Silver Saa

Silver Saa’s decision to become a chef follows the path of many of his counterparts, a career that he fell into rather than deciding on.

Initially wanting to be artist, his plans to enter Tartu University of Applied Sciences ground to a halt when he was too late for the exams, so ended up having to rethink his future.

“Having had a summer job as a dishwasher in a restaurant for several summers in a row, I started to think at work that you can also make art on a plate,” said Silver, who has just opened his Aroma Bakery and Bistro.

“ As a result of this simple logic, I decided to submit the papers for the service school and dedicate myself to one thing – cooking.”

Over the years he has honed his craft, now having the confidence to produce lighter – but no less tasty – food.

“When you’re younger, you’re a bit more aggressive and the constant need to stay competitive manifests itself in an intense approach to cooking and a dense or oversaturated final result,” he said.

“Later, when you find your own style, you calm down, lean more towards finding balance

and appreciate what you do. As a person, you become more open in both creation and

format, and you find new ways of approaching food, emphasising textures, freshness and lighter flavours.”

It’s not just his style of cooking has changed but also the ingredients – less emphasis on protein and more towards vegetables, salads and herbs.

The importance of texture is reflected in his dishes as well as paying attention to what is in season.

”Nowadays, we get all kinds of food all year round such as strawberries, tomatoes, arugula, etc, but that doesn’t mean they’re always good,” he said.

Silver has now found himself in a happy place, ensuring that his life is a balance between work and family life.

“I don’t chase stars and titles anymore. If they come, I will be grateful, but the focus is nowadays elsewhere.’’