Sergei Khimich

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 used, apart from my main job, to work as a trainee in another kitchen, in order to learn how it works. For example, when I worked as a shift leader in Kiev restaurant «Chervona Kalyna», «Razguliayevo» restaurant was opened. I worked there for two weeks to get the information I needed. And then I quit. This is how I learnt.

I’ve been working as a chef since 2006. I first became a chef in a small outlet — café in Pechersk area, where I started as a works manager. I’ve been working in САД RESTARAUNT & LOUNGE since September 2012. Prior to this, I worked as a chef at the Olimpiysky National Sports Complex.

I like to work in САД RESTARAUNT & LOUNGE, because, firstly, this is a well-known place, and secondly, here I have an opportunity to work under guidance of two brand-chefs from Moscow, who can be called maitres of cooking, Konstantin Ivlev and Yuriy Rozhkov, who are known in Russia and in other countries. They have a huge experience and trained all over the world. It is very interesting to work with them.

I think that to manage kitchen one should know all production phases and to understand how to organise everything. You can compare this with a clock: if there is a failure with one workpiece, then the clock tells the wrong time. The same is here: if someone fails to work as required, if there is no smooth operation, then there will be no good result.

Apart from this, as in any other field, an important role is played by a team, because it is impossible to do anything without it.

When I worked in Аrena Еntertainment, Gary Frederic Russo (Canadian) worked there as a chef. I learnt a lot from him: how to feel and notice different issues, how to understand, when a cook fails to do something properly.

Another interesting experience was my work as a sous-chef in the restaurant «Steakhouse. Meat and Wine» of Saveliy Libkin from 2004 to 2005 in Odessa. Savva is an unusual person and quite a character. It was interesting to work with him.

If to speak about the future, in 10 years I’d like to have my own restaurants and cafés. The time and tendencies will show their type.

We have no michelin chefs, because the quality of the products we buy is not stable. Since there are only a few suppliers who can provide quality products. As a result, it is difficult to get 100% quality dish. Dishes that are cooked in our country are good, but they could be better.

It shall be also taken into consideration that restaurant business in Ukraine and CIS has been developing only for a short period of time. We need time for a new generation of cooks to come. There are also still cooks with that Soviet mentality. And, unfortunately, there are few people, who are ready to give everything to work. A lot of chefs strive for money and prestige. But in fact you should like what you do, it should come from your heart, that’s why I think that being a chef is vocation.

We need time. Perhaps, in 10years we will have michelin chefs in our country.

For me, the biggest reward is the full restaurant of people, preferably 24 hours a day. It is good to have stars and cups, but the best indicator of quality work is full restaurant.

My work is my hobby. Apart from this, I like to collect different menus. I also like fishing, but I don’t have enough time for this. Last time I went fishing 2 years ago.

I’d like to wish to the readers to use only organic and fresh products. I don’t like chefs who use different chemical dressings like Galina Blanca and dry sauces. I can’t understand why they do it. There are organic tasty products. And our objective is to cook something tasty from organic products.

I prefer tasty cuisine. That’s why I don’t have any preferences. I like Pan-Asiatic and Italian cuisine, as well as German with its sausages and beer. I’m specialised in European and Ukrainian cusisnes.

I’ve chosen the dish «Rabbit paste and salad with goat cheese and berries», because it’s my own dish developed jointly with Konstantin Ivlev. This is a light, so-to-say woman dish, but men like it as well.