Rishat KudyakovCommunity profile

Brand chef of the "PizzaFabrika" chain of family restaurants. Participant in the Chefs Team Russia project. Rishat is from Tashkent, where he received his professional education and began his career. In 2008, after winning a professional skills competition, he was invited to work in Vologda. Over 18 years of work, Rishat has had the opportunity to work in restaurants serving European, German, South Korean, Russian, and even molecular cuisine, mastering a wide range of culinary techniques. This helped him become a versatile and highly skilled professional. He fondly recalls his first culinary experience: as a child, he decided to surprise his mother by cooking her dinner. He decided to fry potatoes, but for some reason, he started with the onions. The result: burnt onions and potatoes cooked "al dente"... But his mother was delighted! In general, Rishat has loved cooking since childhood, so he easily enrolled in a culinary college with his friends and fell in love with the profession. Despite the variety of cuisines he has worked with, Rishat finds the most interesting those that combine a wide mix of different flavors and nuances – Caucasian and Pan-Asian. He really enjoys how spices and unexpected combinations create a true feast for the palate. Rishat believes that self-education and a love for his craft are the most important aspects of the profession. He is inspired not by famous, media-hyped chefs, but by those who are truly creating something new and interesting in the restaurant industry, elevating Russian culinary culture. He enthusiastically interned at "Kokoko" with Igor Grishchenko and at Hamlet&Jacks with Evgeny Vikentiev. For several years, Rishat has been responsible for developing the menu for the "PizzaFabrika" chain of family restaurants: this includes over 50 restaurants in 26 cities across the country. Launching new establishments in different cities, training staff, and conducting tastings – all of this makes the work interesting and dynamic. Rishat is married with a daughter and a son. In everyday life, his wife usually does the cooking, but the chef himself is responsible for the "festive feasts": fragrant pilaf, lagman, or chakhokhbili for a large group – these are his signature dishes. His hobbies include sports fishing and football. Rishat once dreamed of becoming a professional football player, but an injury forced him to end his career. Cooking became his new calling, and he believes that there are no limits to self-improvement in this profession.