Ivari Vokk says top chefs must come through tragedy

Hobby chef Ivari Vokk, who won the title of MasterChef Estonia, told ERR’s Ringvaade that top chefs often seem to have a tragedy behind them and must have reached rock bottom before becoming great.

“For some reason, I thought the feature film ‘Tony’ would show more of a chef’s life, but it was about top chef Anthony Bourdain’s life before he became a top chef,” Vokk said.

“Bourdain had a difficult character, like all geniuses. It seems that head chefs always need some kind of tragedy behind them to become so good. You have to have been through rock bottom, and then you come out somewhere else,” Vokk said. “Bourdain’s entire life was one tragedy.”

Vokk said he was not a head chef himself but had enormous respect for them. “To become a top chef, you have to put in all the hours. The film ‘Tony’ shows very well how those hours are really put in. All head chefs have put in those hours. It really is that difficult,” he said.

He said chefs also need to find ways to release their emotions, whether quietly or loudly. “You cannot build passion quietly. Art and cooking are passionate activities and passionate work; they are about creating. The greatest challenge is giving guests and clients satisfaction. That is what you pursue all the time,” Vokk said.

According to Vokk, Bourdain inspired people by showing that cooking does not have to be complicated. “Buy a good knife, learn how to sharpen it, get a good pan and start cooking. And use plenty of butter,” he said.