Three Michelin stars reward the courage to be yourself and get better every day. Jan Hartwig is living proof.
Jan, you've won numerous awards in your career, in addition to Michelin stars. How do you define success?
I have my own restaurant that is full, and I consider that a success. Six months after opening, we got three stars, which confirmed to me that I'm on the right track. The stars are a testimonial for our work, and at the end of the day, they help me succeed economically as well. I'm grateful for them, but I'm also grateful to myself - for saying to myself years ago: You can do it! and opened JAN regardless of my fears and the opinions of others. Many people discouraged me from doing it. They didn't understand that I was giving up "security" and three stars at Atelier, where I was previously the chef. It is a fact that I took the plunge in a time of crisis and took a big financial risk because I financed the restaurant all by myself, without investors. But if I hadn't done that, I might not be cooking today.
What was the impetus that made you go out on your own?
It was a process that was triggered by the pandemic. We had to take a break from the restaurant, and I was driven by a question I hadn't had time to ask myself until then. I started training as a chef in 2000 and for many years I didn't have time to think about whether this was how I wanted to work in fifteen or twenty years. In short, I never questioned my previous decision. It wasn't until the lockdown that I had to admit to myself that I wasn't happy professionally, so I looked into what the problem was. I came up with the answer, which was a desire to build something of my own, based on my own idea of hospitality.
What fundamentally changed for you?
A lot of things! Firstly, I fell in love with my profession all over again. Secondly - and this is pivotal for me as a chef and entrepreneur - I don't have to ask anyone if I can do what I want to do. My head has been freed up and I've learned how fulfilling it is to live your vision. At JAN, everything happens according to my setup, whether it's the system in the kitchen or the approach to the guests. Moreover, the strong feeling of freedom awakened a new creativity in me. What hasn't changed at all are my demands on the food. When it comes to quality, I don't compromise.
How do you judge the quality of the ingredients?
Sustainability and provenance matter to me, of course. That's a subject we can't close the door on in our kitchens. But as a chef, I primarily trust my taste. That's why I constantly check myself and train myself in sensory. When we have asparagus on the menu, I ask the sous-chef to buy two or three more asparagus from different suppliers, and then I taste them blind. At this stage, I don't care where the vegetables come from or how much money they cost. In most cases, the ingredient we're currently cooking with will win out, but if I deem another better, we'll start looking at it. In that case, I want to know all the information and ethics come into play.
Can you briefly describe how you create a new dish at JAN?
We change the menu in bits and pieces, never completely, so I only focus on the starter, for example. So I first clarify what the role of the dish is in the context of the whole tasting. Then I realise what season we are in and what is available. In February, I don't think about venison anymore, but it's still cold and there should be something hearty on the plate. So I'll focus on red poultry, like duck. White poultry, on the other hand, symbolises the spring season for me, it has a delicate flavour and it goes beautifully with the cherry sauce that goes well with the mushrooms. In spring, morels grow, and if morels, asparagus or peas. Suddenly you find yourself at the keyboard, piecing together different notes until you reach the sonata. Cooking is also a bit of a painting. Some dishes have light, bright flavours, others are darker, thicker and spicier, and no one color should dominate the menu.
Are local ingredients prevalent in your cuisine?
Definitely. I prefer regional products and I am convinced that we should generally look more for what grows and lives in our "home". Why would I buy watermelon from Tokyo or mackerel from Australia when Germany offers me great strawberries and freshwater fish? I can get the perfect trout or roe deer in May, and I am just as happy to wait for German rhubarb, asparagus or the first early potatoes. You have to wait for the good stuff! But I'm not dogmatic and I can't think of any reason to give up soy sauce or citrus. I don't advocate locality at all costs, whereas seasonality is a priority for me.
Is there a "musical notation" involved in creating dishes?
We usually draw a diagram. I'll use venison again as an example. With venison, we write down berries, mushrooms, spruce shoots and all sorts of ingredients that are found in the forest and evoke warm and earthy aromas. Black truffle, for example, also has this aroma, but it is not in season at that time, so we move on to root vegetables, beetroot and spices. I immediately associate venison with bay leaves or juniper, so I add gin to the sauce and balance the tartness of the juniper with sweetly preserved berries. The cranberries carry a slight bitterness that matches the pepper, so try black, white and green. Ideas and components pile up on the paper and we gradually reduce them to make the final course more structured and understandable. I feel that food properly doesn't need explanation. If the chef has to finish anything to make people understand what they are eating, then a mistake has been made somewhere.
How did you arrive at the original manuscript?
I draw on my experience and keep educating myself, I travel a lot, I look around and keep in touch with my colleagues, but in the end I don't care what others do. I don't look to the right or left, I don't try to imitate other people's recipes and I believe in what I think is good. My goal is not to outdo others, but to outdo myself and be a little bit better tomorrow. Fortunately, I already know who I am and I am constantly working on it. There are 157 restaurants in the world with three Michelin stars, which are, among other things, an award for the chef's identity being visible on the plate.
