AboutO meni

Nenad
Živković

Chef · Founder of AsketCuisine · Chef de cuisine, Veli Žal — Mali LošinjŠef · osnivač AsketCuisine · šef kuhinje, Veli Žal — Mali Lošinj

An ascetic removes what is not needed. So does this kitchen.Asketa uklanja ono što nije potrebno. Tako radi i ova kuhinja.

Eighteen years in kitchens — from my hometown of Požarevac to Belgrade's five-star hotels, ships and an island in the Adriatic. I build kitchens that hold under pressure, and I cook to prove that structure is what sets a cook free.Osamnaest godina u kuhinjama — od rodnog Požarevca preko beogradskih hotela sa pet zvezdica i brodova do ostrva na Jadranu. Gradim kuhinje koje izdrže pritisak i kuvam da bih pokazao da je struktura ono što kuvara oslobađa.

Nenad Živković — chef, AsketCuisine Nenad Živković
Why AsketZašto asket

Not less.
Exact.Ne manje.
Tačno.

An ascetic does not renounce pleasure. He renounces noise, so he can hear the taste.Asketa nije čovek koji se odriče uživanja. On se odriče buke da bi čuo ukus.

In a kitchen, that means nothing is added out of habit, nothing is thrown away without reason, and no one shouts because there is no system. An ascetic kitchen is not poor. It is exact: every gram has a purpose, every movement a reason, every person knows why they are there.U kuhinji to znači da se ništa ne dodaje iz navike, ništa ne baca bez razloga i niko ne viče zato što nema sistema. Asketska kuhinja nije siromašna. Ona je tačna: svaki gram ima svrhu, svaki pokret ima razlog, svaki čovek zna zašto je tu.

Out of that exactness comes freedom — to improvise when it matters, because everything else holds.Iz te tačnosti rađa se sloboda — da se improvizuje kad treba, jer sve ostalo stoji čvrsto.

AsketCuisine was built under time pressure, cost limits and the weight of craft — not as a theory, but as a working system tested against real service, real kitchens and real guests. One equation, one law, one conviction.AsketCuisine je izgrađen pod pritiskom vremena, ograničenjima troškova i težinom zanata — ne kao teorija, već kao radni sistem testiran pod pritiskom pravog servisa, pravih kuhinja i pravih gostiju. Jedna jednačina, jedan zakon, jedno uverenje.

The pathPut

From Požarevac
to the island.Od Požarevca
do ostrva.

18years in professional kitchensgodina u profesionalnim kuhinjama
13kitchens — hometown, hotel, ship, islandkuhinja — rodni grad, hotel, brod, ostrvo
4stints in the same hotel kitchen — from commis to executive chefperioda u istoj hotelskoj kuhinji — od commisa do executive chefa
I
BeginningsPočeci
Požarevac · 2005–2013

A cooking-technician diploma from the tourism high school in Požarevac, the first service at eighteen, and a kitchen of my own at nineteen. Early responsibility, no system to lean on — everything had to be learned by doing.Diploma kuvara-tehničara Turističke škole u Požarevcu, prvi servis sa osamnaest i sopstvena kuhinja sa devetnaest. Rana odgovornost, bez sistema na koji bi se oslonio — sve se učilo radeći.

  • 2005–2008Tourism High School, PožarevacTuristička škola, PožarevacCooking technicianKuvar-tehničar
  • 2008–2009Restaurant Kum, PožarevacRestoran Kum, PožarevacCookKuvar
  • 2009–2013Restaurant Oaza, PožarevacRestoran Oaza, PožarevacChef de cuisineŠef kuhinje
II
Giving up the titleOdricanje od titule
Belgrade · 2013–2016Beograd · 2013–2016

The first ascetic decision: leaving a head-chef position to start again as a cook and a commis in Belgrade's hotel kitchens. A title was exchanged for a structure — brigades, standards, stations, the logic of a kitchen that runs on documents instead of moods. From commis to junior sous chef at Radisson Blu Old Mill.Prva asketska odluka: napustiti mesto šefa kuhinje i krenuti ispočetka kao kuvar i commis u beogradskim hotelskim kuhinjama. Titula je zamenjena strukturom — brigade, standardi, stanice, logika kuhinje koja radi po dokumentima, a ne po raspoloženju. Od commisa do junior sous chefa u Radisson Blu Old Mill.

