Restaurant Wicca – recognised by the MICHELIN Guide

Restaurant Wicca – recognised by the MICHELIN Guide

Estonian summer is perfect for discovering new places. As the marketing manager of Puhastusimport, I have the wonderful opportunity of meeting customers and listen to their inspiring stories. This time, I had the honour of visiting restaurant Wicca, one of the best restaurants in Estonia, which was also recognised by the prestigious MICHELIN Guide 2022 this spring.

I meet Angelica Udeküll, the head chef and catering manager of the restaurant, on Wicca’s terrace, which is full of plants, to talk about Estonian food culture, flavours inspired by nature, the importance of cleanliness, and the success and growth of the restaurant. Our meeting takes place on 11 June, which turns out to be Wicca’s birthday because the seaside restaurant reopened on 11 June 2011, 11 years ago.

 Photographer Lauri Laan

The mystical name of Wicca and weed in food

‘A restaurant must have a name,’ Angelica begins with the story of Wicca’s name. We wanted the name to describe the restaurant and be interesting, but also be easy to understand for foreigners visiting the spa hotel. Plants were important to us already in 2011 and when I opened the book Taimede vägi (The Power of Plants) in a bookstore, I came across the word Wicca. Wiccans believed in the magic of plants in Old England. That is how the restaurant got its name,’ Angelica says.

Wicca is located in the middle of beautiful nature, on the picturesque Laulasmaa beach. The collection of potted edible flowers and plants and herbs grows every year. ‘We have made a promise to use as much domestic ingredients as possible. Both game and beef are always of Estonian origin, broilers and organic chickens come from Äntu Farm, and quails from Järva County. White fish is local – we use whatever is currently available,’ says Angelica and continues, ‘People come here for many reasons – for the nature, design, and the food, but also to enjoy a vacation that is the perfect combination of good food and a night spent at the spa hotel. We have noticed that the quality of food also plays an important role when choosing a place for a conference. The recognition of our restaurant by the international Michelin Guide 2022 will certainly bring new customers from Sweden, Germany, and elsewhere.’

What makes a restaurant successful?

‘Dedication, good luck, and not giving up when times are tough. You also have to be a bit mad because this job is not for the faint of heart. I believe that curiosity and the endless desire to develop, learn, improve, and try to cook even better and more excitingly have also helped me,’ reflects Angelica. Angelica is known as a lover of pure flavours. She thinks that the over-abundance of rich flavours in one dish is something young chefs do. ‘You have to go a long way to get back to simplicity. I want to bring out the special flavours and uniqueness of each ingredient. I believe that at some point, you will be able to notice the opportunities and know the risks from experience,’ Angelica is convinced.

When I ask Angelica what her role at Wicca is, she tells a sweet story, ‘Although my job title is head chef-catering manager, my team members have been calling me mother for years. On the one hand, this is because there were once many young people of Slavic origin in my team, for whom hierarchy is important, but also because a large number of our team members have just recently graduated from cooking school and could be my children. We all have nicknames and are basically a big family. There are many different people in our team, which broadens our horizon. I believe that a team can be truly creative if there are the right people and synergy. I never make decisions alone as the head chef. I never say ‘Today, we will offer flounder!’. Angelica considers herself a patriot of Estonian food, a team player, and a bit of an innovator, because she has been using weed in her cooking since 2006.

What inspires and motivates you?

I am inspired by nature, people, flowers, and beauty. I want our guests to enjoy food and drinks. Immediate feedback on my creations gives me great joy. All of this motivates me. Joy also motivates me.

What are the challenges of cleanliness and hygiene in a restaurant?

‘There are challenges in every day, but food and cleanliness generally go hand in hand, they are inseparable. We chose Puhastusimport because we can depend on you and you help us operationally. As a rule, problems arise during the busiest working hours – on Friday evening or during the weekend – and that is when you understand what good service really means. If a customer comes to our restaurant to celebrate a special event or an anniversary, we come up with exciting surprises, or if a guest cannot eat certain foods, we are flexible and prepare something suitable for them. Cooperation and coming up with solutions is very important for us at Wicca Restaurant as it allows us to focus on our work,’ shares Angelica.

Cleanliness may not be the first thing you think of when you heard the word ‘restaurant’, but it is an important part of both ensuring quality and maintaining health. ‘Hygiene is important at every step in the restaurant. When we hire a new employee, they first have to read the cleaning and self-control plan and wash the floors and choose the dosages of the dishwashing detergent in accordance with it. In the kitchen, everyone must observe hygiene rules, avoid cross-contamination, use the right gloves and paper for drying your hands, and make sure that waste is managed correctly. The dining room and dishes must also be clean. In addition, removing grease and various dirt from cooking utensils must be quick and efficient. Cleaning agents must be environmentally friendly and suitable for use with foodstuffs.’

‘We once discovered that stainless steel surfaces had become spotted because someone decided to clean the stainless-steel cabinet doors and work surfaces with oven cleaner. It was a lot of work and effort, but in the end, Svinto soap wool and various stainless-steel detergents helped to solve the problem,’ Angelica gives an amusing example.

Modern, ergonomic, and environmentally friendly solutions

The world is constantly changing, and restaurant Wicca also comes up with new dishes and processes every day so that they could operate in a more modern, efficient, and environmentally friendly way. Eco-friendly detergents and efficient dishwashing systems with correct dosages and waste sorting with the Longopac waste solution are just a few examples. Soon, Wicca will also start making compost itself, and then biodegradable garbage bags will be needed for the transport of bio-waste

‘In a restaurant, it is important that cleaning accessories and dispensers can also be washed in the dishwasher, and different coloured brushes and aids help create systems to prevent cross-contamination of food. For example, we have to avoid contact between vegetables and raw fish or meat,’ Angelica gives examples.

A few hours with Angelica on the terrace of Wicca have quickly passed – the time spent here was full of pleasant recognition, warmth, and inspiration. I thank Angelica for the pleasant conversation and I wish success to the entire Restaurant Wicca team in the continued development of Estonian food culture and in making people happy!

Maile Mölder, Marketing and Communications Manager of Puhastusimport