Chef Chris Czerwinski is all about bringing his philosophy of variety, sustainability and hospitality to the dining table.
Soho House, a towering 28-story building in Sheung Wan, is a space for culture and leisure. But when hunger strikes, it also offers the tantalizing tastes of cuisine influenced by many different cultures. The array of dishes on offer at Soho House Hong Kong comes from the mind of Chef Krzysztof Czerwinski.
When he’s not in the kitchen, Czerwinski, better known as Chef Chris, can be found up at about six in the morning, paddling at Hong Kong’s Yacht Club. But before landing in the city, he traveled around the world, developing his passion for cuisine and learning in kitchens from London to Japan.
As Executive Chef of Soho House Hong Kong and lead chef of the upcoming Rescued Feast event in partnership with CHOMP and TheMilSource (TMS), Chef Chris is all about bringing his philosophy of variety, sustainability and hospitality to the dining table. TMS caught up with Chef Chris to learn more about what inspires his culinary ideas for Soho House.
A taste for the kitchen over a taste for tunes
After deciding to quit law school and try his hand at sound engineering, Chef Chris initially stepped into the culinary world as a way to support himself. But that experience snowballed and ultimately changed his entire career trajectory. “It was here where I met my mentor who introduced me to life in the kitchen,” he says. “Instead of mixing tunes, I decided to mix flavors.”
Those decisions brought him to London, where he worked as head chef for culinary giant Gordon Ramsay. Reflecting back on this time, he recalls the thrill of working with such a chef to be the rockiest part of his culinary career. “But, it was more fun,” he clarifies.
He learned a lot about working in the F&B industry the hard way – the hands-on way. “I think you just need to put your head down, work towards the next day, and make sure the next day you are better than the day before,” he says. Focus, hard work and learning from the best shaped Chef Chris into the chef he is today.
The Soho House experience
“The cuisine in Hong Kong … it’s very demanding to be honest,” admits Chef Chris. Being a chef in this city means having access to ingredients, culinary styles and palates from all over the world.
“It gives us a chance to create dishes which would be impossible to do, for example, in Europe,” he explains. Tomatoes and asparagus from New Zealand and truffles from Italy in one dish? “That normally wouldn’t happen," Chef Chris says. But, in Hong Kong, it’s made possible because of the city’s geographical advantage.
On top of that, Hong Kong’s mix of diverse cultures isn’t found only in its art, music, movies and books. It also extends to what goes in our stomachs. “Hong Kong’s dining scene is known for its efficiency, high standards, and the availability of a wide range of dining options which always push us to be more creative,” says Chef Chris. With all the ingredients we have access to from around the world, “it makes life a bit more exciting,” he says. “The city’s vibrant street food culture, traditional Cantonese cuisine and the collaboration of East and West flavors makes it unique.”
That diversity is exactly what you’ll find when you have a meal at Soho House. It’s all about incorporating local and global flavors while collaborating with talented local chefs. That, to Chef Chris, is his favorite part of the Soho experience. “There’s constantly something new coming to the menu,” he says.
Soho House also ensures that its menu reaches across the vast sea of differing taste buds. Aside from the cultural and flavor diversity, that includes offering vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options to accommodate any dietary need. “Hong Kong is a melting pot of cultures and cuisines,” says Chef Chris.
Food is all about the people
F&B and hospitality go hand in hand, and Chef Chris stresses that, at its core, it’s all about service. “I think it’s all about the people,” says Chef Chris.
But that means the chefs, cooks and other staff working behind the scenes, too. Over his culinary career, Chef Chris has done everything from mentoring to managing to designing menus and organizing events. “It’s about empowering them and making sure you ask yourself how you can make them successful. Rather than looking for mistakes,” says Chef Chris when asked how he handles his talented team of chefs.
“To point out mistakes is super easy,” he says. “But to make them grow, that’s a bit of a challenge.” But what is the one thing he always wants others to remember when it comes to the kitchen? “To change their profession,” jokes Chef Chris, with a smile and a shift in his seat. All jokes aside, he continues: “It’s an amazing profession. It’s very rewarding. Look at your colleagues, look at the people that surround you,” he says. That, to Chef Chris, is where growth is nurtured.
Outside the kitchen, it’s also about the people who come to Soho House – the customers. “Well, guests,” corrects Chef Chris. “I don’t like ‘customers’ because customers, you have that in a shop,” he says with a grin. Extending true hospitality means inviting people in to be your guests.
When asked about one of his favorite memories of his culinary journey so far, he says it was while he was working in one of the best restaurants in Japan. During this time, Chef Chris was shown what he says is the most important aspect of the cooking industry: hospitality.
“We don’t really cook for ourselves; we cook for others,” he says. From its creation to its consumption, food is a means of connection for the team and the guests. “It’s important to understand: We cook for people, right?”
Chef Chris’ philosophy over the course of his culinary career has been about the importance of cooking for others. “I think this is something sometimes people forget,” he says. Showing off flavors in a dish won’t go far if it doesn’t touch the guests. “There is no point in creating something which guests can’t understand,” says Chef Chris.
“Instead of serving our ego, it’s important to serve our members and guests,” Chef Chris concludes.
Comments ()