  • 2013–2014Kalemegdanska terasa, BelgradeKalemegdanska terasa, BeogradCookKuvar
  • 2014Hyatt Regency, BelgradeBeogradCommis
  • 2014–2016Radisson Blu Old Mill, BelgradeBeogradCommis → Junior sous chef
  • 2016Petrus, Novi SadSous chef
III
On the waterNa vodi
Adriatic · Danube · Germany · 2016–2018Jadran · Dunav · Nemačka · 2016–2018

A private yacht through Greece, Montenegro and Croatia, a river ship from the Black Sea to Amsterdam, a lakeside spa hotel in Germany. A galley teaches what no school can: every centimetre justified, every ingredient planned days ahead, nothing wasted because there is nowhere to get more.Privatna jahta kroz Grčku, Crnu Goru i Hrvatsku, rečni brod od Crnog mora do Amsterdama, spa hotel na jezeru u Nemačkoj. Brodska kuhinja uči ono što nijedna škola ne može: svaki centimetar opravdan, svaka namirnica planirana danima unapred, ništa se ne baca jer nemaš odakle da doneseš novo.

  • 2016Private yacht “Sea Tramp”Privatna jahta „Sea Tramp“Personal chefLični kuvar
  • 2017Grand Circle Cruise Line — Black Sea → AmsterdamCrno more → AmsterdamChef de partie
  • 2018Seezeitlodge Hotel & Spa, GermanySeezeitlodge Hotel & Spa, NemačkaChef de partie
IV
Leading the kitchenVođenje kuhinje
Belgrade · Kopaonik · 2018–2025Beograd · Kopaonik · 2018–2025

Back to the hotel where it began as a commis — this time as sous chef, chef de cuisine and then executive chef of Radisson Collection Old Mill. In between, a winter season on Kopaonik during the pandemic and the kitchen of Tisa, where New Balkan Cuisine meant treating the local pantry as an archive, not a souvenir.Povratak u hotel u kome je sve počelo kao commis — ovoga puta kao sous chef, šef kuhinje, a zatim executive chef Radisson Collection Old Mill. Između toga zimska sezona na Kopaoniku u vreme pandemije i kuhinja Tise, gde je Nova balkanska kuhinja značila da se domaća ostava čita kao arhiva, a ne kao suvenir.

  • 2018–2020Radisson Collection Old Mill, BelgradeBeogradSous chef → Chef de cuisine → Executive chef
  • 2020–2021Gorski Hotel & Spa, KopaonikChef de partie · pandemic seasonsezona tokom pandemije
  • 2021–2022Radisson Collection Old MillExecutive chef
  • 2022–2023Tisa — New Balkan Cuisine, BelgradeBeogradChef de cuisineŠef kuhinje
  • 2023–2025Radisson Collection Old MillExecutive chef
Slow-cooked egg with pickled vegetables and jus, Old Mill
Roulade with herb oil and roasted pepper, Old Mill
Radisson Collection Old Mill, BelgradeBeograd
Beef with zucchini ribbons and jus, and a potato pavé
Crumbed main with roasted cauliflower, corn and dark jus
Apricot cake with poached apricot
Spaghetti with cream, cheese and crisp toppings
Tisa — New Balkan Cuisine, BelgradeNova balkanska kuhinja, Beograd
V
The islandOstrvo
Mali Lošinj · Belgrade · 2025–Mali Lošinj · Beograd · 2025–

Chef de cuisine of Veli Žal for Lošinj Hotels & Villas — a kitchen ruled by the sea, the season and the boat schedule. Between seasons, pre-opening support for Vid, a New Balkan Cuisine restaurant in Belgrade. AsketCuisine is the sum of all of it: a method that has worked in a hometown restaurant, a five-star hotel, a galley and an island.Šef kuhinje restorana Veli Žal u Lošinj Hotels & Villas — kuhinja kojom upravljaju more, sezona i red vožnje broda. Između sezona, podrška otvaranju restorana Vid (Nova balkanska kuhinja) u Beogradu. AsketCuisine je zbir svega toga: metoda koja je radila u restoranu u rodnom gradu, hotelu sa pet zvezdica, brodskoj kuhinji i na ostrvu.

