Andrey SokolovCommunity profile

I am a chef and the founder of One Chef Studio. I am 33 years old. It's not entirely clear why I decided to become a chef. Perhaps there was a certain trend at the time: either you go to university and become a "normal" person, or you go to culinary school. But of those who went to culinary school at that time, only a few remained in the profession, and they were true eccentrics. As it turns out, I am one of them. I started my career at the "Sudary" restaurant, which served authentic Russian cuisine, located on Kutuzov Avenue. This restaurant provided an excellent foundation in the fundamentals of our demanding profession. Later, I worked on projects of completely different formats and concepts. The "Anderson" chain of family cafes gave me an understanding of systematic work. After working on the "Arena by Soho Family" project, a concert hall with a capacity of 5,000 people, I realized that I could organize any process related to the kitchen. The only thing left was, and perhaps most importantly, the taste. Evgeny Cherednichenko is a chef with whom I have worked on many projects: the restaurants "Ptitsy i Pchely" and "Sempre," "Galki," and the "Crunch" production facility. At "Galki," I managed the entire establishment. The most challenging part was shifting my mindset from being a simple chef to a manager. During the pandemic, I spent a year meditating in Dagestan, at the largest kebab restaurant in Makhachkala. Upon my return, I went back to working with Soho Family, and I was involved in the opening of several projects that helped me solidify my understanding of what I do. At the "Mesto Khleba" bakery, I worked extensively with bread, in its broadest sense. Despite the challenging path and the overall complexity of the profession, I have always loved my craft. In my work, I adhere to the principles of honesty and transparency. For me, it is important that the food is authentic – without unnecessary tricks or flashy names, but with real flavor and high-quality ingredients. My favorite ingredient? It's hard to say... I love celery, but if I'm serious, then malt and barley are truly my passion. My favorite color is blue. My favorite TV show is "ALF." My favorite cartoon is "Hey Arnold!". When creating the menu for One Chef Studio, I strived for an authentic approach to food. I don't want to add crab to a salad just for a fancy name – it's important that each ingredient is in its place and provides a clean, genuine flavor. This is what inspired me to create a space with no creative limitations. A space for freedom of thought and spirit, called One Chef Studio.