Czech cuisine is here to stay, it's just grown up a bit. An interview with chef Mark Janouch of Kuchyň
Czech food, beer, and Prague in the palm of your hand
What does Kuchyň mean to you today?
We are always talking about Czech cuisine and of course we are trying to push it further. We're not inventing new dishes, but we're improving the existing ones. We use the best ingredients we can find and we want our guests to leave happy.
The kitchen has been open for eight years, what's changed in that time?
Well, first of all, the guests are no longer don't come to the stove to pick out their food like they used to. After covid, we turned into a classic restaurant with a menu. In the beginning we used to cook goulash, sausage or meatloaf, but now you won't find them on the menu.
So the pandemic has changed not only the operation, but also the menu?
Yes, it has. After the covid, we mainly wanted to see if people would come back, and we did. The menu hasn't changed radically, but all the dishes we've gradually and we've been fine-tuning every single dish. Today, we're putting the most emphasis on the quality of the ingredients and the taste.
Where did the original, unconventional concept come from?
Tomáš Karpíšek, who saw it abroad, I think it was in Crete, came up with it. We went to see the restaurant. It was tiny, home-made and the guests were queuing for their food. The idea was great. However, when it worked like that in our country, the guests didn't even want to go to the stove on the first few visits because they knew what they were going to have. It was also quite a lot of work to prepare, and we had to show the guests everything, put it on, and then the others came in... In a rush like we have here, it was impossible for a long time.
When the restaurant opened, you drew a lot from old cookbooks. Which recipes were essential for you?
It wasn't so much specific recipes as it was it was the approach to cooking - doing everything honestly, slowly, with respect for the ingredients. I drew mainly from the cookbook of Marie B. Svobodovábut the most important thing for me is to "cook with love", as they say.
Before that, you worked for a long time at Lokál. Which positions did you hold?
As a chef, I started Lokál Dlouhááá and I stayed there for about for four years. After that, I was executive chef of all the Lokál restaurants - that was a great experience, even though I didn't really have a kitchen anywhere. I traveled between businesses and helped the chefs make it work everywhere.
So you wanted to finally have your own place where you could create?
That's right. I was always dealing with the lack of chefs at Lokál, but I couldn't control the situation. Now I'm dealing with it too, just on a smaller scale - and if I don't have a chef, I go into the kitchen myself. It's my kitchen, my responsibility.
How did you enjoy the Lokál cuisine after all these years?
Lokál cuisine is Czech cuisine - honest and understandable. But here at Hradčany we knew from the beginning that we wanted to push it a little bit higher.
What changed for you when you moved from Lokál to Kuchyň?
I think it's mainly the attitude towards people. I used to be stricter, but now I appreciate more that I have a good team around me. Mistakes always happen, but I want people to know that if something goes wrong, it can be solved - the main thing is to talk about it. I haven't met a flawless person yet.
What kind of boss are you?
Wonderful. (laughs) But seriously - I try to listen. If even the youngest guy in the kitchen says something that makes sense to me, I think about it and a lot of times we try it. We're a team, we don't look at hierarchy so much.
How has your team changed over the years? Do you have a lot of young people here?
I have a mix of young and more experienced chefs. Turnover is normal, but the core remains. Now I have a great group of young guys who enjoy the work and want to learn. I know they won't be here forever - and that's okay. I'm happy to help them to move on to another restaurant, for example at Ambiente.
So are you in the kitchen every day, or are you just supervising?
I'm always in the kitchen when I'm not on vacation. And if I'm not cooking, I'm consulting and tasting. I'm not at the stove every day anymore, but I don't want to lose touch with cooking. If someone gets sick, I'll go and cook. And I'm happy to do it.
Favourite feasts and quality ingredients
Seasonal feasts are typical for Kuchyň. How do you think about them?
At the beginning of the season, we come up with an idea and the ingredients that are available. Everyone on the team will design their dish, cook it, and then together we tweak it - sometimes five times before we're completely satisfied. Tomas is also very involved: Hrušovský, general manager). Today, we have a basic set of feasts according to the season: venison, spring, summer, goose and holiday. We always change some of the dishes and improve the regular ones.
And what about the carnival feasts, have you been organising those since the beginning?
Yes, we tried them the first year and they have stayed. It's a nice tradition and a reminder at the same time that winter is coming to an end and the garden is coming back to life.
Do you think about what the food will look like on the plate when you create the menu?
I'm not much of a stylist. (laughs) I have guys who are much better at it than I am, and I give them space. But of course, I've picked up on how it's supposed to look.
Which dishes have stuck on the menu since the beginning?
First of all, hanger steak in red wine - has gone through a lot of changes, but we still love it. Tartare we've changed it up a little bit, too. A chicken liver pate? That's gonna stay here until they take me away. (laughs)
Where do you get your ingredients?
We get our meat mainly from Amaso, chicken from the farm in Rašovice, dairy products from Struhy farm and cheese from Krasolesi. We get vegetables from farmers - for example from Sluneční farm in Vykáň. Pepa Kalenda from Chabrybarna has been bringing us fish for years. Relationships with suppliers are important to me, some are nowadays almost friendly now. Often we just call each other to see what is available.
Do you have a favourite raw ingredient that you particularly like to work with?
Probably not. The important thing is that it's fresh and good. But we make our own flavoured oils - parsley, lovage, dill... I like that.
What about the guests, have they changed in eight years?
I think it's more the way people can appreciate that the food is really tasty and good quality.
Kuchyň is also known for its great draft beer. But you've been focusing a lot on wine lately, haven't you?
That's true. Since we've had a sommelier Lukáš Mohorek.and after the renovation a year and a half ago, we're focusing more on wine than we used to - and it's working. The combination of food and wine is just great. In the summer, everyone drinks beer down in the gardens, but in the winter, the ratio of wine to beer is closer to 1:1, and I wouldn't be surprised if wine wins in the colder part of the year. It's a huge amount of work by the people who look after our wine and those who offer it.
Are there any new developments in the pipeline?
After the New Year we are planning renovation of the indoor kitchen. We have more steaks and the kitchen is not quite up to it, so we need to rebuild it to make it easier for the cooks to work.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I try to spend time with my family, with my sons. I go to soccer with them, for example, I want to be close to them.