  • 2025Veli Žal — Lošinj Hotels & Villas, Mali LošinjChef de cuisineŠef kuhinje
  • 2025–2026Vid — New Balkan Cuisine, BelgradeBeogradCulinary pre-opening supportPodrška pred otvaranje
  • 2026 —Veli Žal — Lošinj Hotels & Villas, Mali LošinjChef de cuisineŠef kuhinje
Dessert at Veli Žal with the sea of Lošinj behind
Semifreddo with cherries and pistachio, Veli Žal
Veli Žal, Mali Lošinj · Photo: PuncetFoto: Puncet

Specialisation: School of St. Nikola, Novi Sad. Languages: Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian (native), English and Russian.Specijalizacija: Škola Sveti Nikola, Novi Sad. Jezici: srpski, hrvatski i bosanski (maternji), engleski i ruski.

How I workKako radim

Calm hands.
A written plan.Mirne ruke.
Zapisan plan.

Nenad Živković plating seafood spaghetti in the kitchen, Asket Cuisine apron
The plan comes before the first knife.Plan dolazi pre prvog noža.

Every project starts on paper: each part planned, each risk named, each number checked. When the objective is precise, the kitchen is calm.Svaki projekat počinje na papiru: svaki deo isplaniran, svaki rizik imenovan, svaki broj proveren. Kada je cilj precizan, kuhinja je mirna.

I explain the why, not only the what.Objašnjavam zašto, ne samo šta.

Reading and writing are as much a part of my work as cooking. A cook who understands the reason does not need to be shouted at.Čitanje i pisanje su deo mog posla koliko i kuvanje. Kuvaru koji razume razlog ne treba vikati.

I trust slow things.Verujem sporim stvarima.

Fermentation, a 48-hour lamb, a reduction that takes a day, a supplier relationship built over seasons. Taste is the reward for patience.Fermentacija, jagnjetina od 48 sati, redukcija koja traje ceo dan, odnos sa dobavljačem građen sezonama. Ukus je nagrada za strpljenje.

Balance at the pass.Ravnoteža na pasu.

A calm team, a guest who leaves lighter than they came, a menu that pays for itself. Down to earth, reliable, the same person in every service — and quick to adapt when the sea, the season or the market changes.Miran tim, gost koji ode lakši nego što je došao, jelovnik koji pokriva sam sebe. Prizeman, pouzdan, isti čovek na svakom servisu — i brz da se prilagodi kad se promene more, sezona ili tržište.

I like beginnings.Volim početke.

Openings, pre-openings, a first season, a new menu: the moment when a structure can still be built right. That is where AsketCuisine is most useful.Otvaranja, pripreme pred otvaranje, prva sezona, novi jelovnik: trenutak kada struktura još može da se izgradi kako treba. Tu je AsketCuisine najkorisniji.

The Asket manifestoAsket manifest

Seven vows.
One law: Modus.Sedam zaveta.
Jedan zakon: Modus.

  1. I
    Subtract before you add.Oduzmi pre nego što dodaš.

    The strongest creative decision is the one that keeps something off the plate.Najjača kreativna odluka je ona da nešto ne uđe na tanjir.

    Modus · The tastingProba
  2. II
    Technique serves the ingredient, not the ego.Tehnika služi namirnici, ne egu.

    The exact temperature is a form of respect. Repetition is how a dish becomes a standard.Tačna temperatura je oblik poštovanja. Ponavljanjem jelo postaje standard.

    Ars · The stationsStanice
  3. III
    The whole ingredient.Cela namirnica.

    Skin becomes a crisp, fat becomes a crackling, the sediment becomes dessert. The season is a discipline, and waste is a failure of imagination.Koža postaje čips, mast postaje hrskavica, talog postaje desert. Sezona je disciplina, a otpad je neuspeh mašte.

    Terra · Ingredient and pantryNamirnica i ostava
  4. IV
    An honest price.Poštena cena.

