direct speech – Style – Kommersant

Kommersant Style sees off 2022 with a series of interviews about the personal and professional results of the year, plans for the coming year with representatives of various fields of activity. Today is about the world of the restaurant business.

William Lamberti, chef, restaurateur, concept designer Sartoria Lamberti, Pinch, Ugolek:

“2022 was a busy year: in February, we opened a Lumicino retrospective restaurant dedicated to my anniversary. Speaking in metaphors, each dish contains a part of my soul, and life seems to be served on plates, because each recipe is either family or from my great chef teachers. Another joy: my daughter Anastasia participated in the show ”Voice” and reached the final, now she is recording songs and developing in music. Very proud! In addition to restaurants, I studied physics and psychology and even created my own theory – now we are in the process of methodological justification and preparation to introduce it to the general public.

What will 2023 be like? I’m afraid to make predictions and make God laugh, I know for sure that a new Lamberti story will begin on Bolshaya Nikitskaya, because the Historia restaurant is almost completed and will be open soon! Happy New Year to the readers of Kommersant and I want to remind you: don’t expect anything, as they say, you are your luck. Act!”

Evgenia Kachalova, founder of the Bazar Family restaurant group:

“The year was not easy, but very different. Once again, the restaurant industry is facing new challenges. I had to maintain a balance between optimism and realism. We have learned to be flexible, have become even more ideological, able to find a way out of any situation. This is the only way to not only stay afloat, but also move on. In 2022, we launched a new restaurant concept “VinFak”, strengthened the training and motivation program for the team, took part in various events, forums and conferences. In general, I keep my finger on the pulse, otherwise nothing. The plans include new projects, collaborations, menus, wine festivals and more. For example, in one of our projects we will develop the coffee component and work with specialty coffee, and for this we are gathering a team of professional baristas. On a personal level, there have been many transformations. I have been trained in a culinary school and continue to get new gastronomic experiences, travel and discover new sources of ideas and energy.”

Emin Agalarov, developer, restaurateur, musician:

“The year has been full of changes and obstacles, but development continues nonetheless. Next year, I have identified for myself three of my main businesses, on which I will devote all my efforts and time: my resort village near Baku, a network of fitness clubs and, of course, Restaurants by Emin Agalarov, which we plan to open further in Baku, Moscow and possibly Dubai. My results of the year: the opening of my most favorite and successful restaurant Peach, Divas karaoke club, restaurants in the Estate Mall complex – Cafemilano and Zafferano Village, also two restaurants in Baku – U ”Uncle Max’ and Zafferano. In terms of personal moments, I am very glad that I spent a lot of time with my family and my children, and next year I plan to do even more of this. The music market this year also experienced great difficulties, but nevertheless, together with my band, we visited many beautiful cities in Russia and the CIS with full houses. It costs a lot”.

Elena Shevtsova, restaurateur and concept chef of Peshi:

“Gastronomy has fascinated me since childhood, and I even made a wish to be in the Michelin guide. In 2022, 11 years after the opening of the Peshi restaurant, my dream came true.

Everything that has happened over the past 12 months has once again shown me that the success of the project depends not only on the leader, but also on each participant and the interaction between them. Every year brings us new surprises, and we have become accustomed to the fact that you need to be ready for challenges. I can’t really complain about 2022. It was easier than the year of the pandemic. But, of course, he crippled the morale of both guests and employees. To raise the mood of our own and our guests, we ourselves organized thematic events, such as the “Day of the fight against depression.”

In any crisis situation, you can find your pluses. Recall 2014: after the imposition of sanctions in Russia, its own production appeared. This year is the same: many products that previously, without reaching the domestic market, immediately went to the international market, are now beginning to spread within our country. And, of course, this situation is an excellent incentive for the development of domestic production, increasing the technological level and product range. For example, a unique technology “Acoustic Freezing” appeared, created by Russian designer Dmitry Balabolin. It allows you to keep the taste, chemical and visual properties of the product after defrosting the same as before freezing. This technology will help provide the domestic market of Russia with the freshest fish, seafood, meat and much more. Expectations for 2023: as I said above, new technologies and services from local scientists, organizations and industries will develop more and more. And I personally am very pleased and inspired by the idea that I am part of a new round in the history of our country.”

Interviewed by Irina Kirienko