This spring, the island of Lošinj will gather the region’s top chefs as part of the Taste Slovenia culinary event. Three renowned Slovenian guest chefs will join forces with the culinary stars of Lošinj’s own Michelin-star Alfred Keller and Japanese fusion Matsunoki restaurants to take guests on an exciting wine and dine adventure in Čikat Bay.
The program kicks off on Saturday, April 29, with a wine workshop at Hotel Bellevue led by Slovenian sommelier Nina Bratovž. Nina hails from the established Bratovž culinary family and runs the wine program at Ljubljana’s famous JB Restaurant, the first Slovenian restaurant named in the prestigious World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.
The program continues at Bellevue with a 6-Hands Dinner featuring pasta world champion Jure Tomič of Debeluh restaurant in Brežice, traditionally known as the most popular ‘Croatian’ restaurant outside of Croatia, the legendary Janez Bratovž of JB Restaurant, a pioneer of Slovenian cuisine and often regarded as one of the world’s best chefs, and grandmaster of contemporary Japanese cuisine Orhan Cakiroglu of Matsunoki, whose impressive career has taken him to the kitchens of the world’s most famous and celebrated restaurants. The 6-Hands Dinner is paired with Simčič wines, which tell the story of the magical Brda region in Slovenia.
On Sunday, April 30, a 4-Hands Dinner will take place at Boutique Hotel Alhambra with chefs Igor Jagodic of the Michelin-star Strelec Restaurant in Ljubljana, and Michael Gollenz of Alfred Keller, Boutique Hotel Alhambra’s very own Michelin-star establishment. The 4-Hands Dinner is paired with Movia wines, a renowned family-run winery with roots dating back to 1820 in the Brda region of Slovenia.
A pasta cook-off lunch featuring all chefs will close out the Taste Slovenia event at Hotel Bellevue on Monday, May 1.
A weekend to stimulate the senses with the tastes of Slovenia in our beautiful Čikat Bay, join us at Hotel Bellevue and Boutique Hotel Alhambra Boutique this spring for a flavourful adventure you won’t soon forget!
About the chefs
Janez Bratovž is a world-famous Slovenian chef known as the pioneer of Slovenian cuisine. The founder of the iconic JB Restaurant in Ljubljana has worked at many famous restaurants, such as Alain Ducasse in Monte Carlo, Da Vittorio in Italy, Mibu in Japan, Arzak in Spain, and Steirereck in Austria. Bratovž decided to open his own restaurant in Ljubljana, which today is on the list of the 100 best restaurants in the world according to the recognized San Pellegrino guide, while “Daily Meal” ranked it among the 10 best European restaurants. The celebrated Slovenian chef is the author of the cookbook “Earth-Sea: Flavors of Slovenia” and the
impressive book “Janez Bratovž – JB Restavracija.” Innovative, creative, and persistent, Bratovž creates perfect flavours and presents the Slovenian gastronomic tradition in a modern, innovative way.
Jure Tomič is a pasta world champion, one of Slovenia’s top chefs, and a multi-awarded cook, honored by the prestigious JRE (Jeunes Restaurateurs d’Europe) for the best service to the acclaimed gourmet authorities of Gault&Millau. He is also a multi-champion sommelier in Slovenia and participated in the European sommelier championship in Strasbourg. A baker by profession, Tomič fell in love with gastronomy thanks to his chef father and opened his own restaurant Debeluh in Brežice, today known as the most popular ‘Croatian’ restaurant outside of Croatia. A passionate cook who remembers the smells and tastes of childhood, Tomič is a creative chef specializing in top-quality local cuisine with an emphasis on creating intense and rich flavours.
Igor Jagodić, chef at the Michelin-starred restaurant Strelec in Ljubljana’s old town, uses a creative approach to combine the flavours of medieval and traditional Slovenian cuisine into a modern gastronomic experience. He perfected his knowledge on numerous trips and with chefs of haute cuisine. He attended the famous Alain Ducasse school in Paris, worked at Noma restaurant with chef René Redzepi, and cooked with the great chef Nils Henkel. The diligent and talented chef was named Chef of the Year in 2019 by the Gault & Millau Slovenia guide and was awarded 4 Gault&Millau chef hats (toques) and a Michelin star in 2022. His working principle is based on classic French cooking techniques, creating elegant dishes with perfectly balanced flavours. He is also a mentor to many chefs and the author of several cookbooks.
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