Fast facts
Personal info: Nikoloz Saradjeff, 39, born in Tbilisi, Georgia
Current workplace: Chef Saradjeff
Favourite cuisine: Georgian
Favourite dish: Likes most of the Georgian dishes, but can’t choose a single favourite between them.
Nikoloz Saradjeff is a sixth-generation Tbilisian who still lives in his 19th century ancestral home. His restaurant wraps diners in an atmosphere of warmth; serving statements of flavour and expertise with creative precision.
How did you become a chief?
“I was a gourmand, from a young age – when I cooked every other day – so, my personality is entirely based on food. Growing up, I had many different jobs. I worked in government, engineering, real estate, and hospitality. Eventually, I started making dough and selling it to restaurants. Aged 33, I’d discovered my true passion, for professional cooking, and decided to open my own restaurant after graduating from The Culinary Academy.”
Which cuisine is your speciality?
“We live in a country with great diversity, and Georgian national cuisine has my full, and undivided, attention. I love to introduce new methods and technology to Georgian classics, whilst retaining the semblance of our traditions.”
Tell us about the exclusive dishes you make?
“I develop new dishes, quite frequently, and adjust flavours on a daily basis. I like to mix familiar flavours with fantasy and imagination; blending ingredients with intrigue and assessing the taste from a diner’s perspective. Some of the dishes from my menu are:
- Lobiani – that is typically made with dough and beans. In the Racha region, they add local ham which tastes completely different to the ham we have in the city. I added Rachian ham and Jonjoli (Traditional, pickled capers) to enhance the flavours. I’ve never visited Racha, but I hosted some diners from the region, and I’m pleased to say that they were very impressed.
- Adjarian Khachapuri (cheeseboat) – According to the legend, a fisherman’s wife made a boat shaped Khachapuri with raw egg to wish him fair seas and safe sailing. I’ve added to the woman’s wishes by placing salmon at the heart of the Khachapuri – to, of course, wish the fishermen a bountiful catch!
- Mtchadi Cake – Our national desserts are not diverse, so, I decided to develop my own dessert. Mtchadi (cornbread) is not usually consumed as a dessert, but I’ve changed that by combining it with homemade cream, tklapi (dried fruit), jam, mint and caramelised nuts.”
Are you involved in winemaking?
“I harvest up to three tons of grapes, each year, that I use for wine at my restaurant, with some limited edition wines chosen by young sommeliers. I have no education in winemaking but its in my genes, as my late ancestors were winemakers, at the King’s palaces in the Kakheti region. Afterwards, they started to produce “Saradjeff” wines and sold them in their winery, in Tbilisi.”
Tell us about the interior of your restaurant?
“The interior of my restaurant represents my roots. Most of the items on display are family heirlooms and my ancestors’ pictures hang on the walls beside red-glass wine bottles from their old winery. There’s my grandfather’s coat stand – everytime I look at it, I can see him hanging his hat – and my grandmother’s jewellery box, that smells like my childhood.
“The rug was woven, by my wife’s great-great grandmother, as a gift when she was born. The wine artefacts on the walls are all from my ancestors’ winery; you can see that we even use the same graphics to this day.”