The Road

Nikolaos Chomatas was born in Heraklion, Crete, where he lives and works professionally in the fields of gastronomy, education, and writing.

He is a graduate of the School of Tourism Professions and the School of Reserve Officers. From the early stages of his professional career, he has worked in professional kitchens in Greece and abroad, gaining extensive experience and collaborating with accomplished chefs and professionals in the culinary field.

His professional journey is defined by continuous pursuit of knowledge, development, and a strong focus on Greek gastronomic heritage. Alongside his active career in the culinary arts, he is involved in education as an instructor at professional culinary schools, while also participating in gastronomic projects, educational initiatives, and seminars.

A significant part of his professional activity is devoted to "Gastronomicon", a gastronomic publishing venture through which he combines culinary arts, journalistic research, photography, and writing. As part of this work, he has undertaken gastronomic journeys and research, documenting people, places, traditions, and stories that contribute to the contemporary gastronomic landscape.

His body of work includes numerous books and gastronomic publications, through which he presents gastronomy with a distinctive personal aesthetic and artistic approach, placing particular emphasis on Cretan gastronomic heritage, locality, tradition, and contemporary creative cuisine.

Guided by knowledge, experience, passion, and a commitment to continuous development, he remains actively engaged in gastronomy, seeking to promote, document, and share culinary knowledge through his work in the kitchen, education, and publishing.

The Interview

Why did you decide to become a chef?
If I close my eyes, I can see moments of my life strolling in my mind like scenes from a movie. Each scene brings out an aroma, a taste which writes the ingredients just like a gastronomic diary. I was born and raised in a family where cooking was, and still is, an integral part of our history. Maybe that was the reason I chose to become a chef, beyond the primitive need for survival.

What is your favourite ingredient?
Herbs, definitely! Crete has an immense variety of herbs, and they have an important place in my heart and in my memory as I got to know many of them from my own grandmother.
She took me with her on long walks and explained each one of them to me. Hand in hand she led me on trails which turned into fairy tales. Mint, basil, rosemary...

How does your menu evolve?
Creating a menu is one of my favorite activities. I like to combine seasonal ingredients based on their geographical origin, always maintaining the integrity of its source, and 'paint' them in a porcelain canvas. My intention is to animate the ingredients and thus bring back their history which is , slowly, getting lost in time.

How do you utilize local produce?
I like to use local, fresh products both in my work and in my personal life. I highlight their magic and their flavor as a flashback from the past. Most times, I cook and present them with purity and simplicity. The way I believe God has created them.

Crete's food scene is appreciated internationally. Can you explain why you think that is?
Cretan Gastronomy is intertwined within the depths of time. The Minoan Civilization had culinary skills and knowledge of ingredients usage which are employed until today, from village's kitchens to high-end restaurants. Cretan cuisine is ranked among the healthiest in the world due to its rich soil, the blessed sunlight, and the ideal climate conditions. Cooking with these ingredients is a joy as they produce astonishing results on the table.

What is the experience you hope to impart on the guests through your cooking?
The main goal is the absolute satisfaction of our guests without commitments and restrictions. We offer them the real Cretan hospitality by journeying through a gastronomic anthology of flavors, colors, and smells.

What are your favourite regions of Greece when it comes to food?
I am a big fan of Cretan Cuisine and revere it from the beginning of my career until today. I was born and raised in the Cretan Land and its philosophy and culture are deeply rooted in me. I nurture the same love and respect for the Mount Athos gastronomy which consists of pure nature and God himself making the art of cooking a daily ceremony.