Chef Otto Vašák presents a cuisine based on precision, local ingredients, and carefully constructed contrasts of flavors. Dinner flows in rhythm with the season and the region, offering a thoughtful sequence of flavors and aromas. It's not the first time we've been here, and we hope it won't be the last.
The chateau in Hlohovec, surrounded by vineyards and the tranquility of the South Moravian countryside, is home to the Essens restaurant. Vašák is one of the prominent figures of the younger generation of Czech chefs. In 2025, he was awarded Chef of Tomorrow by Gault&Millau and also became the only Czech representative in the international ranking of The Best Chef. His work is based on technical certainty, attention to detail, and thinking about ingredients in a broader context, which is why he is often talked about as a possible future Michelin star recipient.
The evening begins subtly - the champagne Adrien Renoir Le Terroir Grand Cru opens the first notes of the evening with a fine foam and mineral freshness, while the lights in the room dim and the guests are carried away by the first sensations. The toasted cake with remoulade and pansy blossom looks simple at first glance, yet is perfectly balanced and offers the first interesting test of the palate. The bitter-sweet juice of mandarins, which - as the service reveals with a smile - grow right on the terraces of the chateau, is surprising and playful. The Pinot & Pinot Rosé Extra Brut from the Gala winery ties everything together elegantly.
A second amuse-bouche with herb butter, fried snails, and pork ham mousse brings a softness and lightness. The third bite, a cheese sandwich complete with cauliflower on sourdough, perfectly concludes the opening chapter of the evening. The acidity is balanced, and the texture is pleasantly crunchy - traditional ingredients are given a modern interpretation.
Fermentation as the Beginning of a Story
The first official course is based on fermented cherry prepared with tibi crystals, which adds a gently sparkling, refreshing, and slightly acidic profile. The Vitovska 2020 from Vinogradi Fon is served with this, with a light grapefruit note and an interesting freshness thanks to its aging in amphorae buried in the ground. "I would say this is the most natural wine in our pairing," comments the sommelier.
The dish is complemented by pickled cucumber slices, fermented blackcurrant, candied cherry, and candied yogurt, all finished with a cucumber dressing with spruce oil. The combination of freshness and earthiness creates a complex taste experience with a subtle forest poetry.
Another wine is Rosé Bočky, old bush 2021 by J. Stávka, which brings a full body and fruit component that complements the beef tartare prepared with meat from the Rudimov Farm. Elderflower mayonnaise is under the meat and elderflower jelly on top, alongside unripe pickled elderflower and a pancake of fermented potatoes. The delicate, thick strawberry juice with fresh verbena leaves adds freshness and a citrus note that harmonizes with the bold tartare.
Bread, Chanterelles, and Chanterelles
Another non-alcoholic combination brings bread lemonade, fermented on tibi crystals and seasoned with marjoram and salt. The drink smells like freshly baked Šumava bread and evokes memories of a previous visit when bread pasta was one of the most impressive courses on the tasting menu.
This course is accompanied by a Lumiére 2023 wine from the Vitas winery with a light touch of vanilla, woodiness, and a round body. Chanterelle, speck, and foxglove form a subtle woodland accord, naturally integrated with the flavors of the drink, aromatic, playful, and yet unfussy.
The green tea kombucha offers a clean, herbal, and slightly citrusy taste. Luis Anxo Rodriguez Vazquez's Vina de Martin 2021 matches its smoothness and structure. The course includes a celery and apple vinaigrette, celery mayonnaise, cheese, and cottage cheese dumplings coated in hazelnut and lemon verbena. The dish looks fresh, garden-like, with a subtle elegance.
The Power of Fire and Mirabelle
The juice of the peppers, prepared using the "ice filter" method, delivers a clean and intense flavor profile. The peppers are blended, frozen in a cube, and slowly drained through a cloth, resulting in a concentrated flavor that unexpectedly blends with the meat.
The Tre Monti, Thea 2021, with its fine tannins, spiciness, and candied fruit, is the first red option of the evening. The grilled pork chop is served with a mirabelle sweet-chilli sauce and complemented with intense pork juices. Duja sausage, corn puree, pickled cucumber, and grilled corn lie alongside. The combination of contrasting flavors creates a balanced and harmonious bite.
The pre-dessert consists of spruce honey, sorrel granita, redcurrant granita, and young spruce needles, which bring a cool and fragrant break before the sweet part of the menu.
The Finale and Many Surprises
For dessert, the Moscato La Serra 2024 from Marchesi di Grésy is served, delicately sparkling and subtly sweet, accompanied by mirabelle juice with a pinch of salt. Roasted apricot with cream, white chocolate and armagnac cream, apricot sorbet and a Crème brûlée-style biscuit round off the main sweet course. The crust cracks under the spoon with a quiet click, symbolically marking the end of the tasting menu.
Before the petit four comes a tasting of the house liqueurs - cherry, tangerine, and rose-spiced, elegantly served. At the end of the petit four - a porridge with apple caramel and buckwheat puff, a Linzer cake with poppy seed filling and dogwood jam, and finally raspberries from the Essens garden - little things with a distinctive character and a symbolic end to the evening.
Essens is not just a restaurant. It's a place where taste turns into experience, where service works like an orchestra, and every detail has its place. Otto Vašák and his team create cuisine with a clear concept and logic. And when you leave the chateau, you will realize that you have been part of a dinner that is not commonplace - without unnecessary theatrics, with an emphasis on authenticity and the natural rhythm of flavors.
