Nomad. The Man Behind the Magic
Nomad’s chef, Alexandru Cracuin, takes customers on a gastronomic journey into the world of fine dining. In this interview, we find out about his love of Wagyu, his time living in Japan and what it’s really like working for the hot-headed infamous chef, Gordon Ramsey.
My culinary career has been… an unusual one to say the least. I was lucky to start off working at ‘Maze’ for Gordon Ramsay. Then I spent 15 years learning everything I could from Jason Atherton. My roles included, Executive head chef at Sosharu London and Hyia Shanghai. During this time, we were voted Best Restaurant in UK 2017-2018 by the AA Hospitality Awards 2017 and nominated for Best Chef 2017-2018 by the British GQ Food & Drink Awards.
I decided to move to Japan because… I have never been one to do things by half measures. I wanted to deepen my knowledge of Japanese food, so I left a successful career working as a chef for a Michelin-starred restaurant in London and bought a one way ticket to Tokyo. With neither a visa nor any contacts, I had to start from scratch.
I eventually persuaded one of Japan’s most famous restaurants, the legendary three Michelin starred RyuGin, to employ me as a pot washer. This enabled me to start working my way up the ladder again, whilst developing an expertise in Japanese techniques and ingredients.
I moved to Marbella because…it’s a cool and nice place to live. I was surprised at this. It is very easy to fall in love with Marbella.
I joined the team at Nomad because… I connect with the concept. I have the freedom and the produce to do something really special. I believe our exclusive relationship with suppliers of some of the finest and hard-to-source ingredients, combined with nearly two decades’ experience in some of the world’s most prestigious and demanding kitchens will give us a very special competitive advantage in today’s marketplace.
Nomads menu is inspired by… the origin of its ingredients. I want to create simple, great food, keeping the Mediterranean roots and respecting the produce, whilst still offering a plate of food that is full of flavour, innovation, and creativity.
The menu will change regularly, because it is a menu that is produce driven. So depending what is in season, will reflect the change in dishes. I am passionate about the quality and seasonality of our produce.
My speciality is… Wagyu. My time in Japan taught me the art of fully bringing out the flavour and texture from this famed Japanese import. Wagyu, properly prepared, is a taste sensation.
My biggest accomplishment is… my baby boy Ace. Family brings me the balance and the support that I need to be able to work 16 hours a day.
Working for Gordon Ramsey was… the greatest decision I have made in my life as a chef. I was able to learn from the best and having that experience when you are in your 20s is invaluable. Hard work pays off every time. I have a few interesting “Gordon Ramsey fxxk off!!!!!.” stories to share, but I will keep that for next time.
I admire… Chef Jason Atherton, who I worked with for over 15 years. His passion and unstoppable power to keep moving forward and still be so dedicated to his craft, is something really special.
Obviously, the other person I admire the most in the whole wide world is my wife, of course! The best support, best friend and best mother.
My favourite kind of cuisine is… a mix, such as Mediterranean /Asian. There is too much variety in the world to really have a favourite though. I prefer to be open minded and explore.
My ‘Last Supper’ would be… Caviar and sea urchin to start, on a steam brioche and fresh wasabi. Main, wagyu beef grilled to perfection, seasoned with lemon salt, side of Joel Robuchon mash potato and green salt with oyster dressing. To finish, baba au rhum Alain Ducasse... and a coffee please!.
Av. del Prado Nueva Andalucía, +34 951 553 444, www.nomadmarbella.es
