Misha Schaefer

The noise of voices, clattering spoons, laughter and arguments are the most typical breakfast in our big family. I am the oldest of 6 children, mature beyond my years, responsible and at the same time very funny. Do you think I didn’t have a childhood? Nonsense! We spent all our free time outside, made up games and always supported even each other’s most delusional ideas. My family sometimes jokes that becoming a chef is one of them. I’m Misha Schaefer, chef at Nobelhart & Schmutzig restaurant, a fun guy and a serious leader.

Did I dream of becoming a chef? No, of course not. Like all normal boys, I wanted to be a spaceship pilot, a submarine captain or, at the worst, a pirate. Unbeknownst to myself, I started cooking for our gang, helping my mom in the kitchen. I liked to add new flavors to familiar dishes, making them “my own”. I was very offended if someone was undernourished or refused to try anything at all. Resentful, but not giving up, trying again and again until I got a hearty satisfied smile. And you know what? I still consider the best measure of a successful restaurant to be the silent, very satisfied faces of the guests. What’s the point of loud titles and walls full of diplomas if the room is empty?

In fact, my career developed like in the most banal American TV series. I studied theology, heard erudite and savvy, and to earn pocket money went to wash dishes in a restaurant. Washed, washed, then and vegetables cleaned entrusted, then gradually simple preparations made, and got involved. So much so that boring philosophical treatises and scientific works went to the background. Many people can read and reason, but cook a meat stew so that the guests cried with pleasure and shook hands? I chose the chef’s business and do not regret it at all.

What do I love? My family, of course. We have three children, wonderful, boisterous and the best in the world. They are my joy, my hobby and my greatest inspiration. I’m a very unpretentious eater myself. The ideal breakfast for me is fruit and homemade yogurt, the main thing is that it should be very fresh. In general, good products play a huge role in a dish, their flavor should be emphasized, not suppressed. This is probably my main principle in my work. And in life too: to see and feel, to help and support.

I prepared simple but unusual dishes for the project. Each of them is not only bright, but also combines several flavors and textures.