INTERVIEW CHEFS surprises, and then you have a great product. It’s about produce, method, technique. Freshness is a word that comes to mind. People, equipment and ingredients are key. You need the best quality ingredients, and to then cook them in the way that’s best for them. A lot of the times that means keeping it simple, not over elaborating. Like the interiors here, I want the food to be clean, clear, fresh and accessible, not tired and overwhelming. What characteristics does a chef need… Sensibility, maybe sensitivity. I think both. Taste is crucial, obviously. You need a logical mind as well, and the ability to put things together in the right way at the right time. I’ve learnt a lot from many chefs, but especially Phil Howard both in terms of leadership and my approach to cooking.
The biggest opening of 2013, Winosfera is so much more than just a wine bar. Under Jakub Adamczyk the kitchen has flourished into one of the most talked about spaces found around town. Mild in manner and cool of hand, the Insider catches up with Adamczyk to watch him in action. You were 22 when you decided to become a chef, that’s quite late? Remember Phil Howard started late as well. I worked under him at The Square, which has maintained a two star Michelin standard for 15 years. These were the best possible surroundings for me – things stay in your mind: your bearing in the kitchen, the way you move, the way you approach products… Even so, you must have had previous experiences with food…
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WARSAW INSIDER | MAY 2013
Where is Polish dining? I didn’t work in restaurants before I went to England, so I can’t comI grew up in the countryside, near pare. Of course, we lost fifty years Radom. My grandparents had a farm of development and it left Poland with apples, pears, cherries. So yes, I with a poor, simple, unhealthy diet. know where food comes from, how it But remember, the UK wasn’t that should be delivered, and what’s unac- great either –gastronomy only really ceptable. Sure, as a teen I had other started developing to the next level things on my mind, but before that I in the 80s and 90s. The future of Warwas making butter, smoking meats: saw dining rests with the customer. that was normal for me. If people want fresh honest food, I think some restaurants may struggle What’s your philosophy at Winosfera? – it’s a dynamic business. And In my view, the dining experience trends show that this is the direction: is a product. You need the right people are now thinking about what people and the right place, add a few they put in their mouths.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY KEVIN DEMARIA
The Household Name
It’s a nerve racking occupation surely? You need to think one step ahead – in winter, you’re thinking about spring ingredients, etc. It adds blood to the veins… Sometimes you do need to give, let’s say, a spanking in the head to someone, but it must be done in a way that motivates them and makes them better as both a chef and as a person. Even if I had a closed kitchen, and the opportunity to kick ankles arose, that’s not my style. There’s a normal intelligent way of giving chefs motivation. At times you do need to raise the volume, but you shouldn’t do it to show-off. If you want people to listen to you, you need to be worth listening to.