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Go JRE-Inside+Interview with Alexander Wulf - JRE Chef of the Year award 2024
Top chefs often let their dishes speak for themselves—every ingredient, technique, and presentation reflects their passion and philosophy. In this specific JRE member Interview, we go beyond the plate to celebrate our 2024 JRE award winner. Discover the story, inspiration, and dedication that earned him this recognition.
We got the opportunity to interview Alexander Wulf, chef of the Restaurant TROYKA in Erkelenz, Germany.
Early inspirations
I started watching my mother cook in the kitchen at a very early age. I don't know today whether it was because I wanted to cook or because I wanted to spend time with my mother. My mother was a single parent and worked a lot and didn't have time for me, but we could always talk a lot in the kitchen and that's how I learned to love cooking. I saw my mother's passion and eventually developed the same passion. I can remember the smells and tastes since I was 6 or 7 years old. My grandmother was also an incredibly good cook!! I loved watching her cook and bake. Cooking has been on my mind for as long as I can remember. I am the happiest person in the world when I am in my kitchen!
Philosophy in the kitchen
To be honest, I haven't thought much about my philosophy yet. I think, as in normal life, it is to be respectful of the products where possible, to be sustainable, but also not to do a triple loop jump before you can do a simple head dive! First look at the basics before you give in to the urge to keep improving...
The story behind a Signature Dish
There are two dishes for which I would like to travel back in time to have that feeling again. As a little boy, I ate my mother's manti (Russian meat dumplings) and felt a feeling of happiness that I had never felt with any other food! It is always delicious! But that one time was incredible. I think it had something to do with my brother and my mother because we were together and it was so incredibly delicious and I was just happy! Or my grandmother's crumb cake, when I came home from school and my grandmother had baked it, you could smell the cake outside...! My friends were always jealous because I had already told them about the taste back then, the boys didn't understand what I meant. But it was simply divine!! My grandmother and my mother deserve 3 stars for the feelings of happiness they triggered in me.
The Essence of Troyka
The concept is like our menu: My childhood memories. The menu is a reflection of my origins, I was born in Russia and grew up in Kazakhstan, came to Germany when I was 9... I bring all these experiences and stories from these countries and the former USSR into our menu. We touch many of our guests emotionally, just like my mom did with me. I think that's pretty unique, Russian and Eastern Bloc cuisine at this level!
Advice for Aspiring Chefs
Oh, that's a question that should perhaps be asked of me in a few years, when I really have been consistently performing for years.
But while we're at it: believe in yourself! Don't let partying and the like throw you off course! Work hard, do more than the others and with a bit of luck everything will turn out well! I'm blessed with luck! My old boss always said that luck favors the hard-working... I am and will always be hard-working!!!
What does winning the JRE Chef of the Year 2024 Award mean to you and your team?
It was a huge joy for my team, because they are the ones who are passionate about my idea every day and give their all! It made me incredibly proud to stand on the stage in Paris and accept this award, in front of all these colleagues who I have idolized since I was 18! Getting the applause from my colleagues felt like getting another star! I was and still am overjoyed and grateful for this award!
