Milka is more than a critically awarded restaurant: it is a pillar of Slovenia's culinary future. Its chef's thinking, from the construction of the dish to the foods of memory to the intrinsic emotion of tasting.
The Chef
The Slovenian avant-garde is advancing, and how: we have already told you here about the tasting of David Žefran ( the nation's only two-starred chef, moreover, self-taught), who with his gourmet has brought a new concept among the foothills of the Julian Alps. The dishes devised by Milka 's talented chef are, in fact, an eloquent cross-section of territorial biodiversity, without any pretense of riding the wave of impromptu trends. “We don't have a mighty heritage like France or Spain, but we guard a unique richness in our territory, “ he says in a beautiful interview with Food&Sens.
"At Milka, we avoid repeating the past; rather, we want to explore the potential of an ever-changing scenario. Instead of imitating, we want to deeply understand the nature of products and tell an identity story," he explains. This intensive research work becomes a field of experimentation in its own right. After all, David Žefran's childhood is marked by deeply rooted gustatory memories: “I remember mornings when my grandmother would prepare fresh pasta, topped simply with butter and a little sugar. A humble, yet very tasty lunch,", he says.
Those moments of sharing as a family shaped his approach to craftsmanship, where emotion always prevails over ostentation. Shortcuts, none to be had: “Trivially, we were far from supermarkets, so at home everything was prepared from scratch: bread, cheese, jams. So I learned to respect the essential ingredients.” Witness the hot milk soup with remnants of bread and honey, a comfort dish inherited from her mother. “At Milka's I make it a creative dish, playing just with the sweetness of the dairy part." The chef's motto? "I don’t believe in adding elements just for the sake of complexity. My goal is to refine, not overwhelm, to create clarity rather than clutter. While I enjoy experimenting with techniques, they are never the essence of the dish—emotion is. A meal should move people, stir something within them. At its core, dining isn’t just about taste; it’s about evoking a feeling“.
@Odprtakuhinja
This quest for authenticity also inspires the sourcing of indigenous ingredients, without exoticism. His temperament makes him a key figure in the Slovenian gastronomic scene. And when asked what the ultimate meaning of the profession is, he replies, "Being a chef today is not just about cooking. It's also about mentoring new recruits, inspiring future generations, and promoting a constructive work ethic." Milka, then, represents much more than fine dining on the rise: it may well be said to be an architrave of the culinary future of a promising country. Thanks in part to David.
