Zineb Hattab

Zineb Hattab
Zineb Hattab at KLE's entrance
Born (1989-07-23) 23 July 1989 (age 35)
Blanes, Spain
EducationIndustrial Engineer
Culinary career
Cooking styleVegan Cuisine
Fine Dining
Rating(s)
Current restaurant(s)
  • KLE
    DAR

Zineb Hattab, also known as Zizi Hattab, (born July 23, 1989) is a Moroccan-Spanish chef and the owner of plant-based restaurant KLE in Zurich, Switzerland.[1][2] Hattab was selected “discovery of the year”[3] by Gault Millau on her restaurant's opening year in 2020 and was the first vegan chef in Switzerland to be awarded with a green and a red Michelin star.[4] Hattab's cooking is noted for its intense flavors and complex balanced dishes in a casual setup.[5][6]

Early life

Hattab was born in Girona, Spain, to immigrant parents from Morocco. They had moved to Costa Brava during the 1980s. She grew up in Blanes, a small town by the Mediterranean Sea.[1][2]

In 2007, Hattab moved to Barcelona to study engineering.[1][2] During her studies, she lived in a student dorm where she started cooking for her friends and family.[7][8]

Career

After moving to Switzerland in 2012, Hattab worked for two years as a software developer in an engineering firm.[1][2][9] In 2014 at the age of 24, she decided to leave her corporate life and began a new career as a cook.[1] She worked at Osteria Francescana by Massimo Bottura, Nerua by Josean Alija and El Celler de Can Roca by the Roca brothers.[2][7] She also worked for Andreas Caminada at Schloss Schauenstein.

In 2017, Hattab moved to New York, where she spent some time at Blue Hill[7] and as an executive sous chef at Cosme for Enrique Olvera.[1][2] After 2 years working in New York she moved back Switzerland to open her own restaurant.[9]

In January 2020, Hattab opened KLE, a small restaurant in Zurich Wiedikon with fine cuisine and a completely vegan menu.[9] Only a few weeks after opening, Gault&Millau awarded it with 14 points and named Hattab as “Chef of the Month”.[10] During 2021 KLE was awarded with 15 Gault Millau points[11] and became the first Swiss vegan restaurant awarded with a green and red Michelin star.[4] In October 2022 KLE received a Michelin Star.

In October 2021, Hattab opened her second location DAR with a restaurant and a cocktail bar,[12][13] followed by a third, Cor, a wine and pinchos bar which opened in April 2023.[14]

Acknowledgments

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Holder, Barbara (February 2020). "Vegan with Passion". Schweizer Illustrierte. Archived from the original on 2022-02-10. Retrieved 2022-02-10.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Schnapp, David (8 July 2020). "The crazy career of Zizi Hattab". Gault Millau. Archived from the original on 10 February 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  3. ^ a b Baltisberger, Kathia (17 November 2020). "Hattab & Rösch: Die vegane Revolution". Gault Millau. Archived from the original on 10 February 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Burton, Monica (2 February 2021). "Michelin Announces 2021 Stars for Switzerland". Eater. Archived from the original on 10 February 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  5. ^ Kuehn, Alexander (13 July 2020). "Restaurant of the week: Kle". Falstaff. Archived from the original on 10 February 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  6. ^ Ding, Harry (30 June 2020). "Kle: Strong aromas, perfect craftsmanship and a feminine signature". Harrys Ding. Archived from the original on 11 February 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  7. ^ a b c du Sartel, Jeanne (1 September 2020). "Zineb Hattab, from engineering to haute (vegan) cuisine". Brillantes. Archived from the original on 10 February 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  8. ^ King, Ryan (2021). "From Professor to Chef". Fine Dining Lovers. Archived from the original on 2022-02-10. Retrieved 2022-02-10.
  9. ^ a b c Hüberli, Tobias (13 October 2020). "Profi mit prinzipien". Salz & Pfeffer. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  10. ^ a b Grob, Pascal (23 February 2020). "Kle: Caminada student Zizi likes vegan". Gault Millau.
  11. ^ a b "GaultMillau 2022: Information & images for the media". Gault Millau. 29 November 2021.
  12. ^ Borner, Oliver (27 September 2021). "Zizi Hattab opens a second restaurant". Gastrojournal. Archived from the original on 10 February 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  13. ^ Baltisberger, Kathia (22 September 2021). "Zizi Hattab eroffnet ein zweites restaurant". Gault Millau. Archived from the original on 10 February 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  14. ^ ""Cor"! Zizi Hattab eröffnet Lokal Nummer drei". Gault Millau (in Swiss High German). Archived from the original on 2023-11-26. Retrieved 2023-11-26.
  15. ^ Baltisberger, Kathia (24 December 2020). "Veganer sind nicht radikal". Gault Millau. Archived from the original on 10 February 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  16. ^ "Gault&Millau: KLE". Gault Millau. 2021. Archived from the original on 2022-02-13. Retrieved 2022-02-13.