Wild One

It’s raining stars and points on Jeroen Achtien, head chef at the Sens restaurant in the Vitznauerhof. The 33-year-old Dutchman has been setting the pace here since 2018. When Achtien is looking for the muse, he disappears from the kitchen, gets on his motorcycle and heads out into nature. Back at the stove, he then conjures up the ideas that turn a chef into an artist.

FACES: How did you get into your profession?
Jeroen Achtien: I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. My brother was a very enthusiastic cook, and my best friend also decided to train as a chef – a year before me. So I thought: let’s try! After a year in the catering industry as a chef, baker and in service, it was clear to me that I would choose this industry. In the end, the profession of chef won the race.

F: How would you describe your restaurant in one sentence?
Jeroen Achtien The Sens takes you on a culinary journey in a cozy, uncomplicated atmosphere.

Q: How long did it take from the idea to the finished restaurant?
Jeroen Achtien: Two weeks. Before we opened Restaurant Sens in April 2018, I didn’t have a single dish in mind. The start was really crazy: we had a lot of guests, but our team was not yet complete. In addition to completing the restaurant, we were also busy with weddings, seminars and the panorama terrace, so everything was really busy.

Q: Why should we definitely dine with you?
Jeroen Achtien: In addition to the unique location directly on Lake Lucerne, we offer an unforgettable experience of flavor combinations that are so hard to find.

Q: What do hosts have to think about that others don’t have to worry about?
Jeroen Achtien: Always being able to put yourself in the guest’s shoes. Anyone who masters this understands the guest. It is also important to always keep the well-being of the team and its concept in mind. Not all guests can always be satisfied, but you should know those who come back and show them that you appreciate them visiting you again.

F: What are you worrying too much about?
Jeroen Achtien: Employees. Unfortunately, more and more companies are finding it difficult to find good employees. Due to the lockdowns, many people have also left the restaurant trade. We currently have no problem finding employees, but many colleagues in Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, etc. are having difficulties.

F: What are you like as a boss?
Jeroen Achtien: Modest, enthusiastic and innovative. I am a chef who leads the team. Not only when it comes to organization, but also when it comes to cooking. It is important to me that every employee thinks for themselves and can be creative. I am very calm, observe a lot and think about my thoughts again before I react.

F: What qualities does a good host need?
Jeroen Achtien: A basic interest in guests, enthusiasm, empathy and a willingness to help.

F: What do you like most about guests?
Jeroen Achtien: I like it when guests are honest, even if they don’t like something. This gives us the chance to understand their thoughts and we can always improve. As chefs, we often receive feedback from our guests as we serve and explain the dishes ourselves. When you then feel the extreme emotions that a dish can trigger, you are simply overwhelmed and happy. Some guests have even cried because the flavors of a dish reminded them of their childhood or past experiences.

Q: Which guests are your favorites?
Jeroen Achtien: It’s difficult to say, as every guest has their own charm. I like it when guests eat in a gourmet restaurant for the first time and then say at the end that they will definitely do it again. Also great are those who come from the catering industry themselves and love food. They have a certain appreciation for what we do and also provide useful feedback. It’s even great to cook for guests who have special requests or are difficult and complicated to begin with. If you then show extra passion and can inspire them, complicated guests suddenly become the happiest guests!

Q: What drives you up the wall with guests?
Jeroen Achtien: No show, that someone does not show up despite a reservation and does not inform us further. It’s also not easy when guests don’t tell us that they have allergies or certain eating habits that we don’t know about beforehand.

Q: What do you expect from your restaurant and how have your guests’ expectations changed in recent years?
Jeroen Achtien: We try to improve every day. This is a principle that I have lived by since day one. I think that is also the reason why we have always been one step ahead so far.

Q: As a host, you experience an exciting everyday life. What story do you have to tell us?
Jeroen Achtien: How many pages can I write? (laughs) As I mentioned before, I like it when guests change their minds and you can captivate people with food. I once had an elderly couple who were around 80 years old. They didn’t understand why we only offer a surprise menu in our restaurant. After a serious discussion with me, they finally decided to stay and try the menu. After the main course, they invited me to their table. I went there and asked what I could do for you. The man pushed back his chair, stood up, bowed to me and thanked me. What a goosebump moment!

Q: What do you look out for when you are on the road yourself?
Jeroen Achtien: You should always bear in mind what kind of restaurant you are in so that you can fully enjoy the food.

Q: What is the best restaurant in the world that you have visited?
Jeroen Achtien: I was most impressed by The Fat Duck in Bray (near London), although that experience was eight years ago. My second best experience is my visit to the Alchemist in Copenhagen a few weeks ago.

Q: Which restaurant would you like to own yourself?
Jeroen Achtien: In Holland there is BRUT172, a fantastic restaurant on an old farm.

F: What do you cook for yourself?
Jeroen Achtien: I love cooking pizza on the Green Egg. First I make a goulash sauce or a tomato sauce cooked for four hours with chorizo and red wine, and then I top the pizza with my favorite ingredients.

F: Where is your own bed?
Jeroen Achtien: In Vitznau in a beautiful apartment with a view of Lake Lucerne.

This is what Jeroen Achtien from…

Avocado: Nice
Toast Hawaii: BAH!!!
Molecular cuisine: Cool, as long as the technique doesn’t affect the taste.
Spray cream: No, thank you.
Pre-sliced bread: If two minutes have passed since cutting, okay. (laughs)
Aromat: Not my thing. Soon I’ll be bringing my own
on the market!
Tofu: I recently tasted the first really delicious tofu at Nenad’s in Zurich!
Nose to tail: Great. I bought two cows in 2021, and this year I’m adding pigs.
Vegan sausage: I’ve never tried it. Vegan charcuterie though, and it was pretty good!
Nutella: Yummie!
Thermomix: A good solution if you don’t have the money for a Robot Coupe.
Microwave: Can actually be useful sometimes…
Chia: Why not.
Your favorite finished product?
Sambal Badjak, because this caramelization occurs in the pan, which gives the whole thing umami. I couldn’t find the product anywhere in Switzerland, so I made it myself and now sell it in our online store.

Hotel Vitznauerhof and Restaurant Sens

It could hardly be more picturesque: the Vitznauerhof and its Sens restaurant, where Jeroen Achtien has been at the helm of the kitchen since 2018, are located directly on Lake Lucerne with a view of the mountains. 18 Gault&Millau points adorn the work of the Dutchman, who likes to use his own tweezers for his famous Caesar salad. What ends up on the plates here delights both the eye and the palate. No more abstract works of art, here real dishes are served, with a focus on regionality, perhaps complicated for the kitchen team, but cheerful and easy to enjoy for the guest. In summer, the outdoor terrace competes with the dishes of the Sens, from where the sunset lives up to the word “kitschy backdrop”.

Hotel Vitznauerhof & Restaurant Sens, Seestrasse 80, 6354 Vitznau, Switzerland, vitznauerhof.ch

Jeroen Achtien

Young, wild and eager to take fine dining to the next level: Jeroen Achtien has held the Gault&Millau title of rising star of the year since November 2021. Such awards are great, but even more so is a chef like the 33-year-old Dutchman, who simply enjoys his craft, who plays with his ingredients like a toddler with his Lego bricks and celebrates the animal that is being processed. Nose to tail is a matter of course for Achtien, and so he is not afraid to throw even the most exotic parts of the animal into the cooking pot and finally serve them to the guest who orders at most a fillet cooked to medium.