Aleš

He has loved cooking since childhood. His enthusiasm for cooking began in his mother’s kitchen, where he admired her skill in preparing delicious dishes. For his tenth birthday he received a children’s cookbook, which only strengthened his interest in cooking. Even then, he knew he would one day become a professional chef.

Aleš finished secondary school in Radovljica and immediately afterwards got a job in a kitchen. He started his career in a restaurant in Brdo pri Kranju, then in the Brioni restaurant in Kranj, not far away, then in Garden Village in Bled and in Radisson Blu Plaza in Ljubljana. Every team he worked in offered him a wealth of knowledge, which he absorbed like a sponge. Aleš always wanted to cook at a high level, so he didn’t look for work in restaurants offering simpler food. Each challenge only fuelled his passion for cooking even more, and he was happy to take on more and more complex tasks. He started at Restavracija 1906 under the tutelage of Chef Jure Kordež, and after his departure took over the role of head chef.

He believes that every dish he puts on the table should be elevated to the highest level of quality. He believes that good is not good enough, and that all the components on the plate must come together in a perfect symphony of flavours to satisfy the expectations of his guests. That’s why he encourages his team to follow his motto and insists on high standards to achieve excellence in the kitchen.

Sustainable cooking is something that has been talked about a lot in recent years, and Aleš agrees that it should be the leading principle of every chef. Using all ingredients wisely, not throwing anything away, working in harmony with the environment and people, working economically and excelling at the same time.

It is in unpredictable and unusual combinations that his creativity comes to life. He says that the greatest reward and praise he can receive is the satisfied smile on a guest’s face when he places a dish before them.