Be Sharp chef - Vanja Pushkar
It is a great honor to present one of the most productive and creative bosses from our area and our new Brand Ambassador Vanja Pushkar!
Vanja is the founder of the New Balkan Cuisine movement, within which the restaurants Iva and Tisa operate. His approach is completely unique with a focus on using home-grown, locally grown ingredients prepared in a modern and exciting way.
Throughout his career, Vanja has proven to be extremely successful in managing large kitchen systems, creating exciting and unusual menus, but also recognizing young talents in the world of gastronomy. His example of positive influence on the entire gastronomic scene and all its aspects in the region is a guiding star for every chef and restaurant owner.
Chefs have always been tied to quality knives, however, the real situation that can be observed among chefs from our area is that they very rarely manage to get themselves a quality blade. As part of the Be Sharp Ambassador project, Vanja draws her colleagues' attention to the importance of using the right tools in the kitchen, among which are definitely Japanese knives. In this way, an already well-established trend in the world is certainly gaining its place on the ladder of importance among the newer generations of chefs in Serbia, those who keep to themselves and at the same time represent the core and future of our gastronomic scene.
Our relationship with Vanja began long before the collaboration on the Be Sharp Ambassador project. Naime Vanja was the first mentor and boss of one of the founders of BeSharp, back in 2011. At that time, Bogdan was a trainee in one of the hotels on the Montenegrin coast where Vanja was employed. Fast forward 12 years later, their paths cross again in a completely unexpected way.
In addition to the above, we can always expect new and exciting projects from Vanja, on which he works diligently every day, and it will be an honor and pleasure for us to be part of his story.
Be Sharp Sushi Master - Mladen Cupara
What separates the Japanese from the rest of the world? Commitment. If we had to describe Mladen in one word, it would definitely be "dedicated".
A keen sense of taste harmony, which, in addition to sharp knives, is very important for the preparation of Sushi, Mladen holds in his little finger. He heads the kitchen of the newly opened Japanese restaurant Nama in PortoMontenegro where we can enjoy omakase style serving with a special selection of Mladen's carefully prepared Sushi creations.
Be Sharp Pastry Chef - Milan Lekić
We are happy to announce that our great friend and top confectioner Milan will represent our brand in his branch.
Milan has many years of experience working in our and catering facilities around the world, and currently runs his own Artisan Cake Shop, a pastry shop that prepares cakes for many famous Belgrade restaurants.
It is interesting that Milan, like us, was in Japan and shares our impressions as well as his desire to repeat his visit to the land of the rising sun.
Be Sharp chef - Siniša Baštić
Siniša is the chef of the newly opened Belgrade restaurant Faro. Every season, Sinisa's kitchen brings us a new menu that is carefully composed and paired with a top selection of wines.
What characterizes Sinisa's cooking style is the focus on the quality of taste and placing the beauty of the food itself in the foreground without a lot of added decorations. In addition to being an exceptional cook, Siniša is a top chef and a great friend of the employees in his kitchen, which is reflected in the satisfaction of his guests at the end of each shift. If you want to have lunch or dinner at the restaurant where Siniša cooks, be prepared to wait several days for your reservation, because the real things are worth waiting for.
Be Sharp chef - David Šimunić
David Šimunić is the new Be Sharp chef of the Square Nine Hotel in Belgrade!
David's example tells us how wide and acceptable the world of gastronomy is. He first went to the High School of Architecture and then made a complete turn and became one of the best chefs on our gastronomic scene.
His dishes are first created in his head, then he uses his architectural mind to transfer them to paper in order to experience their final form on the plate in front of the guests. It is not wrong to say that each of David's dishes is a small masterpiece, and that a set of them resembles a complex composition that has the ability to speak for itself.
Be Sharp young hope - Lazar Svrkota
We know Lazar as a great fan of Japanese knives, but also as a very young, promising and ambitious boss. A perfect match for the new Be Sharp young hope!
Currently, Lazar is the chef at the Thyme street cuisine restaurant, and before that he forged his craft in some of the best kitchens in Serbia. We believe that he has a lot of success ahead of him, but also the challenges that come with this job, and it will be an honor and a pleasure for us to be with him!