How American serviceman opened culinary studio in Lviv and helps Ukrainians affected by the war

Robert Nuey, a former U.S. Army serviceman with 22 years of service, recently launched the Senses Chef Table gastronomic studio in Lviv. In an interview with NV Food on Feb. 23, he discussed his journey to becoming a chef and his efforts to support Ukrainians through his studio.

Despite the fact that the chef was born, raised and lived in the United States, in 2004 he visited Kyiv for the first time, where passion for Ukraine began. Robert Nuey spoke about his love of cooking, his military service, and the beginning of his volunteer work after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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— Where does your love for cooking come from and what experience do you have?

— I was born and raised in Chicago, IL. My desire to cook and become a culinary expert started in my hometown when I started watching a show on TV with the famous chef, writer and TV host Julia Child and tried to recreate her dishes for my family. Then I started cooking on the barbecue and grill for Thanksgiving and Christmas. But my first professional experience as a chef came after my first contract with the U.S. Army in 1992. After nine years of military service, I enrolled in a local culinary school and graduated in the spring of 1998.

Started studies on a part-time basis and then switched to a full-time program to work in the school’s gourmet restaurant. I gained experience in hotels, restaurants, and catering companies. I also worked as a private chef for some of the most influential people in Chicago.

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After graduating, I immediately started my career as a chef at the French Consulate in Chicago, while also founding my own company, Epicurean Experience. After working as a chef for more than four years, I was called back to the army. In 2004, I returned to civilian life and worked as a security guard in Afghanistan for two years, followed by another eight years in Iraq. Although my main duties were to secure our embassy, I never forgot my culinary skills in my free time. I organized dinners, parties, and barbecues for my colleagues, the US Ambassador, his staff, and many other people.

In Ukraine, I took part in several chef exhibitions, consulted restaurants in Kyiv, held several exclusive pop-up dinners, as well as master classes even before the quarantine period due to the COVID pandemic.

— What are your favorite dishes from your army days and what food is most memorable from this period?

— It’s hard to say that I had any favorite dishes while serving in the army. Food in the army is not meant for pleasure, but to fill your stomach and get enough calories and energy to continue performing any task at any time of the day or night. But I can say that breakfast, which consisted of scrambled eggs or an omelet, was always pretty decent. I can’t complain about the lunches during special American holidays either.

— How did you decide to move to Ukraine and why did you choose Lviv?

— I visited Ukraine for the first time in 2004. After I had the opportunity to travel in Eastern Europe, I set out to visit and explore it as soon as possible. And I was quite successful. I chose Ukraine as my first destination. But from 2004 to 2021, I mostly visited only Kyiv. I loved this city and for some reason had no desire to live anywhere else, although I traveled to Kryvyi Rih, Odesa, and Crimea (before the annexation).

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In August 2021, a close friend of mine, with whom I wanted to create a restaurant project together, invited me to come to Lviv and see the opportunities this city had to offer. I immediately fell in love with the charm of the old town and the similarities between Lviv and cities in Western Europe, especially with Italy, where I have been many times. Although I love Kyiv, I thought it was time to move to the place that gave me such a warm feeling both inside and out. I realized that Lviv would eventually become my home. In October, less than two months later, I found a great apartment and moved to this city.

— What are your favorite Ukrainian dishes?

— My favorite Ukrainian dishes are borsch and shuba (dressed herring). If I could, I would eat borsch every day. I’m a big fan of soups in general, but borsch is my love! I tried shuba at a New Year’s party during my first visit to Ukraine in 2004, and it was absolutely perfect. The combination of pickled herring, beetroot, onions and potatoes with mayonnaise is a real pleasure.

— Do you speak Ukrainian?

No comment! But honestly, I use an app every day to learn everything I can. But, as they say, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Even though I try my best.

— How did you choose the concept for Senses Chef Table — Lviv?

This idea came up a few years ago when I was still living in Kyiv. The initial concept was to create a space where I could team up with local, regional, and even international chefs. We wanted to serve international cuisine, hang paintings or photos related to a particular country on the menu, and offer music playlists and live music.

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Before the pandemic started, I had a lot of ideas that I wanted to implement, and I was quite ready for it. But when the COVID pandemic started, all my ideas were put on the back burner, and I didn’t know when I would be able to implement them. That is why in August 2020, I decided to return to my previous life as a security guard in Iraq to earn money. It was only on Feb. 21, 2022 that I returned to Lviv, planning to pack my suitcase and fly to the United States to visit my son. But my plans changed completely on the morning of February 24, when Russia started war against Ukraine. It was at this time that I founded the humanitarian charity organization UA Lifeline. Although I officially registered it only a year later, we started our active work from the first days of the war in Ukraine.

When I realized that donations were starting to come in very slowly, I decided to use my culinary skills to be able to raise funds to continue working in Ukraine. With the help of local chefs, I opened a pop-up restaurant where guests pay a certain amount for a tasting dinner, and some part of that money goes to UA Lifeline.

— Who exactly does UA Lifeline help?

UA LIFELINE was created to help Ukrainian people during this terrible war started by Russia. We started by helping the massive flow of internally displaced people coming from the east. I helped them with housing, feeding them, providing hot showers and warm beds until they could continue their journey west to Europe. Then I created logistics chains that helped bring aid from Poland, the UK, the US and even Australia to Lviv, and then send it eastwards to where it was most needed.

Later, I started delivering this aid to civilians who desperately needed it myself, as well as providing aid to the military fighting on the front lines, in the most dangerous areas near the front line or in close proximity to it. We regularly traveled to Kherson and surrounding villages, Zaporizhzhia, Nikopol, Kramatorsk, Kostiantynivka, Chasiv Yar, Lyman, Sloviansk, Izium, and throughout the Kharkiv Oblast.

— Is there anyone you are planning to invite to a next dinner party at Senses Chef Table — Lviv in the near future?

We don’t choose our guests. Guests find us themselves through social media. They write to us, book a table, and come at the reserved time. We are currently planning the next event and will announce it shortly. I can say that the theme of our next event will be spring, and it will include not only a brunch menu, but also a dinner menu. Me and three other chefs will be cooking for our guests, two of those chefs are from well-known restaurants. If all the seats for dinner will be booked quickly, we will plan the next event immediately after.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine