A young Hungarian talent won a medal at the Chaine de Rotisseurs gastronomic competition

Ádám Mede (24) is a chef at the Michelin starred Onyx Restaurant, and has just finished third place at one of the most prestigious competitions for young chefs – at the Chaine de Rotisseurs. There were competitors from 22 countries, and no Hungarian chef has ever won – except for Mede.

Ádám Mede has been longing to become a chef from a very young age, and already held dinner parties at the age of 17-18. According to him, it wasn’t the school that taught him how to cook, as he already knew most of the materials when he started his studies.

The biggest mistake people make while cooking, says Mede, is that they follow every recipe to the letter without trying to shape them for their own liking. He personally has never made anything 100% according to the instructions.

After an accident, when he broke his leg and had to stay in bed for a while, Mede realized that he had to make steps to achieve his dream if he wanted to work in a Michelin starred restaurant after he got better. After many tries, he was employed as a washer-up at Costest. “I only washed the dishes for a day, because they saw how motivated I was, and I knew everything about cooking, and all the ingredients” – Mede said.

Mede spent a year and a half at Costest, which he describes as one of the hardest phases in his life. Nevertheless, the time he worked at the restaurant was well spent, as he was constantly able to improve and learn new recipes.

After his time at Costest, Mede started working in another Michelin starred restaurant: Onyx. Mede emphasized that he learnt a great deal from Szabina Szulló and Tamás Széll, who also helped him prepare for the Chaine de Rotisseurs.