Dodici wine&kitchen

The new hero of our #CBfriends column is Alexander Popov, the chef of the Nizhny Novgorod project Dodici Wine&Kitchen, which has just opened in Moscow. We talked with Alexander about what they serve at Dodici, why it is important to communicate with guests, how chefs enter the profession and why they don’t leave.

Tell us about yourself: what did you do before Dodici, how did your path in this profession begin, and did you ever want to turn away from this path and do something else?

When I was in school, I attended a theater club and wanted to become an artist. But my teacher dissuaded me: in Nizhny Novgorod, where I come from, it is quite difficult to enter the faculty in this specialty, and moving forward without connections is even more difficult - it is more a matter of luck, and this did not particularly suit me. When asked what else I would like to do, I answered that in general I like to cook, I always help my mother - from the age of 7 I did not depend on my parents for food - I did not wait for them to cook for me, but went and cooked myself.

I was advised to go to culinary school. There was a college with him, and after 9th grade I entered there to major in catering technologist. After studying for almost three years, I received my first document - 3rd category in specialization. I then took first place in a competition between chefs and technologists. I don’t even remember what I cooked, but most likely something simple. After that, I was invited to a paid internship at a restaurant during the summer holidays, which I naturally agreed to. I really liked it: before that we studied and understood everything in theory and in workshops, but in the restaurant business everything is different - waiters, evening steam, service... I was so impressed by it all that I decided not to quit my job and combine it with my studies . I agreed with the teachers on a 2/2 schedule, but these were the habits of a maximalist: literally after a couple of months I began to go to school less and less, problems appeared, they tried to “drag” me, but I said that I didn’t need concessions and went to the academy , deciding that I would finish my studies if possible.

How important is education for chefs?

This is extremely important. Previously, everything was standardized: if you work at some enterprise, then university training - knowledge of types of cuts, names and volumes of pans - was enough. And no matter where you went, all the dining rooms were practically the same. Everyone had the same “cooking bible” and everything was clear.

Now everything has become much more complicated: the knowledge that I received during my studies is only 15% of what I really need to know, and the rest can only be learned at work. It’s one thing to carry out a narrow scope of work in a dining room according to standards; another thing is a restaurant where the chef cooks so that the dish is cost-effective, tasty, and evokes emotions in the guest.

Therefore, education, self-education and learning during the work process is necessary, and I am very grateful for the base that I received, because without it it would have been difficult. Although I know many cooks and chefs who did not receive specialized education, but work successfully. So in our work it is important to push yourself, develop, try, practice, read scientific literature, including on management. Chemistry, accounting, and economics will also come in handy.

How did you start working at Dodici?

I worked part-time in various cafes and restaurants, traveled a lot - I worked in Nizhny Novgorod, Sochi, and Moscow, and at some point I ended up at the Mitrich restaurant in Nizhny. At that time it was a “vyshak”. Two chefs worked there - one is still there, the other left for Spain - they were creative guys who did something new, used a lot of different techniques, different utensils. And there was iron discipline without excesses - this was the first time I saw this, and it was a very good school. There I met Alexander Khazov (CEO of Dodici) and Artyom Atopshev (brand chef of Dodici). Then they worked in executive positions. I worked there for 2 years and rose to junior sous chef. Then he left for a new restaurant as a sous chef. A few years later, on my birthday, my wife and I decided to go to the restaurant that Alexander and Artyom opened. We were greeted well - the service and congratulations there were well organized. As a result, first my wife and then I started working there, but first as a cook, then became a foreman, then a sous-chef - you can’t just come to this position. Then I went on a business trip to Vladimir to develop a restaurant there, and when I returned I started again as a cook. In 2018, we were actively looking for premises for Dodici in St. Petersburg and Moscow, and in the end I was invited to work in Moscow under the supervision of Artyom. And now, I’ve been here since December – we’ve been working for a month now.

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What is this Dodici format, and how does it differ from others?

This is an enogastronomic restaurant. On the one hand, our food is simple, but we also have a line of gastronomic sets - this is just a story about small portions and many servings: amuse bouche, appetizer, second appetizer, third, main course, salad, entre, dessert... Plus we have There is an aquarium with live seafood and oysters.

If we talk about the concept, we have an Italian format - Italian wine, Italian bricks, the cuisine was also originally like this, but now we are gradually moving into fusion - adding Asian notes, starting to work with Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese products. We never limit ourselves in experiments, and this is the whole thrill - trying something new and combining.

Several years ago there was a fashion among chefs to use only local products, but this is difficult and not always appropriate. And although supporting local producers is a good thing, high-quality local products often cost several times more than foreign analogues of no worse quality. Therefore, the position “if we did something well, then it will cost as much as a Faberge egg” is a little repulsive.

Let's discuss the menu in more detail: how do you choose dishes?

For us, the most important thing is that it is not just tasty, but interesting, evokes some emotions, inspires. If we talk about chefs as artists, then art is precisely what evokes any emotions. And if a dish is tasty, that’s normal; tasteless food is not food.

Let's say the other day we tried cherry ice cream - we make it ourselves - and added honeysuckle berries to it. They diluted the sweetness of the ice cream so successfully that it gave us the emotion “wow, that’s cool!”, but sometimes it’s just delicious and that’s all. So we strive to ensure that all the dishes we prepare evoke pleasant feelings.

What inspires you when creating new dishes?

