Rene Frank - CODA Berlin

Today, René Frank uses this expertise to explain how his love of cooking came about: "Cooking has always been my greatest passion," he says. He started his training at the age of 16, and even before he had really gained a foothold in the professional world, he received his first awards. Especially at the start of your career, even small accolades help you to believe in yourself and keep going. For Frank, awards are not just personal milestones: "They don't make everyday life easier, but they do make it nicer. Above all, they show our employees that we are on the right track and that our work is appreciated." His passion for cooking is deeply rooted: "Cooking was always something important in our family. In the morning, we would think about what we were going to eat for lunch and dinner. The kitchen was always a place where people came together, where someone was there for you - that shaped me from an early age." After working in Japan, Switzerland, Spain and France, Frank got to know many facets of top gastronomy. Japan in particular left a lasting impression on him: "A very special experience. I learned Japanese, was intensively involved in teamwork - and yes, I worked between 14 and 18 hours a day. It was incredibly intense, but also instructive." Today, he makes sure that his employees can maintain this balance: "I don't want our employees to burn out. They should retain their passion for gastronomy."

Frank founded his restaurant CODA in Berlin in 2016 with a clear vision: "The name CODA describes the last part of a piece of music - like the classic dessert at the end of a meal. And that's what it's all about." But his concept goes further: there are no categories such as starter, main course or dessert, no division into sweet or savory. One example: the signature dish Caviar Popsicle, where you don't know whether it's sweet or savoury. This concept often comes as a surprise to guests: "Many think that everything is very sweet here - and are then pleasantly surprised that it's not. We work exclusively with the naturally occurring sweetness in the products: fruit, vegetables, honey or maple syrup. For example, we boil purple carrot juice into a syrup, which then sweetens a chocolate cream. We completely avoid white, refined sugar and highly industrially processed products, which are otherwise common in desserts and patisserie." Frank sees his concept as a further development of classic dessert culture: "In French patisserie, sweetness was often dominant because the dishes had to be long-lasting - such as takeaway chocolates. This is not the case in the restaurant - you can work freely and show other flavors." He also emphasizes the creative use of categories: "It's not about pigeonholing everything. Food should be free - just like we design our menus. We surprise guests, inspire them and question habits."