Thank you to Chef Victor Bock (left) and Chef Igor Kokozov (right) for their interviews for our Omaha blog. The interviews took place at The Farnam, a new Omaha hotel on 21 May 2021.
OmahaNebraska.com: We wanted to learn a little bit about you, how you came into the restaurant industry and your journey of how you ended up here at The Farnam.
Victor Bock: My name is Victor Bock, I’ve been a chef for about 36 years. Done pretty much every facet of the market except cruise ships, primary resort divisions. Most recently I was corporate chef and food and beverage director for a casino company overseeing properties in three different states and the Caribbean, as well.
I have have long standing relationship of one of the owners of Greenwood Hospitality and when this opportunity came up to come out here and do some task force work, COVID had caused my corporate chef position to be eliminated which I know affected a lot of people, of course. So, I came to Omaha back in the beginning of February.
We shared different ideas as far the food concept goes and what they are looking for. The kitchen was not even built yet. But between Bill Kohl, who was one of the magic partners from Greenwood, and Angie and Jason Fisher, the owners of the property, we had quite the collaboration of what the food was going to be.
I then put together the menus and recipe development and then brought on Chef Igor as the permanent executive chef and we continue from there.
OmahaNebraska.com: Thank you.
Chef Igor Kokozov: Alright, my turn.
My name is Igor Kokozov, I am the executive chef at the Farnam hotel at Omaha, Nebraska.
I start my culinary journey, long, long time, well about 18 years ago and what get me to it is that it has no boundaries. That is why I decide that I have passion for cooking. I realize there is no boundaries in cooking and you pretty much can do and exercise your creativity you know and that is what brought me to cooking.
Also while I join the restaurants and Four Seasons Hotel for fifteen years, I’ve traveled the world, you know, and I have been almost everywhere and that is what really got me excited. Working with different types of cuisines, there is no stamp, a pattern of knowledge. You keep always learning.
What brought me to Omaha, Nebraska? It’s pretty much that I travel anywhere. One day I just picked up and went to Middle East to open Four Season Hotel and I was thinking why not Nebraska? Is there something wrong in Nebraska? There is still American people living in this state like you go to New York, Los Angeles ,the cosmopolitan cities, no one pays attention to each other.
Small cities tend to greet you with more warmth. Kind of experiencing this Midwestern hospitality in … since April 15th in my almost a month you know.
After I came here, I met the owners. I saw Jason and Angie Fisher. I saw how much involved they were in the hotel. Like you see Jason carrying water and he’s doing something. Angie was always taking pictures.
I said to myself when people put in so much heart and soul in something like this, I want to be part of this family, you know. So I brought my family here and we closing on a house on the May 28, so we gonna become Nebraskans you know and that’s the deal right now.
OmahaNebraska.com: You probably won’t laugh (but I know other people but, um, my eyes are starting to tear up) when I finally got my driver’s license that said I was a Nebraskan because we moved around a lot. I was so happy I cried.
Chef Igor Kokozov: Yes, it’s a warming city. You don’t see it much in the weather but you see it in the people, oh my gosh.
I used to live in Florida, seven years I used to come out to the door everyone great each other and everyone was smiling you know and this is what I am experiencing here.
One friend of mine he came to Nebraska many years ago. He described it like this, ” It’s almost like a Switzerland you know. People are very courteous, respectful you know and Swiss hospitality- only in the US!”
OmahaNebraska.com: I haven’t been to Switzerland so I’ll see if they are like Nebraskans when I go.
Chef Igor Kokozov:
You should compare Nebraska to Switzerland all the time but Swiss they know hospitality and I think most of the world they follow them. They start the hospitality industry they been there for a while and they know what it is all about.
OmahaNebraska.com: Thank you
Chef Igor Kokozov: You are welcome.
