Meat lovers united

The visitors of Odprta kuhna often form a line on the eastern side of Pogačarjev square. Those who prefer pork know the reason why …

There you will find delicious meaty pick-me-ups, provided by Kristijan of Stari pisker and Osi of Super hrust. Both invaluable members of the Odprta kuhna family enjoy cooking since they were young and share a special superpower - they are both able to share a smile while the temperatures by their grills get extremely high.

Kristijan

The craziest thing that happened at your stand: For me, the indisputable winner is a lady who asked us, what is a B-U sauce? (BBQ sauce). I couldn’t stop laughing that day.

The most interesting comment by a visitor at Odprta kuhna: The customers from Lynchburg (Tennessee, USA) told us that ours were the best ribs they ever tasted, despite living less than 20 km away from Jack Daniels distillery, which basically invented the BBQ sauce. Those are the comments that keep us going.

A fun story about the organisers: Well, we are thinking of writing a book titled Liorisms.

The biggest logistics-related challenge you faced at Odprta kuhna: For me, it’s the preparation of the enormous amounts of ribs while checking the weather constantly to time the ingredient order just right.

Who is the funniest person at Odprta kuhna: I would say it’s me, but I don’t want to appear too self-centred. Odprta kuhna is full of interesting characters, but the first place goes to Lior and Škrubi.

What’s your ritual after a long day at Odprta kuhna: First I stop for some coffee at Lukovica (around 11 p.m. or later), followed by a hot shower and cold beer when I arrive home.

Osi

Favourite dish at Odprta kuhna: There is a lot of amazing food at Odprta kuhna, but I always like to stop for lunch at the Abi Falafel and Perzijska kuhinja. Regarding my sugar cravings, my needs are met at Nika’s stand (Veganika).

The craziest thing that happened at your stand: One summer evening a family stopped by our stand and while I was preparing their order I started chatting with their little girl (around five years old), who asked me if the pig head is also edible. She then asked if she could try it and proceeded to eat everything from the tongue to the cheeks and skin. We were all taken aback since kids don’t usually like that type of food, but she finished the whole thing.

The most interesting comment by a visitor at Odprta kuhna: It’s not the most interesting, but it is the most common: “When will the next piglet be ready?”

A fun story about the organisers: One time we were in Koper we wanted to prepare some eggs for breakfast. Lior took the lead and started preparing the eggs like he was competing on Masterchef. We were all laughing when he started shouting: “Osi, Osi, the pan is too hot, take over!” In the end, I made the eggs.

The song that best describes Odprta kuhna: Hmm, this is a hard one … I would say The Rembrandts: I’ll be there for you.

Which part of the piglet is your favourite: Everyone always goes for the ribs, but for me, the best part is behind its legs since the muscles are full of flavour.