ANOTHER WORLD BEGINS BEHIND THESE DOORS

Head chef Michal Klimek and sous-chef Christian Gick talk about the fascination of baking bread, the hype surrounding cooking shows and why they use food according to the nose-to-tail concept. And a few other important things.

At first glance, you might assume the two men are brothers. The resemblance is in their posture, their calm disposition, their roguish quality and even their facial hair. Only when they start talking does the difference become apparent. Head Chef Michal Klimek (38) is originally from Slovakia, so we will be speaking in English. Sous-Chef Christian Gick (28) grew up in central Switzerland. The two men have been working together for a year and, with their committed, motivated and humorous nature, they contribute significantly to the culinary enjoyment at Gasthaus Traube as well as to the mood among the whole Traube crew. We meet up in the lounge on a mild Monday afternoon before the first guests arrive for dinner.

Doris Büchel: Michal and Christian, thank you for sparing some time for me. What else is on the agenda for today?
Michal Klimek: Today is Monday and therefore the day before our two closing days. That means we will finish off the evening with a thorough round of cleaning. Depending on how long the service takes, we’ll start with that at around 9 p.m. and finish within around an hour and a half. We do clean every evening, of course, but on Mondays we clean even more thoroughly. Christian also checks and organises the refrigerator and drying room so that we can enjoy a fresh start on Thursday.

A great segue. Could you please describe how the head chef and sous-chef collaborate? Who does what?
MK: My main task, of course, is to cook and create new dishes. However, I must also be able to take a step back at any time to get an overview of all the stations and employees. Ultimately, I’m responsible for what happens in the kitchen and how the different dishes are received by the guests. Christian is my right hand. He’s very important to me – and not just because of the language. We’ve been working together smoothly for a year now, and I don’t want to change anything – it’s been great!

Christian Gick: My job – alongside assisting Michal with the cooking – is primarily the whole ordering process and organisation. Organising the refrigerator and dry storage is also my responsibility. I always maintain an overview of the food and have to think ahead, especially when we have upcoming reservations for banquets and larger groups. I’m also the link between Michal and Marco (note: Planitzer), our Manager. I really enjoy working with Michal.

Michal, describe Christian to me in a few words
MK: He has a big, wonderful heart. He is always fully committed to his job, as though the Traube were his own restaurant. He is fantastic at calculations and keeps our budget under control at all times. I trust him completely. I really like him both as a person and a colleague!

And you Christian, what can you tell us about Michal?
CG: All these feelings are completely reciprocated. Michal is an excellent team player. He’s very creative and has lots of ideas. When we try out new things, he’s very ambitious and won’t let up until everything is perfect. He is a leader, but one who doesn’t put himself first – he looks towards his team. And he’s also happy to stand back sometimes, perhaps when one of us needs a day off. Things are always fun with him. Well, not always, but mostly (laughs).

«Wherever possible, we produce everything ourselves. Really, everything!»

Can you tell me more about your cooking philosophy? What principles do you follow? What makes you stand out from the rest?
MK: Wherever possible, we produce everything ourselves. Really, everything! We are currently testing our homemade «Gipfeli» croissants so that we’re ready when the boutique hotel opens. We’re on the right track, but we’ll only be satisfied when they’re exactly how we want them. We also bake our own bread, make our own sausage, our own dried meat … just everything! I don’t think there are many restaurants like ours in the area.

I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying these excellent homemade breads myself. Please, tell me more about them.
MK: I’m really proud of our bread. We invest a lot of time and passion in the recipes and creation – and we do it as a team, which means everyone brings in their ideas and experience. We currently have over 20 different breads on offer. We’ve already perfected about half, but are still working on the rest. This means that we’re happy with the flavour but are still tinkering with the «look». We set very high standards for ourselves (laughs).

CG: Everyone tries everything, we talk about who likes or dislikes what and achieve our results together. Everything is teamwork.

Speaking of teamwork: How many people from how many countries work together in the kitchen? And what are the benefits of this multicultural team?
MK: Our kitchen is home to eight people from seven countries: Italy, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, Germany, Switzerland, Afghanistan and Liechtenstein. We all understand our roles and know exactly what to do and when. This enables organised and structured cooking even when things get very hectic. What’s more, the busier things get, the more I realise what a well-coordinated team we have become. So there’s always a little time for jokes and laughter. Of course, we also face problems. After all, we all have our strengths and weaknesses and bring our personalities to work. But as I said, we’re a team and always find a solution together. We help and support each other.

CG: Lots of little things come together to create the big picture. It’s precisely because we’re an international team that everyone is able to benefit from each other’s individual experiences.

Thank you for this insight. Another topic I’m interested in is cooking shows. Netflix is full of them. Chefs are hyped up like rock stars. How would you explain the fascination with your profession?
MK: Spend a week in our kitchen and you’ll see for yourself (laughs). Behind these doors lies another world. It’s very, very stressful and very, very hectic. If you can’t handle it, things just won’t work. You have to be physically and mentally strong to survive in the long run. You also have to love what you do. You have to love the products, the craftsmanship, the details. Cooking is a very creative and sensory experience. Maybe it’s this mix that fascinates people.

