Koit Uustalu

There’s no doubt that Koit Uustalu has had an eclectic background – but he firmly believes that all of his previous endeavours have played a part in his reaching his current culinary dizzy heights.

Koit has previously studied the piano, clarinet and accordion, trained as a basketball coach and even qualified as a captain for small boats, all experiences he claims which have been beneficial in the kitchen.

“There are many chefs who cook well, but cooking is only a very small part of a chef’s job. You have to be a leader, and at some point you are almost like a psychologist, a mother, an accountant, a merchandiser and much more,’’ he said.

From the age of 14 Koit knew the kitchen was the place for him, inspired by a family which created everything from jams to juices and grew their own vegetables.

He has worked in restaurants in other countries but it is Estonia which has his heart and where he runs the GMP Pühajärve restaurant in the south of the country.

While Estonian cuisine is something he loves, he understand the need to use on-trend ingredients and other influencers for commercial success.

‘’I make marinades according to recipes that I used to make at home with my grandmother, mother and grandfather. I marinate or salt something almost in my every meal. I also use a lot of buckwheat, groats, local vegetables and roots,’’ he said.

.Although he would rather not compare food to art, Koit can see similarities between dining in a restaurant and going to the theatre.

“Both in the theatre and in the restaurant, you sit down and watch for three hours, but in the restaurant you can also eat and that’s probably even better,” he said.

“In the same way that Romeo and Juliet can

be staged in ten different ways, one food can be presented in ten or even a hundred different ways,’’ says Koit.