czech pub along with Jiří Eichner, the grand master of Czech culinary arts. I also worked in fine dining at the Kampa Park restaurant under Marek Raditsch, at a Sheraton five-star hotel under Jan Pípal, catering under Filip Sajler, and O2 Arena under the leadership of Tomáš Kněž.

• What kind of cuisine do you like the best?

Paradoxically, I like Asian cooking. A couple of times I’ve been in Thailand at a cooking competition; it really appealed to me there. I love how vibrant, colourful and delicious their cuisine is.

• Is there any kind of food you really dislike?

Right now I don’t think there is, or else I haven’t run into it so far. When I was a kid, it was the school cafeteria. There was the dill, sour milk with grass [laughs], or cod, which was always served with that blue foil... But tastes, flavours and experiences change with age. It’s in exactly these two cases that you find out they can be outstanding foods.

• Do you like to cook at home, or do you get your satisfaction at work and don’t feel like it at home?

Of course, I also cook at home. I’m a cook through and through! At home, I come up with some very interesting combinations.

• Is there a dream you’d like to fulfil?

My professional dream is a small business or bistro, ideally with a pond. My personal dream — my sons, my dad and I like to fish, so I dream of taking a large camper and fishing our way through Europe.