Kuba (Jakub) moved a lot during his childhood but he spent the majority of his time

with his grandparents in the Polish countryside. His grandmother had a big garden

with lots of vegetables and fruit trees, so every spring and every summer brought

explosions of flavors. This is how Kuba learned to "see" through the ingredients

and appreciate the taste of them throughout the entire growing process. 

 

When he was around 13, some older students at his school were giving away

cookbooks. This ignited his curiosity and his passion for cooking: Kuba became a

self-proclaimed "food freak" and couldn't stop watching YouTube videos, following

blogs, recreating recipes, and so on. At age 18, he had the chance to work as a pizzaiolo

in a very nice Italian restaurant by the seaside of Poland. He then moved to England to

work as a commis in a restaurant for the summer season. 

 

After a short stint in college studying management (since he always wanted to open

his own restaurant), Kuba was back in different kitchens across Poland. He had the

chance to experience different types as well as different sizes of restaurants, learning

a lot about culinary techniques and produce along the way. At age 21, Kuba opened

his own burger shop where he made everything from scratch. The focus was on crazy

combinations, such as a burger with roasted onions, raspberries and horseradish... the clients loved them! Feeling like he still had a lot to learn, Kuba went to his last restaurant in Poland, where he was able to focus on "basic techniques with a twist". It was here where he first encountered "sous vide", and saw how a dry aging meat cabinet works.  

 

On a roadtrip through Switzerland, Kuba fell in love: Switzerland was so beautiful yet intriguing with so many differences within such a small country! In December 2019, Kuba moved to Graubünden where he was able to cook in various restaurants, including the 7132 Hotel in Vals. He now works at The Artisan in Zurich and is still enjoying everything Switzerland has to offer. 

 

Food, for Kuba, is more than a profession that he chose. He sees food as the path that guides him through life. He's happy to bring joy to people's faces by cooking them something special, by giving them taste combinations they have never thought of, or by bringing them back to their childhood. For Kuba, cooking and eating is much more than just filling stomachs in order to survive. It is magical how we can communicate through it, exchanging our views on it... or just eating in silence, which is the best compliment one can give.