# What role did the Ruhr area play for your restaurant?

## Enrico Slabotny

We don't serve Ruhrpott cuisine, and we don't serve currywurst. Nevertheless, we try to work relatively straightforwardly and simply – like the people of the Ruhr area. Our dishes and our concept are quite easy to understand: no frills.

How would you describe your style?

## IT

I place a lot of value on harmony. We don't have dishes that are extremely acidic or extremely spicy. Our dishes should look beautiful, but still have a subtle effect. There are restaurants in Germany that have up to 30 components on a plate—a roll here, an ice cream there. We don't do that. I learned in fine dining, so it's naturally difficult for me to minimize all the dishes. Nevertheless, we have set a strict rule: We never have more than five prepared components on a plate.

# Why is this so important to you?

## IT

It's more exciting because you can't cheat as easily. If a dish looks extremely elaborate, it's naturally dazzling. That can make everything seem very impressive. For me, the challenge is more about making a dish that has only two components but tastes really good. We don't want to put all that small stuff on the plates anymore; instead, we want to try to make the individual components perfect. We'd rather do one thing really well than five mediocre.

# The core element of "Pottkind" is the chef's counter. What's that all about?

## IT

The counter marks the boundary between the open kitchen and the dining area. It was important to us that guests could interact with us and watch us – after all, who can explain the dishes better than the people cooking them? I also wanted to experience the atmosphere in the shop and not work in isolation. The nine seats at the counter are now among the most popular in the entire store.

# What role does sustainability play in your work?

## IT

We try to work sustainably, of course, but quality is always more important to us. Many people associate sustainability with regionality, and I think that's wrong. For me, there are products that come from abroad, but are probably more sustainable than what's available here in our region. If I buy a chicken from factory farming in Bornheim and have it slaughtered in a huge slaughterhouse in Münsterland, that's very regional, but not particularly sustainable. On the other hand, if I get an extremely well-bred chicken from France, I feel better about it.
We're currently fully booked for four weeks. This allows us to budget extremely well and plan the entire menu. We try to produce as little waste as possible and have fixed contracts with our suppliers. If there are any leftover products, we try to either incorporate them into the next menu or preserve them for the winter. Ideally, however, we've planned so well that our fridge is completely empty by the end of the week.

# You got a star last year. Congratulations! How was that?

## IT

Thank you! That was incredibly impressive. We really didn't expect it at all—I know everyone says that, but it's true. Of course, we dreamed of getting a star someday, but we would have preferred to keep our restaurant the way it is now, without getting one, rather than compromise. So, of course, it's really cool that we got it for something we've always wanted to do.

# How did the process work?

## IT

The testers come incognito. We suspect they've been to our restaurant at least two or three times, because they posted photos of two different menus. Normally, there's a big gala, but unfortunately, that wasn't possible due to the coronavirus. Instead, we received a video invitation under the pretext of wanting to conduct interviews with chefs from all over Germany. That's where they told us. When we were finally allowed to tell them, we drank the entire champagne with our staff.

# Do you feel that your clientele has changed since then?

## IT

I think it's stayed the same. I don't want to suck up, but we have some really cool guests. Of course, we've had a few new guests, but our clientele has remained relaxed. So far, no one has asked for a bottle of wine worth a thousand euros or insisted we stock the tables from the right.

# How do you try to stay approachable despite the star?

## IT

We're relatively inexpensive for a Michelin-starred restaurant, and I'd like to keep it that way. However, the prices must be consistent with fair pay for our employees and the quality of our products.
We want a restaurant that's busy even on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. We don't want to offer a 15-course menu that requires guests to sit with us for six hours. I don't think that's contemporary anymore. We want people to come during the week and simply enjoy a pleasant two-hour evening with good food. And that's probably best achieved with a less stuffy atmosphere, a menu that's not too expansive, and prices that are still affordable. Of course, the term "affordable" has to be viewed in the context of the fact that we offer luxury.