LA Chef Guus Wickenhagen "Spills" Supperclub's Restaurant Success

Richárde

Guus Wickenhagen, the executive chef at Los Angeles' supperclub, among the few eateries with a cool lowercase name, says running the kitchen involves a foreign perspective.


"The unique aspect of supperclub is that our kitchen is a global one. Every two weeks our menu changes, which allows for a wide variety of flavors and cooking techniques. Through my travels of Thailand, Mexico, Europe, and America I have been fortunate to learn many cooking techniques, and a wide variety of "local" cuisine. My brother was a chef, and I followed in his footsteps. I had a lot of unfocused energy as a child, and cooking was an avenue that got me to steer that energy in one direction and calm me down. The focus needed for cooking, and the creativity expressed from a dish was enough to capture my attention, and even if you were cooking the same dish over and over, each time 100 percent of your focus needs to be on the food, because your working with fresh ingredients and the elements, which makes each cooking time a brand new experience," he says.

Recommending the Tuna Tartare, he explains, "Each course varies, so you can potentially choose a different wine, with each course. In the future we will be doing a cocktail pairings with the dishes. i don't feel like you only need to pair you food with wine. Cocktails can offer such a variety of flavors, and tingle specific taste buds, which is exactly what you look for when pairing food with alcohol."

"It is a little embarrassing, but at supperclub, if it is your birthday, you get a birthday spank. Well, the last night, I was a chef over there, 150 customers that evening gathered in a single file line and spanked me one by one. I could barely sit down the next day. What is really exciting for me about my work, is meeting all the new people, and chefs. This inspires me because each chef/guest has many different kinds of food "history" or background that they are coming from. I have been fortunate to have been at supperclub Amsterdam, London, San Francisco, and am currently really enjoying my time in Los Angeles."

Information
Supperclub has several locations. Please visit supperclub.com to learn about the closest restaurant to your area.


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