As fate would have it, a four-year-old Igor Ladyjensky arrived in the United States from the Ukraine, already having begun showing an interest in cooking with his grandmother -- who would often say, “cook with your heart and keep it real.”

 

At 19 years old, after being frustrated with the mundane world of business school, Igor realized  his calling to be the chef he always knew he should be. He was willing to do whatever it took, and fate presented him the opportunity at a family friend’s restaurant.

 

Igor washed dishes, peeled potatoes, cleaned mussels, and stayed late to be sure all was done as perfect as can be. Eventually his dedication and hard work paid off, when he made it onto the line as a cook. Failure wasn’t an option, he adapted, and he continued honing his skills with the same love and passion that permeates his work today.

 

Igor would travel all over the world, thriving in food environments ranging from Michelin star restaurants, to food trucks. Sure, along the way Igor would find himself working in some of the best known restaurants including: Narisawa, Spago, Ink, and In De Wulf. But, the one constant he held onto with white knuckles through every genre of cuisine he created, was the “real food” philosophy that he is known for today.

 

Igor creates sophisticated and palate-pleasing food in the most unpretentious and simplest way possible . That’s #REALBOYSTYLE.