Chef Table at Wine Vault Restaurant — Rovinj, Croatia
As a personal chef, I strive to stay fresh and relevant, so I’m always on the lookout for new flavors and dishes for my clients, who come from all over the world.
In October, I took a culinary trip to Croatia and Slovenia to taste some of one of the world’s best chef’s work. In addition to truffle hunting and tasting fresh Adriatic seafood experiences blew me away. The highlight by far was the amazingly personal chef table experience at Wine Wine Vault Restaurant, while watching Chef Damir Pejcinovic and team prepare the feast.
I may have asked more questions than any other guest in his history, but I really enjoyed learning so much about the preparation of each dish over the course of the four and a half hour dinner, Yes, this was surely the longest dinner of my life!
Local ingredients were incorporated thoughtfully into most dishes with a modern twist. Some ingredients came from other European countries, but for the most part, it’s was as Croatian as it gets (of course, I’m not an expert in Croatian cuisine, but it was as authentic as I’ve experienced!). After my dinner, I had learned a great deal about local wine, cheese, octopus and risotto through the conversations with the chefs and the sommelier.
Sadly, when the pastry chef brought out the fourth encore dessert, we finally had to politely decline the chef’s additional generous offerings. At this point, I had lost count of the exact number of courses, but I know it was in the double-digits!) As midnight approached, I felt like Cinderella boarding the pumpkin carriage, leaving behind her whimsical food paradise, but it will forever be a cherished memory.
Nothing tantalizes the taste buds more than using familiar ingredients to create unexpected tastes. From Chef Damir’s creations, I felt many AHA moments of good surprises!
I now leave you all with pictures to image the deliciousness. Croatia is a very beautiful country with abundant seafood and is the home of many delicious wines, which aren’t often exported due to the limited quantity, produced. May I suggest you also visit Croatia to find out it’s beauty.
Happy Travels!
