Soft mattresses, polished silver cutlery? We don’t need any of that. We want hosts who value our opinion more than Michelin stars and hotel awards, who live for what they sizzle in the pan or still proudly swell their chests every time they enter their own hotel rooms. We show you the cool socks among hoteliers, chefs and restaurant owners whose armor shines brighter than the brightest chandelier under their shirts or aprons.
Flames and fire, bubbling pots and sharp knives. What distinguishes the kitchen from the inferno of the underworld? People like Pascal Kleber, chef of the Belvoir Restaurant & Grill in Rüschlikon. When Kleber is stressed, the steam doesn’t come out of his ears, but at most out of the exhaust of his beloved Harley.
FACES: How did you get into your profession?
Pascal Kleber: Cooking is the best job in the world for me, and I never wanted to learn anything else. I took my first steps in a restaurant in Zollikerberg, two minutes away from my parents’ house. A trial apprenticeship at the age of twelve confirmed my intention, and at 16 I started my apprenticeship as a chef at the 5-star Hotel Schweizerhof at Zurich railroad station.
F: How would you describe the Belvoir Restaurant & Grill in one sentence?
PK: “Fine dining” with a breathtaking view of the lake.
F: From the idea to the concept to the finished restaurant: How long did it take you to get there?
PK: For me, cooking and therefore also our restaurant are in constant development, so you’re never finished in that sense. New cooking techniques are constantly being added.
F: Why should we definitely dine with you?
PK: I change half of my menu every other month to guarantee that it is seasonal. Whenever possible, I look for something special from the region, from farmers and suppliers I know: Ormalinger organic young pork, for example. And of course I can’t fail to mention my 14 Gault Millau points, which I am very happy about. Last but not least: we have a fantastic view over Lake Zurich and the Glarus Alps!
F: What do hosts need to think about that others don’t?
PK: Fair trade and food waste are both issues that cannot and should not be ignored in our industry.
F: What are you worrying too much about?
PK: I wonder if my bees are doing well in their little bee hotel on the roof of the Hotel Belvoir. This year we produced eleven kilos of our own honey, but for our breakfast buffet it could be a little more.
F: What are you like as a boss?
PK: Clear, direct, fair. And: I stand up for my team.
F: What qualities does a good host need?
PK: He must love his job.
F: Which guests do you like best?
PK: Guests who visit us to be pampered with culinary delights, who do not see the meals as pure
View food intake.
F: What do you dislike in guests?
PK: Hobby vegans who eat vegan all evening (if you want something special)
served – and that is always my claim – the effort is correspondingly high), but then order a chocolate mousse for dessert, with
the comment that once is not so bad.
F: What is your standard for your gastronomy, and how have the demands of your guests changed in recent years?
PK: Dining with us should be an inspiration for my guests, and I try to be one myself and always create new ideas. Routine
and always the same thing are not my thing. When I recently visited her relatives in Portugal with my wife, for example, there were
in Rüschlikon on Lake Zurich a newly interpreted “feijoada”. You have to work hard to maintain the level and I always want to learn – I hope I can meet the changing demands of my guests.
F: As a host, you will experience an exciting everyday life. What story do you have to tell us?
PK : When we run out of eggs, I go to the farmer in Rüschlikon to get supplies – on my beloved Harley Davidson, of course. I always find it funny when everyone worries whether the eggs will arrive safely… I’m a professional and I’ve also been riding a Harley Davidson for 27 years!
F: What do you look out for when you dine out yourself?
PK: Whether I’m visiting a gourmet restaurant or a pizzeria in the village, I’m always concerned with quality.
F: What is the best restaurant in the world (other than Belvoir Restaurant & Grill) that you yourself have eaten at?
PK: The 25-course menu at “Gaggan” in Bangkok has been my absolute highlight so far.
F: Which restaurant would you like to own yourself?
PK: Owning is not my thing – I prefer to stay employed.
F: What do you cook for yourself?
PK: To get inspired, I often eat out in my free time. But when I cook at home, my favorite is a Parma ham, sliced wafer-thin with my Berkel machine, accompanied by perfectly prepared pasta.
F: Where do you cook privately?
PK: In a normal apartment in Uitikon.
What Pascal Kleber says about…
Avocado: versatile
Toast Hawaii: Let those who like it eat it
Molecular cuisine: Cooking has always been about knowing what happens to food when you process it. The so-called molecular cuisine has only made this clearer to us.
Spray cream: yuck
Pre-sliced bread: incorrect treatment for a great food product
Aromat: An absolute no-go. This also applies to Maggi, by the way.
Tofu: As with everything, you should only use top quality tofu.
Nose to tail: It’s a shame that many people first had to be made aware that an animal is not just made up of fillets.
Vegan sausage: Unnecessary, there are enough vegan foods.
Nutella: I prefer honey.
Thermomix: I use it every day.
Microwave: indispensable for certain things
Chia: undisputedly healthy
Which product do you not make yourself?
Olive oil
Pascal Kleber
Chef at Belvoir Restaurant & Grill / 48 years old / collects cookbooks (over 80) and tattoos (highlight: the Harley engine on his back)
Pascal Kleber already knows at the age of twelve what others don’t know as adults. He wants to sizzle and cook, chop and stir. The trial apprenticeship confirms his career aspirations, which blossom at the same time as his passion for roaring engines. What he earns during his apprenticeship as a chef at the Schweizerhof in Zurich goes into the piggy bank, which eventually dies for a Harley Davidson. On their backs, he travels from Apulia to Scotland and Finland, bringing tons of inspiration back to Lake Zurich as well as a tanned nose. Nose-to-tail is the name of his concept, because anyone can do fillet, says Kleber.
