25 YEARS.. PASSION FOR THE CRAFT
“Dat ik ooit kok zou worden, had ik vroeger nooit gedacht. Na de middelbare school in Roemenië werkte ik in een slagerij, in de bouw, achter de bar bij een beachclub en later in de logistiek. Tussendoor was ik veel zomers op Sardinië, waar ik bij een zeilschool werkte. Uiteindelijk bracht de liefde me naar Nederland."
An Unexpected Beginning
“My girlfriend Hélène and I met through an online game, and after initially being in a long distance relationship, I moved here to be with her. My first jobs in Limburg had little to do with cooking. I harvested asparagus and worked as a handyman in various places.
Through mutual contacts, I got in touch with Annaline. Just before TEFAF in 2016, she called me. They urgently needed someone to help with the dishes. Could I perhaps lend a hand? I will never forget my first day. It was an incredibly busy Saturday evening, with the restaurant full of TEFAF visitors. At around one o'clock in the morning, I looked at the enormous mountain of dirty dishes that never seemed to get any smaller and thought to myself: ‘What on earth is this?!’”
From Dirty Dishes to My Own Creations
“The moment I truly began to believe in myself as a chef came during the various editions of Wijnrestaurant op het Land. Someone needed to take charge of the kitchen at Mes Amis during that month, and I was given that responsibility. The confidence they had in me eventually helped me find that confidence in myself. I realised: I can do this.
Gradually, some of my own ideas made it onto the menu. One of my first dishes was a leek roulade with roasted onion consommé. Another creation I still remember fondly was scallops with parsnip cream, crispy coral tuile and beurre blanc. But at Mes Amis, I learned much more than just cooking. Annaline taught me how important personal connections are in creating a positive working atmosphere: making time for coffee, a chat and genuine attention to others. Patriek taught me how to combine a warm, personal approach with a professional and businesslike mindset. But whenever the toolbox came out, we were just like brothers. Together, we tackled countless jobs at Mes Amis and during events. We are both rather stubborn and both like to decide for ourselves how things should be done. After every disagreement, one of us would shout, ‘Do whatever you want!’ Only to carry on working stubbornly side by side, finish the job and eventually both feel proud of the result. Just like the two clumsy handymen from the Dutch cartoon Buurman en Buurman. Ajeto!”
Never Completely Gone
“After nine years, I decided to leave Mes Amis because I wanted to spend more evenings at home. I now work at Harvey Kitchen & Bar. It is a different kind of kitchen, but a great place where I can express my creativity, for example through my homemade sauces.
And I have never completely left my Amis behind. Whenever Patriek comes up with another crazy idea and needs a helping hand, he can always give me a call. This year, for example, I proudly spent three days working with the team at Pinkpop Festival.
Ten years ago, I walked through the door as someone who was only supposed to help out with the dishes. Nine years later, I left as a chef, having learned my craft from the ground up at Mes Amis, starting right there at the kitchen sink. I look back on those years with an enormous amount of happiness!”
