Vyacheslav ZapadinskyCommunity profile

After graduating in 2010, he immediately started working at the Italian restaurant La Strada. For a newcomer, it was an invaluable experience. In the first two days, the young specialist was thrown into a station without any support, simply given a knife, a cutting board, and ingredients, and told to get to work. That's where he learned the basics. After working there for just over six months, the owner decided to close the restaurant, which had been operating for 15 years. He had to leave, but he quickly found a new job at a pizzeria near his home, where he worked during the lunch rush. After five months, Вячеслав realized he wanted more, and he joined the restaurant group owned by Aram Mnatsakanov, specifically the restaurant "Ryba," where the head chef was the French chef Nicolas Lorie. Вячеслав quickly adapted to the high volume of customers, and after a couple of months, he was promoted from a junior position to a first-category cook with a higher salary. As the local staff said, "Ryba" was a training ground. The owner, Aram Mnatsakanov, actively participated in the show "Hell's Kitchen," promoted culinary culture, and always emphasized the importance of the profession. The company held competitions among restaurants to determine the best chef, and Вячеслав participated in one of them, earning second place. After a year and a half, he moved to a new project, a Pan-Asian restaurant called "Lapsa," which was also owned by Mnatsakanov. There, under the guidance of Chef Tony De Rido, who had come to Russia from Bali, Вячеслав was introduced to Pan-Asian cuisine for the first time. After the relatively simple Italian cuisine, it seemed incredible and very interesting to him. After a year working at "Lapsa," Вячеслав realized that he needed to continue growing and that it was important to choose restaurants of the highest caliber. His main goal became to get into Buddha-Bar, one of the best restaurants at the time. And he achieved that goal. After a short internship, he started working independently under the direction of the New Zealand chef Aaron Stott. At Buddha-Bar, Вячеслав discovered a huge variety of interesting ingredients and made friends with talented chefs. Many of them now have their own restaurants. After 3 years, he again felt the desire to grow, and his career continued, although not without its challenges: his attempts to work as a head chef in a couple of establishments were unsuccessful. But perseverance pays off. After some time, Вячеслав eventually got a job as a head chef at "41 Etazh." And six months later, he met the owners of a unique bar, which later became the starting point for the Tsunami restaurant. In just a couple of weeks, the bar's menu and concept were completely revamped, launching a previously unknown Nikkei cuisine. The bar took on a whole new look. For a couple of years, Вячеслав worked on contract, managing several establishments for different restaurant groups, until he became the head chef of Tsunami in St. Petersburg and Moscow. Now he is completely immersed in this wonderful project and is confident that there is much more new and interesting to come.

Вячеслав was born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), like all Russian children, and attended a regular school. After the 9th grade, he enrolled in a maritime technical college, specializing in "ship's cook-baker." That's where he first encountered cooking, but he didn't take the profession seriously. In fact, Вячеслав never intended to make a career out of it. The situation changed during an internship, where the aspiring cook learned many nuances of the culinary world, which he found interesting. Hobbies: Sports, drawing, playing the guitar, creative activities. Family: Married.