Alena Solodovichenko, is the creator of the love for “Varenichnaya” as the brand chef of the popular Varenichnaya cafe chain. Now Alena is the chef of the renowned Russian cuisine restaurant Dr. Zhivago, located next to Red Square (Moscow) on the first floor of the National Hotel. To be applauded, she is the author of several cookbooks and recently received the GQ Super Woman Award for Gastronomy. In an interview with Premiere Lifestyle magazine, she shares her secrets of success and confesses her passion for Russian cuisine.

Our magazine is published in Cyprus, so the first question has to be – have you been to this island? Do you think the cuisine from the restaurant Dr. Zhivago will fit well in Cyprus?

I have never been to Cyprus. I understand the island’s cuisine is traditionally delicious, nourishing by fresh ingredients and has an affinity to the cuisine philosophy of Dr. Zhivago, therefore it will be relevant everywhere and always. Russian cuisine and authentic delicacies are now becoming more popular globally.

If on a date a man volunteers to cook dinner, how would you be surprised?

By his volunteering to cook dinner and not joking!

What attitudes from childhood are assisting you now? By your experience, what mentoring statement would you give to the younger generation?

Never give up and ignore those who say that you will not succeed and fail. You will succeed, you just need to start, and you need to focus first and foremost with faith in yourself.

Who instilled in you a love of food, cuisine and restaurants?

A family. My grandmother and my mother always cooked, and from childhood I watched this process and thought about how I would cook deliciously when I grow up. Incidentally, I often assisted my family in the kitchen – well, I thought I was helping (laughs)! Restaurants are the only place to develop your cooking potential and showcase your skills outside of the home environment.

Do you like living in Moscow?

Now yes! It is a cultural city of delicious food and a city of incredible possibilities. At the very beginning, I was invited to work as a chef in a Moscow restaurant, and of course I agreed. But when I first arrived in the capital, 15 times I packed my suitcase back to Kiev. After all, all my family were there, and the work was very intense. As a result, I never left this beautiful city, because my main goal was to become a chef, and I achieved it!

What impresses you the most in modern realities, and what, on the contrary, repels?

It depends on what it is about. I am definitely impressed by the fact that more attention is paid to social problems, environmental issues and other things that really matter for the world. I love that the possibilities are becoming almost limitless. There is nothing radically repulsive. I am looking for positives in everything.

What is comfort food for you? What products can you not imagine in your daily diet?

For me, comfort food is cottage cheese, water, sparkling wine.

How do strangers react when they find out that you are a chef?

All opinions differ. Many, of course, are surprised, because chefs are usually men. Someone expresses their admiration for my hard work and are surprised (in a positive way) at my pace of life. There are, of course, people with negative reactions. They often allow themselves to say something about the fact that I am a woman and that a woman cannot be a chef, assumed as men, not women, are therefore assumed less hysterical and more stress-resistant. I confess that sometimes such comments unsettle me. But this doesn’t last long, by the next day I have already forgotten about the insult and do not think about what a person, whom I may never meet again, wishes to express negatively.

What kind of leader in business and as a chef are you?

I will always help, teach and advise, for my team I am a friend, and a comrade, and a mentor. If a person does not share my rules of work, then he will not stay with me on the team.

Whose opinion do you listen to in the kitchen and in life? Is it easy for you to follow other people’s advice?

I always listen, I love to collect feedback, and in general everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Although the final decision remains with me.

What qualities do you like in people? What do you value in your loved ones?

I am a fairly resourceful, fast-thinking and an active person. In my social circle there are only the same insatiable and consistently developing people that I am attracted to. I really appreciate the concept of “love of life” in people and, most likely, these people will forever remain in my life. Yes, we rarely see each other due to tight schedules, but we know for sure that we have each other and at any meeting we will not be able to shut up for a minute!

You run a restaurant, run Instagram, write cookbooks. Share the secret of time management.

I plan everything in advance, structure and distribute for a certain period of time, and if I undertake to do something, then I clearly strategize. More often, all tasks are remembered and thought of before going I go to bed, when I write everything in note-form, so that by the morning, I do not forget and distribute all new tasks.

Has anything changed for you since winning the GQ award? How do you feel about awards and prizes?

Nothing has changed for me. Getting recognition in the form of an award or a prize is always nice, don’t you agree?