Simon

Simon believes in the sense of creations and flavours: “You must have some talent and then you upgrade your knowledge. Half is talent and the other half is experience.” Simon gained experience abroad under great chefs, such as Gordon Ramsay, Marc Meurin and Bobby Bräuer. He admits that he learned a lot. And still does, as he has ‘practice’ every year in renowned Michelin-starred restaurants, such as BMW’s EssZimmer in Munich, Le Meurin in France and Petit Tirolia at Grand Tirolia Hotel in Kitzbühel. Abroad, he learns new techniques that he uses to rearrange traditional Slovenian recipes.

He is not a fan of molecular gastronomy. He is captivated by traditional French cuisine that is based on strong fondues and reductions with butter as the basis of everything. He likes strong and distinct flavours in classical combinations fused with Slovenian elements, such as smoked trout and Bled cheese. The emphasis is on top ingredients with a local touch: “Lobster isn’t Slovenian. Gourmet can be Slovenian vegetables with pasta from Monfalcone.” His guests are sophisticated people who know haute cuisine well, which is why his cuisine must be at the same level. With a Slovenian aftertaste.

A good dish is composed of several components and seasonal ingredients. Before they serve it to guests, other members of the team, bosses, deputies and sometimes a director taste it. Simon believes in experience: “The more experience you have, the more you know – you know the basics, raw ingredients and how to combine them.”

Experience is always directly related to persistence, which is crucial for a good cook. Sometimes, it is difficult and requires a lot of time. Working time and time that is really intended to be free time. Simon spends around 14 days on a seven-course menu, which is not easily done. How does he do it? “Like with everything in life, you must have a goal. And continuity not to deviate from the quality you set for yourself.”

Simon likes cooking challenges. He enjoys working for events with distinct special features like formal dinners and weddings from other cultures. They host many weddings, around 50 a year. He has fond memories of a vegan wedding for 120 guests, which was a pleasant challenge for him. And of an Arab wedding with 600 guests, for which the restaurant was transformed into the Garden of Eden. A 25-strong cooking team took care of the event and Simon’s cooking marathon lasted for a full 48 hours.