Sebastjan

In his culinary creations, this chef follows his cooking philosophy based on respecting the natural cycle of ingredients and giving preference to local products. His menu includes seasonal delicacies and dishes our grandmothers used to cook, from fried chicken to sautéed potatoes with onions.

He enthusiastically explores the world of vegan dishes as well as refined urban cuisine. One of his favourites is smoked beef tongue with lovage mayonnaise, pickled red onion, onion cracker, fried sage and raspberry.

He took his first steps into professional cooking at the Šiker restaurant, where he did his work placement during secondary school. He continued his studies at the Higher Vocational College for Hospitality, Wellness and Tourism in Bled and gained experience at the Promenada Restaurant under the guidance of Bine Volčič. At the end of his studies, he joined the Jezeršek team at Bled Castle, where he later took charge of the kitchen. For a while he worked as the head chef at Pivnica Union, and now he is in charge of the cooking team of Gostilna na Gradu, a restaurant at Ljubljana Castle.

Hard work helps you improve yourself all the time. Work is experimenting and testing. It is also practice and as the saying goes, practice makes perfect. Everyone can hone their skills with dedication and precision. When you acquire as much knowledge as you can, you can fulfil your dreams and achieve your goals, believes Sebastjan.

One of the dishes that undoubtedly express his cooking philosophy is venison saddle in harmony with Jerusalem artichoke, where he combines the main ingredient – young venison – with ingredients obtained from the surrounding natural forest environment, such as spruce needle powder and spruce tip syrup.

His rabbit and potatoes dish was created in a similar way. He imagined the life of a rabbit, wandering through meadows, fields and forests, which led him to include earthy flavours in the dish. He added potatoes, in the form of smooth puree, charred spring onion and truffle. Since according to popular culture rabbits adore carrots, he also included pickled carrots.