Ilya ZakharovCommunity profile

Starting in 2007, he began working as a cook. He then progressed in his career. Ilya became the sous chef at the White Caf restaurant in Moscow. After some time, he was invited to work at the "Tverbul" and "Metelitsa" restaurants. Since 2014, he has been managing the kitchens of Luciano in Moscow and Krasnaya Polyana, and Red Fox, beginning his collaboration with WRF. In 2016, he spearheaded the first mushroom-themed restaurant in Russia, called "Mushrooms." The chef managed to combine the multinational flavors of Russian cuisine with innovative ideas that have no equal in the world. Zakharov's signature style includes special seasonal menus, farm-fresh products, and gentle cooking techniques. All of this was developed under the guidance of Vladimir Mukhin, who was the brand chef of WRF. In 2017, he not only became the head chef of the Luciano and Zodiac restaurants, but also took on a prestigious role as an instructor at the "Ask the chef" culinary school. He is a member of professional culinary associations and communities, the Federation of Professional Bakers and Chefs of the Russian Federation, a co-author of over three dozen cookbooks, and a finalist in the "Silver Triangle" competition for the best young chefs in Russia. In 2017, he participated in the filming of the culinary show "Hell's Kitchen." At first glance, Ilya might seem like a calm and completely unstrict person. He is accustomed to seeing order in everything, and therefore expects participants to adhere to it as well. In the very first challenge, he made the male team members clean up the kitchen and make the beds, not only for themselves but also for the female winning team. He was strict and made no allowances for anyone. The participants concluded that it was better not to joke with Zakharov, and that he was no kinder than the head chef of "Hell's Kitchen," Konstantin Ivlev. In 2021, he became the host of the "White Coat" program on the "Piatnitsa!" TV channel, alongside Dmitry Levitsky and Dmitry Gorovenko. Currently, he is the brand chef of the "Krasnaya Polyana" gaming zone, the Brunello and "Buffet" restaurants at the "Casino Sochi," and the restaurant at the Château de Talu winery.

Even as a child, Ilya became interested in cooking various dishes. He lived in Central Asia for a while, which is why it's not surprising that the flavors of Asian cuisine became familiar to him. After graduating from high school, he enrolled in MIGKU, and later chose to study at Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov.