Sauli Kemppainen, the Chef of Orange 3, is a Finnish star and a brutal Viking with the face of Bruce Willis. Many Finns know him as a charismatic celebrity-chef: he was a judge in the Finnish version of the Master Chef television show and hosted Hell’s Kitchen cooking competition. Sauli Kemppainen has worked in Germany, Great Britain, Spain and Finland, including the famous Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck, the Michelin-starred Tristan and Die Guadriga in Berlin — the restaurants that need no introduction and have shaped modern gastronomic trends for many years to come. By the way, it is exactly for Die Quadriga that Kemppainen won a Michelin star.

“While creating the menu of Orange 3 I have tried to accustom my experience to the Russian taste, as I am working in Russia for the first time. When I came to Moscow, I didn’t waste my time: I tried various dishes, visited local farms and spoke to Moscow chefs. The three crucial things that I value the most are: flavor, flavor and flavor! It is my style to preserve the strong and distinct flavor of the product itself. The flavor can and should be highlighted, but must not be diffused. To take an example, how do you cook carrot? You boil it in water, don’t you? But hot water deprives carrot of its taste, so I boil it in carrot juice. I cook asparagus in asparagus juice and poached eggs in vacuum. The menu of Orange 3 reflects my original approach to the Nordic cuisine. What does the Nordic cuisine mean to Russia? It is the well-known taste of the northern dishes, such as smoked fish, pickled vegetables, pickled pinecones, venison, muksun and Caspian roach, all of which is familiar to the Russian person and tremendously popular in Europe now. My cuisine is northern, but “warm”. I have supplemented the rough ingredients of my dishes with a southern, colorful decoration, which has given name to the restaurant itself. It is like the harsh Northern wind under the southern sun. The art of cooking is what I am best at. I respect other life choices, but I have placed my stakes on work. Many people call me a “ruthless chef”, but I believe that any work should be done with passion, and done in the best way possible or not at all! This is my principle in the restaurant’s kitchen and I hope that our guests will enjoy the fruits of our work.” Sauli Kemppainen, the Chef of Orange 3.