Hisa (Guest House) Denk in Zgornja Kungota is a restaurant where modern culinary trends have been built upon family tradition.

Denk is at the very top of Slovenian cuisine and gastronomy. It is extremely innovative and in its ambience it creates a delicious communication harmony. The condition for the highest level is, of course, the people who are the bearers of this culinary story.

Once seated for dinner, reading the menu did not reveal the particularities that followed. Some dishes had surprise extras which did not come on the plate but were brought to us in various containers, trays and plates.

Speaking of which, I must make special mention of the service ware, which in its various designs made for a discreet, style-unified range of ceramic products.

Maître Restaurateur Gregor Vracko, who is the chef at Hisa Denk, with his kitchen and service brigades succeeded in ensuring an unforgettable experience of flavours and aromas.

When they arrived before the members and guests at the end of our dinner opening this weekend in Lower Styria towards the north east of the country, to receive our traditional diplomas, my enthusiasm for what we had eaten was even greater.

The young people who stood before us had, under the guidance of Chef Gregor, created a dinner receiving many compliments among our group - from the first course to the last!

And something else: we also slept well, because we were not just dining but also staying in the guest house.

The following morning we visited the remarkable Ducal wine estate at Svečina on the border with Austria. The vineyards are spread over eight hectares in the shape of an amphitheatre.

The estate produces: Riesling, Furmint, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for its sparkling wine “Sontia”. We were hosted by Italian-born winemaker Mitja Lo Duc and his son Tim.
 
Concluding the weekend was lunch at another eatery in the Vracko family - Restaurant Mak owned by David Vracko.

We enjoyed exceptional courses (often there were no plates, but branches, antlers, stones instead) full of harmonious tastes, all the result of David’s exceptional imagination.

For sure we will dine at Mak again - especially when we welcome future member David Vracko into the Chaîne!

Prof. Dr. Janez Bogataj
Conseiller Gastronomique

Photos courtesy of Grand Officier Tomaz Dular