Behind the Curtain of the Yes Krabiček Kitchen: From Grandma's Kitchen to the Rolling Stones. Marek Raditsch on Cooking, Fryers and Czech Gastronomy

At first, he hung around his grandmother in the kitchen. Later, he cooked for the Rolling Stones, Angelina Jolie, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. And when he needs to clear his head, he rides his bike or goes to play tennis. Chef Marek Raditsch is a personality you may know primarily from MasterChef or from Prague's Kampa Park. In the interview, he reveals not only his path to cooking, but also what reminds him of his childhood dream and why he would prefer to ban deep fryers.

Mark, do you remember when your love for cooking began? Was it a specific moment, or did it develop over time?
"Since childhood, I've enjoyed hanging around in the kitchen and helping, cutting and peeling vegetables, I helped with canning, making compotes and fruit juices with my grandmother. We simply processed everything that the garden and forest had to offer. That wasn't enough for me anymore and I wanted to prepare breakfast myself. Making scrambled eggs, sprinkling bread and butter with chopped chives from the garden... that was simply a dream."

Where did you cook the best and why?
"I cook best at home and in our Kampa Park restaurant. I designed both kitchens myself and helped with the implementation down to the last detail. Everything is in the right place and arranged so that every free space in the kitchen is used. The so-called genius loci of a place is also important to me. I grew up in Malá Strana and then returned there to work. This part of Prague has great charm and a unique atmosphere for me."

What would you do if you weren't a chef?
"I wanted to go to the University of Food Chemistry, but in the end I decided otherwise. I would probably enjoy architecture, there won't be much material left after us chefs."

Every chef has a kitchen blunder. Can you remember your biggest one?
In my first year of internship, I made dumplings from forty kilos of flour. The roar in the kitchen must have been heard all the way to Wenceslas Square.

What do you do when you're not cooking? Do you have a hobby that helps you clear your head?
"Sports help me the most, I really like playing tennis, or I clear my head while riding a bike. Of course, my family comes first for me. My daughter and wife and I share a love of traveling and good food, so we are already planning a longer trip in the winter."

You must have cooked for someone famous during your career. Who in particular was the most happy to serve your food to?
"I have to say that there were a lot of famous guests, but I have to admit that preparing a birthday dinner for Mick Jagger and meeting the entire Rolling Stones in person was a real experience. Another person I like to remember is Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, they gave me free rein and said prepare us something of our own choosing. It was also interesting to meet A. Schwarenegger, on his first visit he wanted sausage, then after a few years he comes back and leaves the choice up to me."

Can you share any funny stories from filming MasterChef?
"It might be a bit of a cliché... but the entire film crew was amused by an unnamed fellow judge when he went to the toilet with his port on and we had everything live."

And now, honestly, if you want to treat yourself to something really bad, what is it?
"I like entrails and I will never disdain a good piece of pork, tripe or intestine."

How did you like the collaboration with Yes Krabički?
"It was perfect, the guys are doing great. What was important to me was that I was given freedom and wasn't tied to any constraints. We coordinated the menu together to offer clients food that was not only tasty, but also nutritionally balanced and healthy."

What surprised you the most in the Yes Krabiček kitchen?
"Definitely the size of a stove. A real monster!"

Have you ever tried boxes yourself? If so, what do you like best about them?
"In my profession, I don't need boxes, I have enough food around me. But I always watch and am interested in the quality and composition of food on board airplanes. It's very similar to what the guys do. I've put together business class menus for both airlines and private jet clients, and this experience helped me when working with Yes boxes."

How do you evaluate your collaboration with Radek Hasman? This wasn't the first time you've cooked together, was it?
"Radek is a top chef with a wealth of experience, I really appreciate what he has accomplished. Thanks to the fact that we have known each other for a long time, we were able to tune in to the same note and the work went perfectly smoothly."

Can you imagine cooking 4,000 servings of food a day like we do at Yes Boxes?
"Once a year... definitely. :)"

Which dish from your menu for Yes Krabiček customers is your favorite?
"Definitely veal Frikadeller, baked salmon Gravlax with mustard sauce and open "smorrebrod" sandwich with turkey spread with curry and grape wine."

Do you have any chefs, here or around the world, who inspire you?
"Of course, I follow the trends in gastronomy in the world, but I compose the dishes myself. I have to say that of the world's gastronomy icons, I admired Joel Robuchon the most."

Who do you think has stirred up the most trouble in Czech gastronomy in recent years?
"It was definitely Covid, energy prices and guests' hunger for quality gastronomy."

Do you feel like Czechs have changed as diners in recent years? Are we more demanding, more grateful... or are we still mainly looking for sirloin steak?
"I don't know if it's sirloin steak, but I feel that the demand for quantity is still slightly more prevalent than quality. The market is of course developing and it is clear that people are traveling more and that education goes hand in hand with that. But if guests have to pay a higher price for food and the services associated with it, they expect and want first-class ingredients that are perfectly prepared and the service and environment to match. Simply the complete package."

If you could change one thing about Czech gastronomy, what would it be?
"I would only allow a certain amount of fried foods or frozen semi-finished products. It is not possible for a gastronomic establishment to offer only fried cheese, schnitzel, strips, fries, etc. I encounter this problem more and more often when traveling around the Czech Republic, fryers are running at full speed everywhere and are spewing out these not-so-healthy and high-quality dishes. We cannot build such gastronomic habits in our children."

What would you say to the next chef who will be a guest in the Yes Krabiček kitchen? Do you have any tips for him?
"To see it as a combination of preparing meals semi-homemade and in a restaurant setting. It is necessary to reach and attract the widest possible range of customers."

Working with Marko Raditsch was a huge inspiration and experience for us. We appreciate his energy, perspective, and experience that he brought to the Yes Krabiček kitchen. Thank you Marko, it was great!