Chef Witek Iwański is the owner and head chef of hub.praga, a small restaurant located in the Praga district of Warsaw. A graduate of a gastronomy school in Warsaw, he has been cooking for over twenty years. His cuisine is based on simplicity, local products, and strong relationships with suppliers.
The Best Chef: How did your journey as a chef begin?
Witek Iwański: More than 20 years ago. I was cooking from the very beginning. From the beginning, really. I don’t know how to do anything else, so that’s why I’m cooking. I graduated from a gastronomy school in Warsaw, and after that I just started to work. And that’s it. From the very beginning, I became a chef.
The Best Chef: What is the most important philosophy in your work as a chef?
Witek Iwański: For me, the most important thing in the kitchen is to have a full room of guests. This is the main thing. I really believe that chefs – and I as a chef – can do something very interesting with simple products. For example, in our first menu we had a fantastic dish made from celery. It was simple, plain, cheap, but with an idea behind it. To take a product like this and create something fantastic – that philosophy is very important for me. I use local products and try to create strong relationships with our suppliers.
The Best Chef: Do you have one favorite dish that gives you the most satisfaction?
Witek Iwański: No, not really. I can’t say something like, “I love lasagna.” For me, good food is what matters. It can be a main course, an appetizer, a snack, or a dessert. Everything should be fantastic, with good balance and great flavor. A good meal as a whole is more important to me than one single dish.
The Best Chef: How do you see the future of gastronomy in Warsaw and in Poland?
Witek Iwański: I think it’s going very well. Gastronomy in Poland is evolving and going up for sure. We are really proud of our products, our culture, and our national dishes like pierogi. I hope that in the next few years Warsaw can be compared to Copenhagen. We have a big gastronomy scene here, so we need to be even better. I believe we have much more to show.
Instagram: @witekiwanski @hub.praga
Restaurant website: https://hub-praga.pl/
Restaurant Address: Jagiellońska 22/LU1, 03-719 Warsaw, Poland
