Born in 1968, this chef's adventure in professional cooking started after his graduation in …. philosophy. He then gained experience in five-star hotels in Poland: for example, the Hotel Bristol and the Hotel Rialto in Warsaw. He faced new challenges in China, where he worked between 2001-2003 as an executive chef for the Hunters restaurant and the Tropicana in Shanghai. Since 2007, he was the head chef and co-owner of the successful and celebrated restaurant Ancora in Kraków, southern Poland. The restaurant has been awarded by Michelin culinary inspectors for 6 years in a row. In April 2014 Chrząstowski moved to work at another restaurant in the same city - Ed Red, which specializes in steaks. He commented on this decision:
I wanted to create a new quality in Kraków - a restaurant on a European level that is able to offer modern Polish cuisine and makes the most out of the wealth of our local products. I managed to fill that gap, Ancora is a big success. I nevertheless decided to quit. The reason was a vast difference in opinions between me and my partner who held the majority of shares. On top of that, I received an offer to become a chef at a new restaurant with an interesting profile. It made my dream about opening a steakhouse come true, and became a new challenge to me, an opportunity for further development.
His experience, culinary knowledge and organizational skills drew the attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, resulting in him being chosen for the position of Chief Culinary Consultant during the Polish Presidency of the European Union in 2011. He supervised menus for VIP meetings organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and organized training in Polish cuisine for cooks of the Council of Europe.
As he emphasises, cooking is his life. His passion for cooking comes from his family home. His grandmother taught him how to make preserves, chop cabbage and knead dough. What is his culinary philosophy? Modern Polish cuisine. Cooking according to the seasons, using products from local producers, and reviving Polish cuisine in a forgotten, luxury version. His cooking style is open to experimentation: based on tradition but adding oriental accents and using new culinary techniques. His favourite Polish dish is roe deer fillet with forest mushrooms.
The chef writes about food and gastronomy, and creates culinary events. He hosts two programs on Polish culinary TV channels. He is also a columnist for the two most important culinary magazines in Poland: "Kuchnia" and "Food Service”; and the author of popular culinary blogs.
Author: Magdalena Kasprzyk – Chevriaux, January 2013, update: AM, May 2014