Many hospitality careers begin in much the same way: a job taken as a stopgap while you pursue something else entirely, which quietly turns into a passion in its own right. Eugene Korolev's started on that well-trodden path: a student walking into restaurants looking for work as a bartender. But then it went somewhere extraordinary, from Michelin-starred kitchens across Europe, to his own restaurant in Dnipro, and then, months after opening it, the front line in Ukraine's war against Russia.
When circumstances allowed at the front, he cooked for the men around him with whatever could be found, and although his circumstances are extreme there is a kernel which perfectly describes why many of us got into this industry: food and feeding as purpose, something that carries comfort and hope into places where very little else can reach.
Eugene brings this purpose to SINO, the London restaurant he co-founded and leads, where his ambition extends well beyond the pass. He talks about Ukrainian cuisine as something that deserves a seat at the table of the world's great culinary traditions, and about food as a form of cultural diplomacy, which makes every service an act of quiet advocacy as much as an act of cooking.
But cooking, he says, is the smallest part of his day. The rest is people, culture, and hundreds of decisions guests never see. His musings on curiosity, consistency and the discipline of not rushing all make this Career Spotlight an essential read.
Career Spotlight: Eugene Korolev, Head Chef and Co-Founder of SINO
What was the journey that led you to your current role?
My journey certainly wasn't planned. As a teenager I dreamed of becoming a professional footballer, not a chef. After injuries ended that path, I needed a part-time job while studying at university. A friend and I walked into restaurants asking for work, hoping to become bartenders. Instead, one restaurant told us they needed chefs. I had never imagined myself in a kitchen, but I said yes.
What started as a job quickly became an obsession. I realised cooking is a profession where you never stop learning. Over the following years I worked in Michelin-starred restaurants, five-star hotels and kitchens across Europe, each one teaching me something different—from classical French technique to creativity, precision and consistency.
In 2021 I opened my first restaurant in Ukraine, but only a few months later Russia invaded and I joined the Ukrainian Army. After serving for 18 months, I had the opportunity to move to London and become co-founder and Head Chef of SINO. Today my mission is much bigger than cooking. It's about changing the way people think about Ukrainian cuisine and showing that it deserves a place among the world's great culinary traditions.
What's been the hardest thing about your career journey so far, and how did you get through it?
Without question, leaving the kitchen to go to war.
For 18 months my focus completely changed. Instead of thinking about menus, I was thinking about survival and protecting the people around me. But interestingly, food never disappeared from my life. Whenever there was an opportunity, I'd cook for my fellow soldiers using whatever ingredients we could find. It reminded me that cooking isn't just about restaurants - it brings comfort, normality and hope, even in the darkest circumstances.
Coming back to professional kitchens wasn't easy either. I had to learn how to slow my mind down again. Having a clear purpose helped me: using food to tell Ukraine's story positively.
What's the most unexpected part of your role?
People often think being a head chef is mostly about cooking. In reality, cooking is probably the smallest part of my day.
Most of my time is spent developing people, mentoring the team, solving problems, planning menus, working with suppliers, managing costs and making hundreds of decisions that guests never see. You're building a culture as much as you're creating dishes.
What's the best part of the job?
Watching people discover something completely new. Many of our guests have never experienced modern Ukrainian cuisine before. Seeing someone taste borsch, Chicken Kyiv or fermented Ukrainian ingredients in a completely unexpected way and leave with a different perception of my country is incredibly rewarding.
For me, food is one of the strongest forms of cultural diplomacy.
What's the hardest or most draining part?
The pursuit of consistency. Creating one great dish is difficult, but repeating it perfectly hundreds of times while leading a team and maintaining high standards every single day is much harder.
People often celebrate creativity, but restaurants are built on consistency.
What skills matter most in your role, beyond the obvious ones?
Curiosity. Technical skills can be taught, but curiosity drives everything else. The chefs who continue to improve are the ones who constantly ask why.
Communication is another underestimated skill. A kitchen only works when everyone trusts each other and understands the same vision.
Finally, resilience. There will always be setbacks, mistakes and difficult services. The ability to stay calm and keep moving forward is essential.
What did you have to learn the hard way?
That being the best cook in the room doesn't automatically make you the best leader.
Earlier in my career I thought success came from doing everything myself. Eventually I realised that great restaurants are built by great teams. Leadership is about helping other people become better than they thought they could be.
What advice would you give to someone trying to break into this role today?
Don't chase awards or recognition - chase making every guest leave happier than when they arrived. If you can consistently create memorable experiences and genuinely care about the people sitting at your tables, everything else will follow.
Work in different kitchens, travel whenever you can, ask questions, read, taste everything and never become comfortable. Every restaurant, whether it's a neighbourhood bistro or a three-star dining room, has something valuable to teach you.
And don't rush. The industry rewards people who are patient enough to master the fundamentals before trying to reinvent them.
What's the best piece of advice that YOU were given?
The best piece of advice I was ever given was: "Always start with the best product you can find." You can have incredible technique and years of experience, but you can never create a truly great dish from poor-quality ingredients.
The product always comes first - everything else, from technique to presentation, is there to enhance it, not hide it.
About Eugene Korolev
Eugene is from Dnipro in the East of Ukraine. He is the president of Bocuse D’Or Ukraine. Throughout his career, he has passed through many of Europe’s foremost Michelin starred restaurants, including 2 Michelin starred Vendôme near Cologne; Poland’s first Michelin starred restaurant Atelier Amaro, and one Michelin starred Benoit in Paris. In 2019, he represented Ukraine in the Culinary Olympics. Eugene opened his first solo restaurant Manufactura in Dnipro in 2021. In February 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, Eugene left his restaurant to volunteer for the Ukrainian army, whom he fought with until September 2023. In late 2023, Eugene met Polina, and their vision for SINO was born.