    A dish that does not cover its cost lies to both the guest and the team. Economics is part of ethics, not its opposite.Jelo koje ne pokriva svoj trošak laže i gosta i tim. Ekonomija je deo etike, ne njena suprotnost.

    Terra · Ingredient and pantryNamirnica i ostava
  5. V
    A standard without fear.Standard bez straha.

    Quality is held by clear measures, not by shouting, and the method is open for anyone to check. A kitchen that exhausts its people is not precise, only expensive.Kvalitet se čuva jasnim merilima, ne vikanjem, a metoda je otvorena svakome na proveru. Kuhinja koja iscrpljuje ljude nije precizna, nego samo skupa.

    Modus · The tastingProba
  6. VI
    The guest is the reason, not the audience.Gost je razlog, ne publika.

    Pauses are as deliberate as heat and salt. What counts is what the guest remembers three months later.Pauze su namerne kao toplota i so. Meri se ono što gost pamti tri meseca kasnije.

    Mensa · The tableSto
  7. VII
    The territory is an archive.Teritorija je arhiva.

    Kajmak, sour milk, Rtanj tea, Traminac, sardines. Proximity is a value: a humble local ingredient needs no justification, it needs precision.Kajmak, kiselo mleko, rtanjski čaj, traminac, srdela. Blizina je vrednost: skromna domaća namirnica ne traži opravdanje, traži preciznost.

    Terra · Ingredient and pantryNamirnica i ostava
Pea plants in flower, pods in hand
Rows of staked tomato plants in a garden
Peas and tomatoes, weeks before they reach the plate. The territory is an archive.Grašak i paradajz, nedeljama pre nego što stignu na tanjir. Teritorija je arhiva.
From the passSa pasa

The method,
on the plate.Metoda,
na tanjiru.

Nenad Živković at the stove during service
Pork belly skewers, roasted cabbage and white bean cream
Beef tartare with egg yolk, pickled onion and capers
Langoustine with clams, tomato and grilled leek
Stuffed roulade with glazed carrots and jus
Terrine with a lace tuile and salad
Oyster with passion fruit, and a mousse with crisp chips
Braised beef with pumpkin purée and herb crumble
Dessert trio

“A professional kitchen is not a place where you improvise — it is a place where improvisation seems impossible because of the precision of the system beneath it.”„Profesionalna kuhinja nije mesto gde se improvizuje — to je mesto gde improvizacija postaje nemoguća zahvaljujući preciznosti sistema koji stoji ispod nje.“

Nenad Živković
What I doČime se bavim

One method.
Four places to meet it.Jedna metoda.
Četiri mesta da je upoznate.

01 · GuestsGosti
Chef's Table Ostrvo

Nine courses, one table, one evening. The first public application of the system — before real guests, without a safety net.Devet hodova, jedan sto, jedno veče. Prva javna primena sistema — pred pravim gostima, bez sigurnosne mreže.

Reserve →Rezerviši →
02 · OwnersVlasnici
ConsultingKonsalting

Location analysis, concept, menu costing and team training. One audit or a full build — the method is the same, only the scale changes.Analiza lokacije, koncept, kalkulacija jelovnika i obuka tima. Jedan audit ili cela izgradnja — metoda je ista, menja se samo razmera.

Start a conversation →Započni razgovor →
03 · ChefsKuvari
MethodologyMetodologija

A dish written as an equation, a kitchen run by the same equation, five steps of learning. The whole framework, open — so it can be held to its own standard.Jelo zapisano kao jednačina, kuhinja koju vodi ista jednačina, pet stepeni učenja. Ceo okvir, otvoreno — da bi mogao da se meri sopstvenim standardom.

Read the method →Pročitaj metodu →
04 · EveryoneSvi
Asket Lab & Blog

A working research journal: thirteen dishes written as formulas, experiments under real constraints, failures recorded as precisely as successes.Radni istraživački dnevnik: trinaest jela zapisanih kao formule, eksperimenti pod stvarnim uslovima, neuspesi zabeleženi jednako precizno kao uspesi.

Enter the Lab →Uđi u Lab →
ContactKontakt

Start with
one conversation.Počnite
jednim razgovorom.

Whether you are sitting at the table or standing behind the pass.Bilo da sedite za stolom ili stojite iza pasa.

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