FABRICIO VEŽNAVER: Chef godine Gault&Millau Croatia 2021
On the occasion of the selection of the new guide and its promotion on the 5th of June at the Esplanade Hotel in Zagreb, Chef Vežnaver talks about a year of great challenges, trends in gastronomy and his plans for quality.
Each visit to the Pergola restaurant in the Zambratian town of Savudrija is a unique three-way culinary journey that will give you the opportunity to experience Istria. Fabricio Vežnaver (50), the owner and chef of this family restaurant, was last year named Croatia's Chef of the Year by Gault&Millau Croatia.
- What did the Chef of the Year Trophy give you in professional terms?
Iako je prošla cijela godina, još uvijek sam iznanađen i počaćen. Two years ago, the world's most respected gastronomic guide proclaimed me the chef of the restaurant, and the title of Chef of the Year made me more visible on the gastronomic scene. The title of Chef of the Year and four Gault&Millau toques for Pergola are important and a great recognition, which gives me additional motivation for new achievements.
- How would you describe the past year in gastronomy?
It was a very unpredictable year. We opened the parchment in July and since then we have had a season in the Punjab. The restaurant is now a bio pun restaurant in the evening, but the trend is setting in and we have been here for two or three months.
- Does this mean that people have enough coronas and other fears that we are exposed to?
We live in very strange times. First of all, we were dismayed by the pandemic, and now we hear about the horrors in Ukraine. It is natural for people to be afraid, one fear replacing another, or, at the same time, finding a time and a place for abandonment. They want to have a little fun and cook something that will satisfy their gourmet passions, and we are going to make it possible for them.
Ljiljana and Fabricio Veznaver, and Ingrid Badurina Danielsson
- How is the restaurant's guest list promoted?
When I opened it, many people asked me how I thought I would succeed in this business. From the beginning I have been saying: 'If I can get people to come to Zambratija for me, I am already on the right track'. I am proud that many people still come to Little Zambration today because of the Pergola and the gastronomic experience that it will be remembered for. Our guests are mainly Austrians and Slovenes, but there are also Thais and associations from Switzerland and France who know what they want and share their passion.
- Why are you changing the clover?
We are small, we have four chairs enough for 12 to 14 guests, which is the main responsibility of my supra Ljiljana and myself, and we change the menu every two months. We are adapting to our guests, we want to offer them a different tasting menu from the one they have tasted for their last Pergoli. Our menu is all about the offer of tips, inspiration and - wait for it - climatic changes.
- How does the climate affect the menu?
It is a rule that small crabs are caught in November, cold fish in November, squid in December, big crabs in December... It has all changed since then, but not only can you not count on the season of the catch, you can't count on the season of the catch, but there is no catch at all.
- The term Food Design is also linked to Pergolas: what does it mean exactly?
Mom kumu se jak svidjelo jak prezentiramo naszych jela - od vybera tanjura do slaganja boja. So we set out to develop a concept that is both educational and aesthetic. We do not repeat a single menu item on the menu, but for each dish we use a different cutlery and cutlery to make the experience more enjoyable.
- In what way do you bring the flavours of Istria to your gastronomic creations?
By being in constant contact with small and exclusive producers from the region. The fact that we are small and don't need large quantities is a great advantage. For example, we use the extra virgin olive oil Mate produced in Zambratia, as well as OmaJola's extra virgin organic olive oil from Savudrija, and the eco-cured tomato from Chiavalona. The fish is brought to us by fishermen with whom we have been working for 20 years. Thanks to my father, who loves nature and likes to tend his garden, we have our own surfaces: potatoes, tomatoes, patchouli, chicory, Mediterranean spices. We have more than we need for the restaurant, and we like to eat salads.
- What are the culinary trends?
I feel that the times have changed for various drinks and drinks. People want to eat a good piece of fish, or a piece of hors d'oeuvre, or rice... I have been in the restaurant business since the past year, and I have been going from stepenica to stepenica, from konobara to kuhara, working, learning new techniques, thinking about flavours. I have never been to a fine dining restaurant, nor have I had chefs who have specialised in such places. I have never imitated my own instincts and have been guided by the desire to offer my guests home-cooked food from top chefs in an innovative and interesting way.
- Do you consider that you have an indispensable gift for this?
Success requires a few elements: talent, knowledge, experience, passion for what you do and a strong will and effort, and in this case - my wife's nose.
- Does this mean that your last one is: "That's right, my wife"?
Lili is a foodie and a recipe eater, because in foodie everything has to be cooked to the exact gram, until I choose to measure, to steal, to calculate and, in honour of my imagination, to fly and to do something that I am more excited about than she is. But she soon brings my thinking down to earth. Yes, sometimes I do bite, or there is Lili, who, as the best taster, brings me back to the right place.
- Where do you see yourself in the future?
In the same place, in a restaurant built on the tavern that my father bought in 1996, but my greatest wish is to keep the four Gault&Millau caps that I still experience as the pinnacle of my career.
Interviewer: Diana Šetka
