Matej

He has numerous years of cooking experience, which he gained in Slovenia and Italy. He also got experience at Hiša Franko and Gostilna Pri Lojzetu at the Zemono Manor ranked by Gault & Millau among the best Slovenian restaurants, and at La Subida which boasts a Michelin star. Today, he creates at an idyllic location that further boosts his creativity. Matej and his wife renovated Majerija, a typical old homestead in Vipava dating back to 1700, kept its spirit of the time of the Lanthieri counts and gave it their mark. It is surrounded by vineyards, orchards, a fragrant herbal garden as well as an unforgettable view. Chef Matej creates surrounded by tranquillity and nature.

Matej discovered his love for herbs when he was only ten. At the beginning of the 1980s, cooking was focused on the Balkan diet: “We ate meat and a lot of fried food, quantity was more important than quality. That is why I found fresh herbs almost magical.” He could cook at that time and soon found that he can lure out stronger flavours with less effort if he used herbs. And so it began. Fresh herbs grown on Majerija’s striking herbal garden became Matej’s trademark. He uses at least one herb or even a combination of several herbs in each dish.

Matej builds on tradition with a hint of modernity, following the seasons. Each of his dishes carries a trace of tradition – it either stems from a traditional recipe or ingredient or is related to the traditional way of preparation. He always adds his personal touch to every dish.

His Majerija is surrounded by a 1.5-hectare estate including a herbal and vegetable garden, fields and a special orchard that is home to 130 trees – for almost all the types of fruit that grow there. Each type has different varieties. In this way, they can prolong the seasons. For example, they have early and late cherries, and other cherries in between. And similarly with all types of fruit that grow in the orchard.

If you don’t have talent, you can compensate – with more learning and experience. But Matej believes that it is easier with talent. However, mere talent is not enough. “You must sacrifice and work hard.” Therefore, every cook must enjoy cooking and have a strong desire for knowledge and training. And a creative streak also comes in handy.

A good dish is tasty and attractive in appearance, scent and flavour. Matej aims at unique, fresh and easily digestible dishes. When he creates the dishes, he has to believe in them: “If a cook believes, a guest will believe too.” For that, you need plenty of self-criticism and a pinch of feeling. He also asks his team for their opinion: “Consultation is good – new ideas or improvements always spring up.” But usually, he knows instantly if a dish has potential when he sees it. This can be ‘blamed’ on his considerable experience and sixth sense.

His dishes are convincing. Even the simplest ones, like bean soup. “It proves that from beans known as the food of the poor, as they were used to feed the crowds, you can make a dish that is so balanced it will fascinate every guest.” Bean soup is a heritage from his grandmother and the recipe remains intact. It captivated a Japanese wine merchant who travelled around Italy for a month, visiting the best Italian restaurants. In the end, he stopped at Majerija. He ate two bowls of bean soup. That was surprising given the fact that Asians eat smaller portions. After a while, the wine merchant sent an e-mail to his Italian friend: “He couldn’t understand how he could have visited the best Italian restaurants only to eat the best dish here at Majerija.” Simple bean soup.

Matej was most marked by Joško Sirk from Italian La Subida that boasts a Michelin star. He learned the most from him: “Not so much in technical terms, but to think like a cook, how to seek in the surroundings, nature, tradition. You don’t have to look for ideas elsewhere, they’re all around us. They just need to be prepared in the most interesting way.” He speaks of Joško, who is not only a good chef, but also a good person, with respect. Joško helped Matej in many ways – with advice, ideas, teaching and last but not least, honesty. “It would have been hard to make and finish Majerija without this experience.”