Denis Golik

ONE of Estonia’s leading gourmet chefs, Denis has worked at Restaurant Tchaikovsky for 14 years – and, like the famous composer, believes harmony, and composition are the secret to his success.

“The art of cooking is like the harmonization of components,” he says. “Each component must have a purpose and compatibility with the other components, and the chef must have the ability to bind them into a unified whole through technical skills and high-quality raw materials.’’

And his ability to do just that has taken him a long way from his start in the industry, as trainee chef at Tallinn Service School.

“A friend was currently studying to be a chef and asked if I would be interested in enrolling at a cookery school,” he says.

“I thought, why not, I can try. To my surprise, I immediately began to like the world of cooking and every year my interest grew and grew.

“Today I can confidently say that I got into the right profession. I enjoy everything that comes with being a chef.’’

What fascinates Denis about being a chef is that the opportunities to experiment and develop are endless. He draws inspiration from books, social media, practices and other chefs.

“Although participating with the Estonian team at this year’s IKA Culinary Olympics in Germany was a great challenge for me, I can say that working with other top chefs gave me a lot of valuable experience and inspiration,” he says.

And Denis doesn’t just find inspiration from his peers – he is also a keen advocate of feedback and even though he has received numerous accolades, he still considers that every visitor’s feedback and comments are important.

“Feedback gives me information and an opportunity to maintain a certain level,” he says and he continues, “My goal is to keep the quality of the food high and not compromise on anything.”

Indeed such is his commitment to gourmet cuisine that he sometimes finds it difficult to adjust to making so-called simpler food.

“Fourteen years of working at Restaurant Tchaikovsky has definitely left a mark on my cooking handwriting,” he says. “Fine dining is definitely what is closest to my heart.”