Simon Hänisch has completed additional training as a vegetarian-vegan chef and has repeatedly tried out new and unusual recipes during this time. In future, he would like to pamper guests at the Heinrich Pesch Hotel with more vegetarian and vegan dishes.
You eat with your eyes. Simon Hänisch is well aware that this saying holds true. And so the kitchen team always uses eye-catchers such as a curry fountain or sets up a front cooking station when presenting the vegetarian-vegan dishes. A large wok or a pasta stove is then used. Crepes are baked and filled in front of the guests. A curry fountain – a chocolate fountain that is used in a different way – always causes a stir.
“Vegetarian and vegan dishes are increasingly in demand,” Simon Hänisch has observed in his work. So it was obvious for the 38-year-old to complete additional training in this area. The part-time online course lasted six months, plus four days in Cologne, where he cooked from morning to night. “That was the most interesting part of the training,” reports Simon Hänisch. On the one hand, it was exciting to get to know lots of other chefs and kitchens and to exchange ideas. On the other hand, he got to know many new vegan dishes and new ingredients during this time.
He cites silken tofu as an example. The soft and creamy tofu variant is visually similar to quark or firm yogurt and can also be used in this way. “You can use silken tofu to make desserts such as chocolate mousse or creamy soups and sauces. It tastes really good,” he says enthusiastically. The HPH chef also got to know Saitan. “Not an everyday food. It’s washed-out flour, pure gluten, you can cook it and give it lots of flavors,” he explains.
The training not only covered the preparation of vegetarian and vegan dishes, but also calculation, profitability, purchasing, customer acquisition and presentation of the dishes. Simon Hänisch also considered all of these points in his final thesis. “I also learned how to integrate vegetarian and vegan cuisine into the work processes,” he says, citing a further added value of his new qualification – the guests in the HPH restaurant have already noticed this in recent weeks and have also come to appreciate how varied and tasty this contemporary way of cooking is. And let’s not forget the trainees – their curriculum now also includes vegan and vegetarian dishes. Simon Hänisch is delighted that he can now instruct the junior chefs with certification.