This is a very good question! I almost always think about work (which my wife probably doesn’t really like about me) in terms of tastes, food, and in my free time I think about products. And when you constantly think about something, ideas come unexpectedly. You’re walking down the street, you see birch brunettes and you start thinking about why not eat them? You begin to assemble the puzzle: raise the base, chemistry, physics - what does it taste like, how to change the texture, will it be possible to eat it, will you get poisoned. If some details don’t add up, then you start again, and as soon as you realize that it can work, you come to the kitchen, do it, and try it. Often it doesn’t work out the way it seems in your head, but if you don’t stop and solve emerging issues along the way, then everything ends successfully.

Do you have any special professional tricks, a special approach to certain aspects of your work?

This is a very significant thing in the life of every chef, when you come young to a kitchen that has a core, this kitchen leaves its mark on you. You work in a certain system, and then, when you go to another place, it can be difficult to readjust. Alexander, Artem, and I work using the same system, so it’s quite easy for us in this regard. This is due to the training of staff and the attitude towards waiters and cooks. It often happens that the hall and the kitchen are two warring sides, but this should not be the case, because in the end the guest suffers. Waiters, cooks and the entire management team must be like a fist or a palm to stroke and feed the guests :)

For us, the most important thing is a good attitude towards the staff, and in the first place is not the guests, as many restaurateurs say, but the employees. Because if they are in first place, then the guests will feel good and will think that they are in first place.

What do you think is the secret of success for a chef?

I heard someone say that the indicator of a chef’s success is a restaurant full of guests, when guests know who they are coming to, why, and leave satisfied. Well, to get there, you have to work. If we talk about our restaurant, the first couple of weeks after opening I often brought out dishes myself, and I still go out to regular guests. For example, I recently offered a regular guest a dish that was not yet on the menu, and although he is very picky, he was pleased. I think the secret of success is precisely that you need to pay attention to communication, checkback and all the little things. The main thing is not to give up.

Are picky guests a good thing?

A good guest is an honest guest. We, of course, remember the habits and wishes of regular guests and listen to objective criticism, but you just get used to nagging and strange guests over time. And it also happens that a guest constantly comes and orders one thing andthe same thing, although every time he says that he didn’t like it.

Is there anything you consciously point out to your guests?

Of course, every morning we have a five-minute meeting where a stop-go sheet is issued. The stop part indicates items that are not available today or for the next few hours, and portion limits to avoid disappointment. The go-list indicates what needs to be sold from the menu today, for example, there is asparagus - it is fresh, but there is too much of it, and it needs to be sold so that it does not spoil. This happens when you are counting on a flow, but everyone suddenly starts ordering the same dish, and the rest of the food goes to waste. There is also special – something that is not yet on the menu, and perhaps never will be. Let's say we bought chanterelles at the market - it's the season now, and we decided to cook something. We made pasta with chanterelles and served it to the guests.

The taste of a dish is definitely the most important aspect of it, but how important do you think the role of the utensils is in serving it?

I would say this is very important. When you receive a dish, you will see it first, and what it is on and how it is served will play a big role in what emotions the guest will feel. If it is slurry in an aluminum bowl, then even if it is incredibly tasty, the first impressions will not be the best. Therefore, the design of the dish, of course, plays a role - in the selection of color and shape. Colorful dishes are served on white dishes, while simple dishes, on the contrary, are served on more interesting, spectacular ones. Everything should be harmonious.

Well, for example, the French style of serving with a tiny dish on a large plate, in my opinion, emphasizes the fact that this is a delicacy, and you should appreciate and savor this dish.

Do your visitors pay attention to the dishes? Is there one they especially like?

Yes, it happens that guests buy plates that they liked.

Do you follow etiquette and traditional serving techniques or do you experiment with shapes and presentation of dishes?

We have a classic serving, but without any bending, for example, we do not have separate forks for salad, fish, and meat.

Who on your team is responsible for equipping the kitchen with dishes?

If we take only the kitchen, then this is done by the chefs together with the contractors with whom we work, for example, with Complex-Bar for inventory. If you take the dishes, then the manager and the director, the manager also join the chefs, and the opinion of the waiters can be heard - everyone can take part.

What equipment and tools do you consider indispensable in the kitchen? What makes your life easier?

If you don’t take a knife and a board, then a cool piece of expensive equipment is a mixer that grinds the product under pressure. And I always have tweezers and a palette with me.

What advice can you give to aspiring chefs?

The most important thing is to work. When I worked as a cook for a year or two, I had thoughts of quitting it all. The restaurant business is a grind for everyone: for investors, because it is a complex business, problems arise every hour, and profitability is often in question, and for waiters and cooks, who are on their feet all the time. This type of work is quite detrimental to your health, especially if you stand in hot positions - there is high temperature, humidity, sometimes smoke, fat in the air. In general, all chefs should be prepared for the fact that they will work a lot and at a very difficult job, although the profession of a cook is still not recognized as hard work - no milk for you, no early retirement :)

And of course, it’s difficult if your social circle cannot understand why on May 9, New Year and other holidays you work and don’t go out with everyone. Therefore, I would advise you to decide for yourself how much you want to develop in this profession, and if you have already decided, then do not back down. It seems to me that it’s very disappointing to spend a huge amount of time, health, energy, and then quit and start something else. It's never too late to start something new, but you can find something new within your profession.