As we noted in the Top Food Halls of Poland ranking which you can find
you can’t just call yourself a Food Hall and be successful. Successful Food Halls start with the proper selection of the street food vendors and we thoroughly enjoy discovering Poland’s talented chefs and foodie entrepreneurs during our travels around the country. How do you make it on our list? First, you need to have a burning and relentless desire for creativity and the endless pursuit of offering ever-better food for your demanding foodie consumers. And, we need to see you working in your ‘box’ – there is no way that a food hall vendor will ‘feel’ the ever-changing desires of the dining public without the day-to-day engagement with the consumer. These winners below are great examples of what it takes to succeed in the Food Hall business.
During this very difficult time for the gastro industry, we encourage you all to look up these chefs who are trying to sell packaged versions of their delicious food for at-home consumption. They need our help so that we can continue enjoying their creative inventions when the world re-opens next year.
Introducing Inspire’s Top Food Hall Vendors 2020
1. Marek Ignaciuk ~ Soul Food, Hala Koszyki & Elektrownia Food Hall.
Previously, the “King of Food Trucks” Marek has quickly become the “King of Food Halls” in Poland. Anyone in the street food community in Warsaw knows Marek Ignaciuk – a pioneer of the culinary movement in Poland. Always working on improving his food and his operation, it has been a joy to watch this tireless and talented entrepreneur continue to seek ways to provide a better burger for his foodie customers. If you want to really enjoy something special, venture to Marek’s most recent ‘baby,’ an authentic ramen shop called Shiso, tucked away on ul. Koszykowa 31 in Warsaw. Marek is passionate about all that he does and we look forward to following his success. Rumor is that he will open his first full restaurant next year in Warsaw’s Norblin project. Good luck, Marek!
2. Jan Kilanski ~ Neon, Stacja Food Hall Gdansk & Neon restaurant Gdynia.
Jan Kilanski has been creating amazing Asian street food for many years. Not only is he great at the wok, but he also has a personality made for TV… participating in Poland’s culinary show “Top Chef.” Jaś contributed his talents to the Stacja Food Hall in Gdansk with his Neon Noodle Bar serving his delicious twist on the famous Pad Thai dish. His Neon restaurant in Gdynia is known for the KFC sandwich or the “Kilanski Fried Chicken” sandwich, find out how to make it here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oO8rvdqNy2M.
Gdynia is a brutally difficult market for aspiring chefs and restaurateurs. If we are lucky, Jaś may soon be serving his delicious Asian dishes in other parts of Poland.
3. Srikanth Gupta ~ Curry Leaves, Hala Koszyki Warsaw
Srikanth, or “Sri” to his friends, is quite possibly the happiest guy we know in the rough and tumble gastro industry. Sri arrived in Poland over 10 years ago and we are lucky to have him. He launched his Curry Leaves restaurant in Hala Koszyki introducing his absolutely delicious authentic Indian cuisine to Warsaw’s foodie crowd. He has been cautious to expand beyond his comfortable confines of Koszyki, but we look forward to seeing his next venture in 2021….
4. Piotr Slusarz ~ Bółt Kaszubian Street Food Stacja Food Hall Gdansk
Bółt means Baltic in the local Kaszubian dialect and Piotr has found his specialty in creating delicious fusions of his native Kaszubian cuisine with world favorites. Piotr introduced his Bółt concept at the Stacja Food Hall offering his guests quite possibly the most adventurous street food menu we have found amongst Poland’s food halls. Not only is Piotr one of the nicest and kindest people you will ever meet, but also like his compatriot Jan Kilanski, Piotr also made it onto Poland’s Top Chef program recognizing his impressive culinary talents. Piotr even shares his culinary secrets in Stacja’s culinary studio called The Kitchen being one of their most requested chefs. His most popular delicacy is his “Kashubian cabbage” or picked Polish cabbage with a slightly spicy Korean kimchi flavor. Piotr adds this tangy cabbage to his most popular street food menu item, Pochumel – a locally-sourced cod sandwich with Kashubian cabbage, pea spread (crushed peas with wasabi) and melted cheddar cheese. We have enjoyed many and you should, too!
