Vladislav Djatšuk

Vladislav Djatšuk might be one of Estonia’s foremost chefs but his heart – and his culinary inspiration – belong very much to la belle France. 

He first visited the country after winning the Chef of the Year title in 2003, thanks to an internship.

“I still remember that late night taxi ride very well,” he said. “How, when I got out of the taxi in a small village, I was hit by the aromas - the smells of herbs and stewing meat.

“All this affected me emotionally and has always remained in me,’’ he recalls. “And I can safely say my love for French cuisine arose from the first moment,” Vladislav’s rise though the industry has been meteoric and he now co-owns four restaurants and is the recipient of countless accolades, however he almost turned his back on cooking to become a car mechanic.

“In 1994, when I went to cooking school, life was different; they were more difficult times,” he says. “I had two options; start repairing cars or become a chef. And, on my mother’s advice, I chose the latter – she said there would always be work in a profession that feeds people.

“Fortunately, I actually became interested in it and enjoyed it and actually a lot of what I still do is

influenced by what I learnt watching my mother and grandmother in the kitchen.

“A lot of current thinking – from zero waste and economising to using locally sourced ingredients – was what they did then out of necessity and those habits have stayed with me.”

But his love of French cuisine is always to the fore and although Vladislav’s restaurants have different concepts, they are all still based on those classic French principles.

“French cuisine is my base cuisine,” he says, “and local raw ingredients play an important role.

“Initially, I worked in high-end, fine-dining restaurants, but over time I realised that in reality I wanted to offer much simpler food. And, using the recipes and techniques of French cuisine, I set myself the goal of turning raw ingredients into an experience that’s right at home in Estonia at this moment in time.’’

He is also a firm believer in staying true to yourself and not being distracted by what others are doing.

“Once, at a cooking competition, the head chef of a three-Michelin-star restaurant told me that you should never look from the sidelines to see who is cooking something and how - it only distracts.

“I follow this thought to this day. You must stick to what you know best; what you love and what you enjoy doing.

“Otherwise, you will become afraid of experimentation and lose your uniqueness.

And he has this advice for anyone wanting to follow in his footsteps. “Travel more, go and see art, read books …and that’s where the most amazing ideas will come to you. The world is full of inspiration.’’