Gault&Millau Croatia 2019 chef of the year is Hrvoje Zirojević

_{Photo credit Goran Jakuš}

Dalmatian cuisine, as an integral component of the broader Mediterranean story, is the great love of chef Hrvoje Zirojević. You can experience his passion for sea, fish and seafood generally in every dish he creates. He once said: “Even with a few more lives to live, I still wouldn’t be able to make the most of what the sea has to offer." Having become chef de cuisine of the Laganini restaurant in Palmižana near the island of Hvar, he became even more convinced of that. It is there that he prepares sea delicacies from freshly caught fish and other seafood on a daily basis. His perfect knowledge of ingredients and flavours as well as creativity in combining them is what makes chef Zirojević stand out among other chefs. Of course, there wouldn’t be any of his inspired, delicious and skilfully presented dishes if it wasn’t for his persistent work and desire to constantly learn and improve. Ever since he started working, he has been improving his skills and experimenting. Today, Hrvoje Zirojević is one of the most renowned Croatian chefs whose fame extends beyond Croatian borders. At the invitation of the famous chef Daniel Boulud, Hrvoje has participated in the annual event celebrating the Mediterranean cuisine in New York. At the same time, many celebrities visit him every summer in Palmižana. Fascinated by his cooking, Bono is one of those people who regularly go back to his restaurant. The chef’s “planetary” fame has not affected his way of thinking or acting. He’s always been known for his modesty and eagerness to help his younger colleagues. Furthermore, he continues to respect dedication, honesty, dignity and mutual respect, the values which he also imparts to younger generations of chefs who participate in his lectures and workshops. Many have described the dishes of Hrvoje Zirojević as a painter’s canvas. And each one of them truly is a unique work of art. Although he has travelled a lot and mastered the techniques of contemporary world cuisine, he advocates the originality of Dalmatian cuisine. "I think we have to be a little different. Yes, we have a lot of fish, but its quality is different as are our preparation methods. That's why we must cultivate our own approaches. I wish to see as little copying in our execution of dishes and as much originality as possible." Hrvoje Zirojević fully deserves the 2019 Gault&Millau Chef of the Year Trophy. He is a chef with exceptional talent, who also follows his own path. These are exactly the values that that Gault&Millau stands for.