You grew up helping your family with the restaurant business they owned. What was it like?
I started out doing simple things such as washing the dishes, making easy salads and drinks, and serving them to customers. When I first stared though, I was more interested in serving people. I guess the tipping part made it fun (laughs). But my interests changed when I was 13 or 14. I was very much inspired by my father and his culinary skills.
At one point in time however, my dad actually said, “Don’t become a chef.” He pointed to the fact the life of a chef was a tough, but he eventually warmed up to the idea when he found out about my interest in cooking.
Is there a story behind how your culinary career began at the Grand Hotel Europe?
I think there was a lot of luck involved. My dad had connections; he pulled a few strings and made a few calls so I could give the apprenticeship a shot when I was 15.
Those three years of my apprenticeship were the hardest part of my career. But I’m grateful for that experience because it trained my endurance level and taught me to be more resilient. I think I wouldn’t have made it this far today if I wasn’t put to that kind of test.
You had the opportunity to work with premium ingredients like truffles and Beluga caviar while you were Mathis Food Affairs, the exclusive fine-dining restaurant in Switzerland. Were these particularly tricky ingredients to work with?
It wasn’t so much of a challenge but the experience really opened my eyes to the “posh” side of life. To see that amount of truffles in the kitchen, boxes and boxes of them, was very intimidating. To see the habits of most well-to-do folks, eating half a tin of very expensive caviar and leaving the place, was just scary.
Have you come across more challenging ingredients in your career?
Challenges with ingredients are very common. I get them all the time, especially right now, in Singapore, with sauces. Another tricky one I had trouble working with in the beginning was heart of palm. I mean, you can read about it, you can study it, but to know how to really cook it when its texture starts to change in the water and so on, is something totally different. Situations like that are always challenging.
Speaking of which, what are the challenges of fine gastronomy?
Keeping up with standards and expectations. Whether you’re in a good or bad mood, your food has to meet their standards and expectations. It’s the most difficult, challenging, and trickiest thing to do.
You mentioned being in a good mood and at times in a bad mood. Do you believe moods make a difference in the outcome of a dish?
Yes, I think it does. But you know what’s really bad? When you’re in a really good mood, and you cook something great for someone, and they send it back. That’s one of the worst things in my world. In the beginning, I had trouble getting used to this, but after a while, I accepted the fact that this was part of the job. I welcome feedback now, no matter if it’s good or bad.
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An Interview with Chef Stephan Zoisl
2012-03-15
You grew up helping your family with the restaurant business they owned. What was it like?
I started out doing simple things such as washing the dishes, making easy salads and drinks, and serving them to customers. When I first stared though, I was more interested in serving people. I guess the tipping part made it fun (laughs). But my interests changed when I was 13 or 14. I was very much inspired by my father and his culinary skills.
At one point in time however, my dad actually said, “Don’t become a chef.” He pointed to the fact the life of a chef was a tough, but he eventually warmed up to the idea when he found out about my interest in cooking.
Is there a story behind how your culinary career began at the Grand Hotel Europe?
I think there was a lot of luck involved. My dad had connections; he pulled a few strings and made a few calls so I could give the apprenticeship a shot when I was 15.
Those three years of my apprenticeship were the hardest part of my career. But I’m grateful for that experience because it trained my endurance level and taught me to be more resilient. I think I wouldn’t have made it this far today if I wasn’t put to that kind of test.
You had the opportunity to work with premium ingredients like truffles and Beluga caviar while you were Mathis Food Affairs, the exclusive fine-dining restaurant in Switzerland. Were these particularly tricky ingredients to work with?
It wasn’t so much of a challenge but the experience really opened my eyes to the “posh” side of life. To see that amount of truffles in the kitchen, boxes and boxes of them, was very intimidating. To see the habits of most well-to-do folks, eating half a tin of very expensive caviar and leaving the place, was just scary.
Have you come across more challenging ingredients in your career?
Challenges with ingredients are very common. I get them all the time, especially right now, in Singapore, with sauces. Another tricky one I had trouble working with in the beginning was heart of palm. I mean, you can read about it, you can study it, but to know how to really cook it when its texture starts to change in the water and so on, is something totally different. Situations like that are always challenging.
Speaking of which, what are the challenges of fine gastronomy?
Keeping up with standards and expectations. Whether you’re in a good or bad mood, your food has to meet their standards and expectations. It’s the most difficult, challenging, and trickiest thing to do.
You mentioned being in a good mood and at times in a bad mood. Do you believe moods make a difference in the outcome of a dish?
Yes, I think it does. But you know what’s really bad? When you’re in a really good mood, and you cook something great for someone, and they send it back. That’s one of the worst things in my world. In the beginning, I had trouble getting used to this, but after a while, I accepted the fact that this was part of the job. I welcome feedback now, no matter if it’s good or bad.
Explore more restaurants nearby
Interested to find out what are some trending dishes? Check out here
Keyword
Novus Restaurant
Chef Stephan Zoisl
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