FOTO: KILIÁN HAVLÍČEK (1), ARCHIV FIRMY (2)
„Rád pracuji s mladými lidmi, kvůli jejich nadšení pro obor.“ “I love working with young people because of their enthusiasm for the profession.”
What did you do prior to Flambée? I've been in the world of gastronomy since I was 15 when I started out as an apprentice at Prague's Alcron hotel. By 23, I was manager of the V Zátiší restaurant. But the political pressures became so severe that in 1985 I moved to Germany with my family. We lived there for six years. Did you also work in a restaurant over there? Within a year I even owned one and, in the end, I got as far as owning two. When the borders opened, I shuttled between Germany and Prague for two years. That is when I bought my third restaurant, the then Riegrové sady, in Prague. But in 1991, my family and I definitively decided to return to Prague. I sold my two German restaurants and Riegrový sady to build up Flambée. Why did you choose Betlémský palace as Flambée's location? I was enthralled by its atypical spaces. I didn't want to sell a nice view of Prague Castle or Charles Bridge to my guests—they would stare out the window and not notice their plates. It was my intention to allow my guests to fully concentrate on their dishes without anything in
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their surroundings distracting them. It required great imagination since the technical university then owned the palace and where Flambée is now situated there was coal storage in one room and battery storage in another. How long did it take to prosper? It was almost instant. Prague had no comparable restaurant. Right from the spring opening in 1993, we had state of the art equipment—computer-controlled air conditioning for example! Many people took bets on whether we'd survive two months or half a year, but Flambée became the first Prague restaurant to not only offer haute cuisine but to also define its future course. Nearly all the city's significant chefs have originated from Flambée. Which Flambée speciality would you like to be treated to? When appropriate and when I'm in the mood, I love to say to the chef, “Prepare me something off the top of your head and we'll perhaps add it to the menu.” We change the menu every three months. I taste every dish beforehand and a second time immediately after its menu introduction. What novelties are you preparing? We are presently fully focussed on Christmas.
Every year, many Christmas company parties are held at Flambée. We are now preparing a special menu for these events. Right from 1993, we were the first restaurant to open on Christmas Eve (the most important day of Christmas for Czechs). My friends thought I was crazy but we were full. Nowadays almost everyone opens on Christmas Eve. Many of our Christmas Eve regulars make a reservation for the next year the instant they arise from the table. We blend old Czech cuisine with Mediterranean cuisine, so you can expect fish and also white meat... and this year also brings a beautiful six-course Christmas Eve menu. What is your outlook for next year? We've had several Michelin guide inspections, so we can hope for a star next year. I even dare say we're capable of perhaps achieving two. After Allegro, we're the second best-rated restaurant in Prague. A French champagne sales representative once asked me if we had two stars. When I told him we as yet had none he could hardly believe it. I explained that in this country the Michelin rating is in its infancy and that therefore we hadn't acquired a star yet. Let's see how things are when he comes again.
27.10.2008 16:26:01