In a restaurant, you let the culinary identity of your country shine through. How do you treat tradition?
I use German ingredients and the flavours, associations and memories that come to mind when combined with taste. Food can take us back to places where we had a good time, and sometimes just a spoonful of sauce can do that. In JAN, we therefore emancipate "ordinary" ingredients and traditional dishes such as goulash or Senfei (eggs in mustard sauce). As an adult, I hated it, and this led me to the idea of a new course that proved to myself that care and precision elevates even the most reviled recipes. At the same time, goulash must taste like goulash! To do this, it is necessary for the cook to perfectly discern the nuances of taste. This is the only way to modernise traditional cuisine without losing its DNA.
How much do you respect tradition and how much do you experiment with it?
Honestly, I have more respect for the ingredients. The whitefish with sauerkraut and horseradish, the smoked eel soup, the Bavarian lamb with bear garlic and lamb tongue sauce... all of these, to me, are examples of our cuisine, which is naturally inspired by the local landscape. At the same time, I believe that if we are to preserve anything, it is the feeling we experience when we sit around the table with family and friends, eating together and sharing our lives.
Is this feeling something that contemporary gastronomy needs to do better with?
It certainly is! The year is 2025 and luxury is perceived differently than before. In establishments like JAN it would once have been unacceptable to serve food on tables without tablecloths, whereas now we're setting the table for guests who are looking for a safe space and a human touch. They want great food and drink, but above all they want to relax, stop and have fun surrounded by their loved ones. Period. Our job is to give them the most enjoyable holistic experience possible, which is why the atmosphere at JAN resembles an inn in the best sense of the word. At the same time, we have to take into account that guests nowadays place great importance on the ingredients we cook with. For us chefs, taste is often the most important aspect, but for many people, the measure of quality is animal welfare, organic production and health.
Another challenge for the industry is working with the younger generation. The average age in your team is around 25. How do you motivate your people?
The chefs and waiters who come to us don't need outside motivation. They know where they are employed and why, and they have strong intrinsic motivation. Anyone who lacks it will soon go elsewhere and that's fine. On the other hand, it is my duty to ensure the ideal conditions for thisfor individuals in the team to develop and improve. A fixed daily schedule, the transfer of competences and, last but not least, working hours contribute to this. The restaurant is open four days a week. We are closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, as well as on major holidays and in August, when we take almost four weeks off.
In the catering industry, this kind of operation is not exactly common. What made you do it?
In twenty years in the kitchen, I've never experienced what it's like to have weekends off, and even more so, I want us all to not only work well, but live well. I demand 100% focus on shift, our preparation is intense and we give our best. That way, we can and must get enough rest. We're only human. We deserve time off and healthy relationships - my daughter is still young, but when she's an adult, I'd hate to have to explain to her why I was never home for Christmas. Personally, I prefer to work under pressure, but without balance, I can't stay on my feet for long. Owning my own restaurant has taught me that I need to be accountable not only to my team, guests, suppliers and the bank I owe money to, but also to myself.
They say 10,000 hours of training leads to mastery. What do you think, is that enough?
It's not enough! You've got to kick yourself in the ass, be faster, and "run" harder than everyone else. I wanted to be able to cook, that's why I went into teaching, but to get anywhere, I had to realise that diligence, determination and routine were the prerequisites for success. Routine makes for consistency and consistency is the key to excellence. In addition, you must have a clear vision, not let anyone or anything get you down and accept that you will sacrifice a piece of yourself. Not everyone is ready for that. In theory, people want to achieve something, but in practice they are not willing to accept the consequences and overcome the obstacles.
Is there such a thing as the best restaurant in the world?
I say there isn't. Such an assessment is subjective and is always influenced by the moment. Our tastes, sensations and emotions differ and none of us has the right to judge: This is the best pub ever! If we can get our guests excited about our concept, about the food and the wine, I am satisfied, but I cannot please everyone. Quite frankly - I don't want to please everyone. The JAN restaurant is booked six months in advance, so we have the opportunity to make hundreds, if not thousands of people happy. What's more?!
You've been wearing a Rondon for 25 years. Where do you get the energy to keep going?
I simply love cooking, with all its pros and cons. Being a chef is a privilege. I get to work with and for people, travel the world, learn and make interesting contacts. Every day is different! I don't like boredom, and cooking is so colourful that I can't imagine another profession for myself.
Craft or art?
Craft. Respectively, if we look at German and Czech cuisine, we can probably agree that goulash and dumplings require craftsmanship above all. Our traditional cuisines are quite rustic, but we can refine them, bring a certain finesse to the original dishes, and if the chef cooks really carefully, the craft becomes an art. That's where I see the future of tradition.
