Blaž

From an early age, he browsed antique shops to read and collect cookbooks. The best were always the ones with visible imprints and stains of cooking. After graduating from high school in hospitality and tourism, he travelled a lot, experiencing different flavours, sitting at the tables of world-renowned chefs and enjoying many food and wine pairings. He diligently interned with the best chefs, experimenting and soaking up knowledge wherever possible. From home, he brought a healthy and responsible attitude towards nature, towards everything that man produces and does with his hands. For him, the outdoors represents the ultimate culinary challenge, where there are countless creative possibilities, but in order to see them, we have to sometimes climb a tree and look at things from a different angle.

He combines traditional Slovenian recipes with bold techniques from all over the world. He is driven by a youthful enthusiasm while drawing on rich international experience.

At Vila Planinka, he will proudly serve you a daring combination of cheese štruklji – traditional Slovenian rolled dumplings – with dashi made from local herbal tea, or baba ghanoush with local vegetables. He believes in inspiration in the moment and says that hands are always the best cooking utensil. That is why spontaneous menus are sometimes created during morning visits of local produce providers and walks through the forest. A diverse range of collected ingredients offers countless possibilities for creation.

Blaž Derlink prefers to let his work speak for him. He does not attract guests to Vila Planinka with spectacular culinary performances. Instead, he swears by a simplicity that fascinates.

Despite his youth, Blaž has been present in the cooking world for almost 20 years. At first, he quietly and attentively observed, learned, and approached cooking studiously. But then he discovered and became fascinated with the concept of “neo bistro” – a term which most comprehensively summarises his restraint and striving for the simple, different, unknown.

He is fascinated by people such as Christian F. Puglisi, and restaurants such as Bistro Septime and French Laundry. Although he feels at home in French cuisine as well, he knows that the way he can offer the world his best is to focus on what and where he comes from. What he is is clearly expressed on his plates, which he confidently serves to foodies from around the world at his restaurant in the Boutique Hotel Vila Planinka 5* in Jezersko.

It is therefore no coincidence that, together with his close colleague and sommelier, Marko Koren, he also managed to impress some of the strictest gourmet journalists. Among some of the acclaimed names are the travel editor at Le Figaro, Yan Bernard-Guilbaud, and the editor at La Repubblica, Nicholetta Longhi, who recommended Vila Planinka as a destination worth visiting in Slovenia.