Štefan Benďák has been the Chef at Hotel MIKADO's Restaurant Rouge for several years. This charismatic man with long-time experience never neglects to say that he is supported by an excellent team in the kitchen as well as behind the swinging door. Before taking over the post of Executive Chef in our hotel, he served as a Chef in popular Bratislava restaurants Spicy and El Gaucho.
Chef Benďák had travelled considerably to gain his culinary experience - learned from some of the best in Germany, Italy or Spain. In 2018 he was named one of the 20 Top Chefs in Slovakia by the business magazine TREND having had that honour twice before in 2015 and 2014, after he joined our hotel in Nitra.
The 45-year-old supporter of Slow Food and local cuisine prefers using the careful modern methods of food preparation and seasonal ingredients, which do not have to travel far to get to his Restaurant Rouge. This is reflected in the Hotel MIKADO's A la Carte Menu created by Chef Benďák anew every quarter.
His specials from the Slovak and world cuisines are based on fresh ingredients, herbs and organic produce typical for the region of Slovakia. "Spring brings asparagus, summer - zucchini, fall - pumpkins. Winter is a bit meagre but you can always find something which is just perfect," he says. Apart from seasonal freshness, he must tickle the taste buds and please the digestion of all, even the most demanding guests. "I always try to comply with the individual requests, and so if someone does not want the accompaniment offered, I will adapt the dish for them."
Štefan Benďák has a weakness for the Austro-Hungarian cuisine as he grew up in this region.. He also loves French and Italian cuisine for their inspiring use of fresh and colourful ingredients. And, of course, his cooking is influenced by the fact that he had worked in a top Thai restaurant for two years. By the way, he was the first Slovak chef to be awarded the Thai Select certificate by the Embassy of Thailand.
