Tvrtko Šakota - Gault&Millau Traditional Cuisine Chef of the Year 2020

The innovative chef Tvrtko Šakota is head chef in Zagreb’s restaurant Nav. This chef has 20 years of experience and refined sense of choosing only high-quality ingredients, and he owes this enthusiasm for experimenting in the kitchen to his parents that always had a different approach. While other children’s parents were making traditional croatian dishes, Šakota’s parents were experimenting with healthy ingredients and asian cuisine. The talented chef started his culinary path in London, working late hours as assistant chef in many restaurants. After London he spent years of hard work and internships outside of Croatia, mostly in USA and England, to develop his culinary skills and gain knowledge. He very often held private dinners where he cooked for his private clients, and the guests would be delighted with his innovative creations. He started a new restaurant concept with opening streetfood Mundoaka restaurant in Zagreb. The main characteristic of his cuisine is definitely always choosing only high-quality meat. For Šakota, origin of meat is crucial, and he is very picky when it comes to selecting certain cuts, like those between the ribs. This experienced chef never limits his menu with regular dishes, and it is very important for him that the ingredients are fresh and seasonal, and he uses that as foundation for his new creations. All the ingredients and produce he uses for his dishes are from well-known small or even micro-family farms. His dishes reflect his self-confidence and professionalism, and they are always full of exciting and tempting flavours. Šakota is also a proud winner of Trophy Traditional Cuisine Chef of the Year 2020.