David Šašek - Chef of Coda restaurant

DAVID ŠAŠEK

Resumé supplement – a brief biography

I have been directly involved in cooking and assisting in a professional kitchen under the leadership of experienced chefs from the age of 12. I received these first experiences at my father’s family hotel in Pístina u Stráže nad Nežárkou, where we prepared breakfasts, lunches and dinners for 95 guests. These years of experience with foods prepared in the highest quality in a home-style kitchen, which was the focus of the business, evidently influenced my future career decisions.

After finishing Chef School I continued to work at that hotel for a few months, and then left to gather experience, and further perfect my skills in this beautiful trade at top five-star hotels in the city of Prague, such as the Hotel Savoy and the Palace-Gourmet Club, and also at restaurants that were, at the time, a guarantee of quality presenting the top work of the best domestic and foreign chefs. I then continued to expand and improve on these experiences abroad at the luxurious restaurant at the Ballynahinch Castle hotel in western Ireland in the position of Second Sous Chef, where the primary meals were fresh fish and seafood from the nearby Atlantic.

In looking for an appropriate position upon my return to the Czech Republic I was most impressed by the magical environment and very professional and friendly staff at the Hotel Aria, where I later began working in the same position as I had been at Ballinahynch. After some time I was offered the position of Head Hotel Chef, in which I have now been for two years. At the Aria I have had the opportunity of working with and consulting Mr. Laurent Gras, who has worked as Chef de Cuisine for such giants in gastronomy like Alain Ducasse, Guy Savoy and subsequently became famous himself for his culinary arts in other well-known restaurants in New York, San Francisco and Chicago (L2O Restaurant). I truly value these exceptional experiences and hope for similar opportunities in the future.