JB Restavracija: honest home-style cooking
"JB Restavracijais an elegant restaurant with a modern, almost futuristic feel and perfect clean lines, where the cuisine is more than equal to the stylish decor thanks to chef Janez Bratovž, who takes his guests on a journey through contemporary Slovenian cuisine. Like other European chefs of his generation and the one immediately before it, Janez is an innovator who skillfully combines contemporary cuisine with strong traditional roots. It’s also worth highlighting that this was the first Slovenian restaurant to be included on the prestigious “World's 50 Best Restaurants” list. Housed in a secessionist-style building dating from the 1920s designed by the architect Jože Plečnik, JB stands on Miklošičeva Street, the main road running through Ljubljana. As soon as you enter the restaurant, you feel that you are being introduced to an important slice of culinary history as told by one of its protagonists. But he’s not alone – JB is now run by the combined efforts of the whole family: son Tomaž works alongside Janez in the kitchen, daughter Nina is an Advanced Sommelier responsible for the wine list as well as front of house and communication, while wife Emma oversees the general running of the restaurant. When you eat at JB you reap the benefits of the restaurant’s “honest home-style cooking” philosophy which focuses on carefully selected produce and a thorough knowledge of suppliers and ingredients: the latter are sourced from Slovenian farmers and fishermen, while fresh produce is chosen daily from the city’s central market. Janez often repeats the following mantra: “If the ingredients are good, there’s no need for fancy cooking techniques, as the clean, natural flavours of the ingredients shine through. Our cuisine takes guests back in time, evoking memories of the flavours of bygone days". The restaurant is modern, welcoming and spacious. On the tables, amuse-bouches are served on the branches of a tree-like centrepiece, the perfect example of simple yet beautiful and delicious cuisine. The dishes are modern and attractively presented, featuring bold and amusing combinations, such as the sashimi-style raw fish served on a bone. The latest menu, which is dedicated to Janez’s artistic and avant-garde approach, reveals a continuous thread between past and present, with fresh produce from the vegetable garden and dishes teeming with clean flavours: the menu moves from “trout, sea bream, horseradish, fennel” among the starters to dishes such as risotto with lemon and langoustine, as well as contemporary reinterpretations of polenta with mushrooms and home-made cheese. The idea of Ljubljana as a crossroads between the different influences in Slovenian cuisine – from the sea to the mountains and from the Mediterranean to Central Europe – is showcased on a menu which also pays close attention to the passing seasons. Travel is important for this chef and always has been, even when Slovenia was part of the former Yugoslavia and travelling was more difficult. From 1987 to 1992, Janez split his time between Italy and Austria, continually working and learning – one particularly formative experience was at Tschebull Inn in Egg am Faaker See. Following this, he met Ferran Adrià and was influenced by his avant-garde approach. He then opened his first restaurant (also called JB) but continued to travel, from Chicago to Monte Carlo, where he met Alain Ducasse at Louis XV. He also spent time in Bergamo with the Cerea brothers (Da Vittorio) and in Lombardy with Nadia Santini (Dal Pescatore), and even extended his contacts further afield, connecting with chefs such as Peter Kelly (XO, New York), Fabrice Vulin (Caprice, Hong Kong) and Syoji Hirota (Seiyo Ginza Hotel, Tokyo). The dishes that emerge from Janez’s kitchen, such as foams and lightly seared meat, are often new to his Slovenian guests, and yet these are just the beginning of Janez’s culinary revolution which continues to evolve in the hands of his son Tomaž. Although the dishes here feature Mediterranean and French influences, their roots and soul are Slovenian. The same is true of the ingredients which are sourced from the country’s Alps to its coastline, two extremes which are surprisingly close to each other – no more than a few hours’ drive, in fact (including a stop at JB). The individual ingredients of a dish are key – for Janez, cuisine means cooking in the true sense of the word, so it is important to him that everything that comes out of the kitchen has been prepared in it. This is the case for his bread, breadsticks, pasta, ravioli and much more besides. At the same time, ingredients must be carefully prepared and transformed – it’s no surprise that his preferred method of cooking is braising, where the chef has a more intense relationship with his ingredients, constantly stirring, observing and balancing the flavours in his dish as it cooks. A favourite dish at JB is its perfectly cooked ravioli, which is a permanent fixture on the menu and adored by the restaurant’s guests. One of the chef’s great achievements is that he understands the importance of learning and developing his own style, condensing his past experiences into a culinary identity and a philosophy that is also reflected in the relationship between the four classical elements (Earth, Air, Water and Fire), each of which represents a distinct taste (sweet, salty, sour and bitter). The chef’s quest for knowledge continues, fed by his tireless curiosity, and becomes a part of his story, as demonstrated by the photos taken with other great chefs from around the world that stand out at the entrance to the restaurant. His story can also be explored by reading his book which includes culinary journeys, recipes and stories from his life, all featured in a large, elegant white volume. The book is unique, in that each copy is exclusive and personalised by a different coloured brushstroke – a feature which highlights the importance of each and every customer. This suggests that although good cuisine is objective, pleasure and passions are subjective and must be supported by an individual focus and a bespoke attention to detail. An aim that is certainly achieved at JB!" - La Guida Michelin
