MEET THE CHEF: Andrei Babõnin of Köök Restaurant in Tallinn, Estonia
BY TRIPVEEL EDITORIAL STAFF | September 2020
Tripveel sat down with Private Executive Chef Andrei Babõnin of Köök Restaurant in Tallinn, Estonia.
Private Executive Chef Andrei Babõnin of Köök Restaurant in Tallinn, Estonia
Where did you grow up and where have you traveled to that has helped inspire and shape your cooking philosophy?
I was born in Estonia, but my family and I are Russians. I take big pride of my Russian heritage, and the county I grew up in, Estonia. All of my childhood, I was lucky to eat traditional Russian dishes cooked by my Grandmother and Mother, so that Russian generosity and spirit will always be in my dishes. I guess that when I am cooking, I want my guest to be happy and well fed, same way my parents wanted the same for me and my brother all those years ago.
Private Executive Chef Andrei Babõnin of Köök Restaurant in Tallinn, Estonia
Tell our readers an interesting fact or two about yourself.
I am Russian in spirit and heart. I am very glad that I am able to travel true out my beautiful country, and see the gorgeous nature it has to offer. To taste traditional Estonian dishes, and to understand their philosophy. I was also very lucky that I have an older brother, who is also a Head Chef. He is 15 years older than me, so when I was a little boy, I used to visit him at work after school, where he always gave me a bowl of ice cream. I think that bowl of ice cream, was ultimately why I decided to become a chef. Bowl of ice cream a day? Yes, please!
Tell us about your absolute favorite food and why readers should try it if they haven’t already.
My mom's Syrnik, and my grandmother's apple pie. I think we can all agree that our mom's food is the best, and we should all be happy to be able to eat it, because at some point, we will not be able to, and the only think we will have left, are the memories of those tastes.
Private Executive Chef Andrei Babõnin of Köök Restaurant in Tallinn, Estonia
What are three ingredients that you simply couldn’t live without?
I have to say flour, salt and pepper. Not being able to season your food and bake bread is an awful feeling. But that's from a chefy point of view. If I had to respond from my personal tastes, I would have to say watermelon, tangerine and chicken, I just love those three.
We love the art behind plating. What do you love about designing the perfect dish?
I don't think there is such thing as a perfect dish and that's the beauty of it. I want to create something interesting for my guests and bring them to a journey of my experiences in life, and the things I love, and try and show them that cooking is not a recipe, it's a philosophy "Marco Pierre White," and I try to showcase that not only true my flavors, but also platings. And I think, I love the fact, that I have to go down memory lane when designing my dishes.
Tell us about one of the most creative dishes you’ve created?
While working in Norway, couple of times I had to go down to a nearby sushi restaurant to help them out in service. I remember the wonderful smell in the kitchen and the taste of sushi, which I never tried before. So, I wanted to recreate that, but with a twist. I decided that I wanted to use something local, something very Estonian for the main ingredient, and I decided on Smoked Eel from Saremaa Island, that would be my fish component. I never liked wasabi, but I knew I had to add something spicy, and I thought to myself, "Why not use harissa, and make a dressing out of it?" So now I had the spice part. The sushi that I had to make, all had cucumber in them, so it had to be in the dish, but in what way? I had the smokiness from the eel and the spice from the dressing, but I didn't have any acidity. Then I decided to pickle my cucumber in white wine vinegar, sugar and water pickle. The best part of creating this dish was coming up with the nori and rice part for it. I knew I wanted to do nori chips, but how? And then I found out Gim-Bugak, I tasted it and it was perfect! It was what I was looking for in the dish. It had the nori and rice flavor, but most importantly, it had that sushi smell that I remember coming from the kitchen all those years ago. And to finish the dish off, it had to have something fresh and cooling, so I added fresh green apple, and it was amazing. I think at this point, it's my signature starter: Smoked Eel with Harissa Dressing, Pickled Cucumber, Apple and Korean seaweed chips, also known as Gim-Bugak.
Private Executive Chef Andrei Babõnin of Köök Restaurant in Tallinn, Estonia
Share your most recent awards and accreditations with us!
I remember when I was the Head Chef of Restaurant Tabac and I cooked for a big group, I think it was 60 or 70 people. They had three different starters, three different main courses and one dessert. After they ate the dessert, I went out to the dining room to meet the event's organizer and asked her how was it. She said that everything was perfect, but what I didn't expect is for her to introduce me to the entire dining room and for all the guest to burst in applause and cheers. I think that was my biggest reward for me thus far.
What are some of the latest trends you’re seeing in top restaurants across the globe?
I think that I started to see more and more simple food being implemented in menus after Covid-19. And I absolutely love it, it's back to basics!
What’s your favorite cocktail or drink of choice?
I don't drink alcohol. But, I do recall while working as a Head Chef in Restaurant Tabac, here in Tallinn, our bartender came up to me and asked if I can taste his new cocktail made with bananas, and I absolutely loved it!
What do you love about being a Private Executive Chef at Köök Restaurant in Tallinn, Estonia?
At the moment, I am a private head chef, and I work very closely with Köök Restaurant here in Tallinn. They specialize in private cooking events and cooking classes. They quite often invite other chefs to cook for their guest, and do cooking classes. And I absolutely love working in that kind of environment, where I can cook alongside the guests, and have the opportunity to chat to them, show some tips and tricks, and share my cooking philosophy with them.
Private Executive Chef Andrei Babõnin of Köök Restaurant in Tallinn, Estonia