Is the cliché of the hot-tempered chef who chews out his team outdated?
CG: Well, I’m not really sure. All I know is that Michal almost always stays calm. There are naturally situations here and there where he might raise his voice for a moment, but those are exceptions. When mistakes happen, he prefers to have a private conversation in quiet.

I’m glad to hear that! Another question: How do you create new dishes? What inspires you?
CG: First and foremost, we’re inspired by the seasonal and regional products delivered fresh to us. Just today we had a meeting with Manuela, our supplier from Hof Morgarot. She asked what we need and we replied: “Everything! Everything that’s currently growing.” No matter what she sends us, we’ll find a way to make use of it. We’ll come up with something. Because once the products are lying on the worktop in front of us, that’s when our brains start buzzing. That makes things incredibly exciting. Of course, our eyes and ears are always open: we see things online or on Instagram and go out to eat – all of that inspires us. Personally, I’ve been fascinated by the topic of bread for a year now. My girlfriend and I make sourdough at home and like to experiment. I absorb everything I can find on this topic (laughs). Michal, incidentally, feels the same way …

MK: The product is my biggest inspiration. Whether it’s meat, fish, vegetables, salad … it doesn’t matter! For me it’s all about food and how I can combine the different products. My wife sometimes rolls her eyes at that (laughs).

«First and foremost, we're inspired by the seasonal and regional products delivered fresh to us.»

While we’re on the topic of cooking: How much of it is craftsmanship, how much is passion?
CG: Nothing would work here without passion!

MK: This summer we had an apprentice chef in the kitchen. We tried to explain to him what we were doing, which made us realise how much of our craft has become second nature to us. Breaking our work down to the basics again was very interesting and fun for us. We realised that cooking is like riding a bike: Once you master it, you won’t forget it. But until you master it – that’s another matter altogether.

Finally, I would love to take the opportunity to get to know you a little better. Christian: Who are you? Where do you come from?
CG: My grandparents ran a restaurant – the Seebeizli am Urnersee – which my parents took over about 10 years ago. However, they only run it on the side, as a hobby, on weekends and holidays. So I grew up in the catering industry. I completed my apprenticeship as a chef at a retirement home. After my military service, I completed a summer season on the island of Schwanau in Lake Lauerz, worked at Seehotel Waldstätterhof in Brunnen for two years, and carried out an eight-month language-and-work stay in Canada, near Toronto. When I got back, I headed to Lucerne and gained my first experience as chef de partie at Hotel Wilder Mann. And now I’m here at the Traube and live in Rebstein. Oh yes, I also completed a year-long training course to become a dietary chef, which was very exciting. This topic is becoming increasingly important because more and more people are dealing with allergies and special requirements. In short, I never wanted to be anything other than a chef.

Michal, who are you? Where do you come from?
MK: I live in Heerbrugg with my wife and our daughter. My home is the town of Bardejov in Slovakia. It’s very beautiful – the town centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. My father was a builder, so I originally wanted to get into that field, but he was against it. When my best friend completed an apprenticeship as a chef, I decided to follow this path as well. In addition to my schooling, I completed various short internships at small restaurants and motels in Slovakia. It’s important to note that the school system in Slovakia is very different to that in Switzerland.

At any rate, when I left school I knew next to nothing about cooking. However, I then ended up following another friend to England, where I cooked at a very posh four-star hotel. My boss there was very, very strict, but he taught me a lot. I’m still grateful to him for that today. Afterwards, I worked at various very nice hotels in England and Slovakia where I also experienced some very challenging training. I learned a lot, not only about cooking, but also about calculating, budgeting and all such things. The most important thing, though, was that I learned to use the products from A to Z – according to the “nose-to-tail” principle. That’s how I still work to this day with all products. This is incredibly important to me. It’s also a matter of respect for the animal and food in general. That’s how my cooking career began.

And how did you end up in Switzerland, in Buchs?
MK: I came to Switzerland once again through good friends. Four of them work in the catering industry in the Zurich area. At a private meeting, a friend’s partner happened to come across the job advertisement from the Traube. I got in touch and was able to introduce myself in person shortly afterwards. And voilà, here I am. This is also thanks to my wife, who immediately said that she would come with me to Switzerland.
Thank you for this insight and the interesting conversation.

Tabula Rasa

What word or sentence do you use most often in the kitchen? MK: Sensational! CG: Maybe the occasional R-rated word that we only say in the kitchen … but only ever in jest (laughs)! Which three items/aids are essential in any private kitchen? MK and CG: A good knife, a good pan and a working stove. What is your most distinct trait? CG: My organisational skills. MK: That I recognise and seize opportunities. What can always be found in your fridge? CG: Eggs! MK: Milk! If you had one wish for your guests – what would it be? MK: That they understand how stressful our work can be. CG: And that there are good reasons why we put together our menus the way we do.

Which gastronomic experience do you feel you simply must experience one day? MK: I would like to cook with the British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey. That’s it! CG: I would love to look over the shoulder of pastry chef Amaury Guichon and learn a few things about chocolate. Who would you love to cook for at the Traube one day? CG: The two American bread-baking icons Chad Robertson and Noah Bedard. MK: For my grandmother, who has unfortunately already passed away. What would you ask them? CG: What they think of our bread and if they have any tips for us. MK: If she’s proud of me.