Welcome back to the third edition of our weekly blog series featuring the team at Glas Restaurant, one of the premier vegan and vegetarian restaurants Dublin has to offer. This week, we sat down with Helena Sisl, the brilliant sous chef behind some of the restaurant’s most delicious dishes. Here’s what she had to say:
Helena’s last played song on Spotify was “Eat Cannibals”, which is perfectly fitting, as when it comes to her favourite type of music to listen to while working, she jams to 80s disco, organic, trance, tech, techno, and house. Some might say that mix is the perfect combination for inspired cuisine after you’ve had one of Helena’s dishes.
If you were to peek into Helena’s kitchen, you would likely find nuts – her go-to snack. When asked to describe the Glas Restaurant team as a dish, she immediately chose Satarash, a vegetable stew popular in Eastern Europe. It’s a fitting choice, as Satarash is known for its colourful mix of flavours and textures, much like the diverse and talented team at Glas and the items you’ll find on our vegetarian food menu.
After a long day in the kitchen, Helena likes to unwind with music, candles, a warm shower, and meditation. It’s important to take care of yourself, especially in a fast-paced industry like the restaurant world.
When it comes to her favourite dish on the menu, Helena is a big fan of the parsnip dish, something a lot of our customers love to see in vegetarian restaurants Dublin. We can certainly understand why – it’s a delicious combination of Carrot Risotto, Preserved Brown Beech Mushroom, and Jerusalem Artichoke Granola.
So, what drew Helena to the restaurant industry in the first place? “Heart and creation,” she says simply. These reasons are up there with the most ideal values a restaurant could want in a chef.
When it comes to her favourite cuisine to cook or eat, Helena chose Indian food. With its complex flavours and spices, Indian cuisine provides endless opportunities for creativity and experimentation, and might we add…is always delicious!
Of all her experiences in the restaurant industry, Helena says her proudest moments are in the prep, service, and when she’s able to create a new dish from scratch. As a sous chef, she plays an important role in the restaurant’s creative process, and she takes great pride in bringing new ideas to life.
If she could have any famous chef cook for her, Helena would choose Jamie Oliver. His passion for food and his dedication to promoting eating healthy vegetables aligns perfectly with the values of Glas Restaurant.
Finally, if she could eat only one food for the rest of her life, Helena would choose pizza. We definitely understand this. A food that provides both simplicity and a range of styles, perfect for long-term consumption.
That’s all for this week’s edition of our Glas Restaurant staff spotlight. Join us next week to meet another member of our talented team!