Fine dining enthusiasts have long known András Wolf, and he is recognised and respected by the professional community as well. He is the chef of the Salon Restaurant and the New York Café, and he is devoted to his work — and of course to his wonderful wife and two children. The general public may know him from a cooking show on television, where his professionalism, humility, sensitivity, sharp tongue and sense of humor is revealed. But what is he like as a chef who is responsible for two renowned restaurants in Budapest?
“Talent is only worth anything if you have diligence and humility as well”
The chef, known for his extraordinary professionalism, devotion and commitment, now also from television, has already proved his skills: he is a member of the Bocuse d’ Or Academy, and is one of the founders of essential Hungarian cuisine. He has been the chef at the New York Café and the Salon Restaurant for 8 years, and he has been active in this field for 24 years. Everything depends on him, he coordinates the work of 65 people.
This is rather challenging and requires a lot of energy, precision, discipline and meticulous timing. If you think that for such a task you need a man like András Wolf, you are right.
András Wolf, not your average chef
What is András like as a chef and as a person? We talked to his colleague, Csaba Szabó, restaurant director.
“András is a perfectionist in his work, always striving to achieve the best. He is highly creative, much to the delight of our guests, who, thanks to András, can enjoy unique treats.
As he is the chef, he is responsible for many areas. He has a free hand in practically everything. He devises and creates the menus, selects his staff, organises the schedule, and he is also responsible for purchasing kitchen equipment and serving ware. Since he is in charge of a 65-strong staff, he must be up-to-date with everything, he must know his colleagues, their strengths and weaknesses as well.”
“Creativity, order, cleanliness, humility — this is what I want to see”
The TV show mentioned earlier has shown that András has set the bar really high. He speaks plainly, his colleagues say he tends to be sarcastic, but he is never unfair and never hurts anyone. His colleagues know what is expected of them in their day-to-day work, and it is András’s task to make sure they are up to it. As a result, he is tough, he takes no excuses, he expects the very best, but he is sensitive to personal issues, and he is understanding and helpful.
He has great organisational skills, and he has extensive, extraordinary and unique knowledge both about managing and about creating kitchens. He is the complex chef himself. He is the one who has created what our guests can see on their plates, the treats they can enjoy with their eyes, nose and taste buds.
