Nicolae Craciun: From Mastering The Techniques To Finding Your Own Voice

Some careers begin with a clear decision, his unfolded gradually through the rhythm of the kitchen and a growing curiosity that reaches far beyond cooking itself. What began as an attraction for Chef Nicolae Craciun evolved into understanding, later into a personal language expressed through food.
A graduate of HRC Culinary Academy, he built his foundation on discipline, consistency, and respect for process values that continue to shape his way of working today. His journey then led him through some of the world’s most demanding kitchens, refining not only his technique but his perspective.
After years abroad, he decides to return to his home to reconnect with his identity and roots. Today, his work exists at the intersection of precision and intuition, where simplicity is deliberate, and every dish carries a quiet, intentional voice.
Our conversation with Chef Nicolae Craciun explores how a chef evolves from learning structure to questioning it, from executing dishes to expressing ideas and finding your own voice. It is about storytelling through ingredients. It is about what it means to build something that truly belongs.

What drew you to the culinary world, and at what point did you know this was the path you wanted to pursue professionally?

Nicolae Craciun: There wasn’t a single moment when I decided. It was more of a process. At the beginning, it was about energy – the rhythm of a kitchen pulls you in. Over time, I realized it’s not just about cooking, but about understanding: ingredients, people, places. I think I knew this was my path when I started to express something personal through food. Not just reproduce, but actually say something. From that point, it stopped being an option and became a direction.

What was your experience like studying at HRC Culinary Academy? What did that environment give you that you still carry with you today?

Nicolae Craciun: HRC was where I first understood discipline in a real way. Not just technique, but structure – the idea that things need to be done properly, consistently, without shortcuts. It was the first time I realized that cooking isn’t just creativity, it’s also rigor. What stayed with me is respect for the process. The understanding that small things matter, and that without a solid foundation, you can’t really build anything lasting.

You trained under Jean-Georges Vongerichten. What was the most significant lesson you took from working in his kitchens?

Nicolae Craciun: The most important lesson was clarity. Every ingredient needs a purpose. Nothing is there just to fill space. Simplicity, but executed with precision аnd consistency. It’s not enough to make a great dish once – it has to be great every time, for every guest.

 

After working abroad, what brought you back to Transylvania and specifically to Cluj-Napoca? Was returning home always part of the plan?

Nicolae Craciun: It wasn’t a clear plan from the beginning. At some point, I felt that what I was doing abroad didn’t fully belong to me. You grow a lot technically, but your identity stays a bit unresolved. Coming back was more about the need to build something of my own, in a context that makes sense to me. Transylvania is not just a place, it’s a starting point. Here I can work with ingredients, people, and stories that are actually mine.

Cimbru Author, led by chef Nicolae Crăciun, is a contemporary restaurant rooted in Transylvania, built on the idea of honest cooking with local, seasonal ingredients. Crăciun’s approach avoids imitation, focusing on clarity, simplicity, and expressing identity through food. The menu evolves constantly, shaped by close relationships with local producers and a deep respect for place and product.

 

How did Cimbru Author come to life? What was the vision you started with, and how has it evolved since opening?

Nicolae Craciun: Cimbru Author didn’t start with a rigid plan.  The idea was simple: cook honestly, work with what’s around us, and avoid copying models that don’t belong to us. In the beginning, it was more intuitive. Over time, things became clearer. We understood better who we are and what we want to say. Now the direction is more defined. Less about impression, more about meaning. Less about showing something, more about building something that actually makes sense.

Your menu changes weekly… what does your creative process actually look like?

Nicolae Craciun: The process always starts with the ingredient. I don’t begin with abstract ideas, but with what we have – what we find at the market, what producers bring, what’s in season. From there, we build.  We test a lot, adjust, simplify. Most of the time, the first idea isn’t the right one. You remove things until only what’s essential remains. For example, we had a dish that started from a very good cabbage. Everything followed from that – acidity, texture, fat. We didn’t try to overcomplicate it.

You describe your cooking as intuitive. What does that mean in practice?

Nicolae Craciun: Intuition comes from repetition. It’s not something abstract; it’s the result of many hours in the kitchen. At some point, you stop thinking through every step, but that doesn’t mean there’s no precision. Precision is the base. Intuition sits on top of it. In practice, it means knowing when to stop. When a dish is enough. Not adding things just because you can.

 “Cooking, for me, is about trust…” What does that trust look like day to day?

Nicolae Craciun: It means not forcing ingredients. If a product is good, you don’t need to complicate it. You need to understand it and let it speak. It also means trust within the team. Everyone needs to know what they’re doing and why. And maybe most importantly, trusting that you don’t have to prove something on every plate. Sometimes it’s enough to just be correct.

Sustainability and working with local farmers… how does that shape what ends up on the plate?

Nicolae Craciun: For us, it’s not a theoretical concept. Relationships with producers are built over time, directly. We go there, we see, we talk. It’s not just about supply, it’s about understanding. That shapes the menu in a very real way. We don’t fully decide what we cook – sometimes the ingredients decide for us. And it forces you to be more aware. To use everything, reduce waste, and respect the work behind each product.

What does Transylvanian gastronomy mean to you today?

Nicolae Craciun: For me, it’s not about fixed recipes. It’s about memory, ingredients, and context. About flavors you recognize, even if the form is different. We’re not trying to recreate the past. We’re trying to understand it and move it forward in a way that still makes sense today.

Being accepted into JRE… what did that moment feel like, and what does it represent to you?

Nicolae Craciun: It was a confirmation, but not an endpoint. It matters because it comes from people who truly understand this profession. For me, it also means responsibility. To stay consistent and not drift away from what we do just to achieve something external.

What would you tell young chefs who are just starting out?

Nicolae Craciun: Be patient. Don’t look for fast results and don’t skip steps. This profession takes time. And be honest with yourself. It’s easy to copy, much harder to understand who you are and what you actually want to do.

Where do you see Cimbru Author and yourself in the next five years?

Nicolae Craciun: More defined than we are now, but in the same direction. I don’t want to change the identity, just deepen it. To become better at what we already do.  And hopefully, to build something real that represents where we come from, in today’s context.

Chef Nicolae Craciun’s  story is not about chasing recognition, but about building something real step by step, without shortcuts. It is a reminder that great cooking is not defined by complexity, but by clarity, honesty, and purpose. His journey reflects something we deeply believe in: technique is only the beginning. What truly defines a chef is the ability to transform knowledge into perspective and experience into identity. Cooking is a form of personal expression, not just execution.

From the foundations built at HRC Culinary Academy to the evolution of his own culinary voice, his journey reflects what this profession truly demands: patience, discipline, and self-awareness.

For those just starting, his message is simple but powerful – take your time, trust the process, and focus on understanding who you are as a chef. Because in the end, success is not about becoming someone else, but about refining your own identity, again and again.

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