I want to master the foundations of culinary arts, techniques and confidently embark on a career as a chef. The program will help me because preparation, discipline, cleanliness, speed are all taught here. Other skills are acquired besides cooking.
Lucian Martinis decided to continue his education after high school and enrolled in the Culinary Management program despite the many obstacles chefs and the gastro industry came upon last year. The determination paid off and Lucian found his place in the prestigious Michelin restaurant Boškinac right after completing the program. We sat with him for this interview before the final exams at Kul IN, but even then it was obvious that great things awaited him. So, read the article and find out how young ambitious chefs think and what characteristics Michelin restaurants like to see in young employees.
Kul IN: Do you have any fond memories of food preparation?
- I started cooking almost by accident – If I stayed home alone as a kid and had a desire to eat something, I did not hesitate to prepare a meal myself. Around the age of fourteen, I decided to do culinary arts professionally and enrolled in a culinary high school program first.
Kul IN: How did you decide to enroll in Kul IN?
- I wanted an upgrade after high school and a better foundation, and since there is no other school like Kul IN in Croatia, I decided to come here.
Kul IN: What do you expect from studying in the Culinary Arts program? How will it help you in your future career?
- I want to master the foundations of culinary arts, techniques and confidently embark on a career as a chef. The program will help me because preparation, discipline, cleanliness, speed are all taught here. Other skills are acquired besides cooking.
Kul IN: Which lesson did you like the most?
- Risotto, I learned a new way of preparing risotto that I had never seen before.
Kul IN: What do you like to prepare in your free time?
- I like fish the most. I prefer to prepare some combination of Dalmatian-Italian cuisine.
Kul IN: How do you envision your culinary style in the future?
- I like dishes based on classic techniques, but that arranged in a modern way, and simplicity in cooking.
Kul IN: Characteristics that every good chef should have?
- A good chef should have the will power, love, passion for gastronomy, be educated, resourceful and good person overall.
Kul IN: What would you single out as the main source of motivation for you?
- I am motivated by ingredients in which I see the potential and possibility for something great and the happiness of someone who eats the food, I like to see a smile on the guest’s face. I like to block out the world when I’m cooking and just think about the food, that’s also why I love this job.
Kul IN: Which of the dishes you prepared on the program was your favorite?
- It's hard to say; ossobuco, pasta, shrimp dishes, I also liked working with cured salmon.
Kul IN: Plans for the future?
- My goal is to continue my education, enjoy cooking Dalmatian-Italian cuisine and one day own my restaurant.
Kul IN: What would you say to future students?
Stay motivated, honest, give 100 percent of yourself during the program, and absorb as much knowledge as possible. There is no time to rest, to think, you should dedicate yourself to cooking and only think of improving your craft while you are here.
