I wanted to record the story of La Degustation and its contribution to gastronomy, says Blanka Datinská
A Michelin-starred restaurant in the centre of Prague
The tasting menu presents a seasonal ingredients from select farmers, gatherers and hunters. We place a lot of energy into finding them, and cook to emphasise the individuality of each ingredient.
Our dishes are rooted in traditional cuisine, finding inspiration in the cycles of nature, and the relationships between the ingredients we select. When we prepare game, careful attention is payed to the environment in which the animal lives, what it eats, and how the seasons influence its flavour.
Our sommeliers contemplate and experiment with wine and non-alcoholic food pairings, mixing fruit, vegetables, herbs and nuts into their drinks.
What was the first impulse to write a book about La Degustation?
Let me go back to the very beginning - about eight years ago, when I was already writing for the Ambiente Food and Joy blog, I applied for a job as an accountant for La Degustation - and I got it. But I eventually turned it down because I was studying for my PhD at the time and wouldn't have been able to keep up. A little while later, I was doing one of my first ever interviews with Olda Sahajdák, who was chef at the time.
What was next?
About two and a half years ago, Šárka Hamanová, head of communications at Ambiente, came to me to see what we had written about La Degu in that time and what could be done next. And the only thing that came out of that was that I thought a book should be written.
What did she say?
She agreed. So did Tomas Karpíšek, with whom I had shared my dream of writing books for some time. I would like to thank them both for supporting me all these years and allowing me to grow.
And so you started writing?
First, I went to talk to the team at La Degu to see if I could come in for regular shifts in their kitchen, to observe their work, the running of the restaurant... they had no problem with that. They were great, they let me do practical things, I could help with the preparations. I usually spent part of the day there. Sometimes I would shadowing the person I was assigned to, sometimes I helped out in the cold cuts or in the auberges (the section where amuse bouche and petit fours are prepared, ed.), or maybe I just watched the evening service.
How did they react to the book plan?
Olda said he didn't care. (laughs) But I'm very grateful to him and everyone else in the team for letting me in. Olda met with me often - I thank him for that - and I could ask him anything. That's why he features a lot in the book, although it's not his biography, but the story of all the people who make up the restaurant team.
Did you have a clear idea right from the beginning of what the book should look like and what it should be about?
I knew it wasn't going to be a cookbook, the recipes in the book are just illustrative. I saw it as mainly a story and a contribution to gastronomy and society. I spent hundreds of hours researching and going through available materials, newspaper articles, old menus. Olda has shared with me recipes from their 19 years. And gradually the format and structure of the book was born.
Who else did you talk to?
The other people who started La Degu, with Filip Trcka (the first general manager of La Degustation, ed.), with the investor, with former chefs, sommeliers... From this, a strong story gradually crystallised. Haštalská was the first tasting restaurant in the Czech Republic, the first fine dining, but also a great school. That's why the working title was Kuchařská škola (Cooking School)- referring also to the book Kuchařská škola Marie B. Svobodová, which La Degu is still inspired by today. Primarily, however, I wanted to express the fact that generations of chefs and waiters have passed through the restaurant, and today they are passing on. So from the beginning I knew it would be more of a "documentary".
Was it hard to get to all these people?
Not at all. Whether I reached out to former employees, winemakers, suppliers, or chefs, they all wanted to share and be a part of it. The challenge was more in cutting their testimonies short and capturing the essence.
Was there anything they agreed on that they often repeated?
They all talked about Olda - even if they don't like to hear it, his name is and will be synonymous with La Degustation. They often mentioned fun and entertainment, but also discipline, attention to detail, the system, the order. And then Czech cuisine.
And what, on the other hand, is the common denominator in all the statements and materials?
I guess it's the fact that this is a pub, in the best sense of the word. I can't say it's a restaurant anymore. And although the book is about Czech cuisine, tradition and gastronomy, it's a book about people. A pub is made by people, by the team in the kitchen and on the set, and when you sit in Haštalská in the evening and it's packed, you immediately understand what is meant by "pub". Both guests and staff have fun at La Degustation and there is a relaxed atmosphere.
How did the "pub" label translate into a story about these people doing something special?
A pub is a place of modesty which is akin to humility. All these people were united by shared values that don't need much talking about. They need to be lived every day. I also think that when the space opened, no one knew what a great thing they were doing. They just wanted to do a good job and raise the bar, to match French gastronomy.
When did the book start to take on a real shape?
There was a phase of about a year of gathering materials and going to the restaurant. Last July I started writing intensively and in March I submitted the manuscript. The chapters are very much narrated - not by me, because I didn't experience the story myself. I worked with what the people shared and gradually gave shape to their thoughts.
Which part of the preparation was harder?
Definitely the writing, that's hard work, the routine. But the most challenging part for me was processing the interviews. I always transcribe everything, so I had many, many pages of text, of which I only used a fraction. And it's very hard to pick out the most interesting ones.
Did you have a system in your writing?
I prefer to write in the morning, but every day is different. At the same time, I'm the kind of writer who can't simply walk away from the computer when I can't find the right words, and I often just sit down and "suffer through it." And I usually read the written text out loud to myself so I can hear and feel the rhythm. In the case of the book, I proceeded chapter by chapter, returning to it alternately.
Were you able to be there when the visual aspect of the book was being created?
Yes, and I'm very grateful for that. I thought I would finish the manuscript and turn it in, but I ended up being involved in the selection of the photos. Zuzana Lednicka from Studio Najbrt, who did the graphic design for the book, drew me into the process and got me involved a bit too. We also worked closely together with Honza Zima, who photographed the whole book. We worked together a lot on what needed to be photographed. As far as paper, printing, distribution and many other things were concerned, everything was already handled by Adéla Hálková from the publishing house Došel karamel and I didn't interfere with that anymore. But I'm grateful that I could be there and see the book being born.
Who is it for, who did you write it for?
I wrote a dedication at the beginning saying that it was for everyone who likes, or is yet to like, dill. (laughs) But it is for anyone who wants to learn about gastronomy in the Czech Republic, about the importance of hospitality, but also about the life of people in the kitchen and on the set... I wrote it for chefs, but it's definitely for guests, including foreigners, who want to know what Czech cuisine is - so we're publishing part of the print run in English. I would really like the book to reach people, who know that gastronomy is a culture or that the book will make them aware of it.
And what should chefs take away from it?
It should motivate them to be honest, to really do what they say they are going to do, to work with farmers, to take pride in what is ours without questioning. And also, to realise that some things don't need to be done differently. You just have to do them right.
Have you come to any profound realisations over the years?
That relationships play a huge part in working in the restaurant business, that it's good to be open to change, and maybe there are more important things in the world than what one often considers to be higher goals. I have a lot more perspective now, too.
Have your ideas about La Degu or your perception of it changed in any way?
I like it even more and look up to it even more. At the beginning I knew it was a Michelin restaurant, I knew a little bit about the story, the values... But when you find out that it's real, that it's genuine, you start to appreciate it even more.
