Biologie is built around a close relationship with nature, seasonality and the ingredient. What does that philosophy look like on a plate, and how has it shaped the way you cook?
We use local and seasonal produce and try to build a dish around the ingredient and its flavour rather than around a fixed recipe. This allows the food to change naturally with the seasons and with what is available around us. At Biologie, I want the food to remain connected to its Russian identity while being contemporary. I look at the ingredient, understand its character and then think about how different techniques can reveal it in a new way.
You have been recognised with a Michelin Green Star. What does sustainability mean to you?
For me, sustainability is not only about individual ingredients. It is about creating a whole system and a community of people who share the same values. At Biologie, sustainable gastronomy is also about education and creating connections with our guests.
Fermentation and preservation are important to Russian food culture. What can contemporary chefs learn from these traditions? What similarities have you discovered with India?
Fermentation and preservation have always been important, particularly because of our climate and the need to preserve products through the seasons. Today, chefs are looking at these traditions with new eyes. We can take an old technique and apply contemporary knowledge while keeping the original character of the product. Modern Russian cuisine is about understanding traditions and finding new ways to express them. I was astonished by the range of flavours and the quality of Indian ingredients. There are similarities in how we think about preservation, spices, seasonal products and comforting food, even though the final dishes can be completely different.
For your Delhi collaboration with Chef Shantanu Mehrotra, you are presenting Borscht, Halibut and Gingerbread. What do these dishes reveal about your culinary roots?
These dishes allow me to show different aspects of Russian taste while creating a connection with Indian diners. With Borscht, we wanted to break the stereotypical perception of the dish, using beetroot and modern techniques to reinterpret it. For the fish course, we are presenting a modern approach to kasha, using pearl barley cooked with seaweed. Kasha is a traditional Russian product, showing how something familiar can be brought into a contemporary context. The pryanik, or gingerbread, creates perhaps the most direct connection between our cuisines. We use spices, milk and apples familiar to both Russia and India.
When a diner walks into Biologie, what do you hope they leave with — a better understanding of Russian cuisine, a connection with nature, or simply the memory of an exceptional meal?
I hope they leave with all of these things. For me, Biologie is not simply about serving a meal. It is about creating a connection between the guest, the product, the idea behind the dish and the world around us. My background in art has also influenced the way I think about food. I see a dish almost as a form of communication, where flavour, texture and temperature can convey an emotion or an idea.