Earlier this month, Aleksandrov won the Best Chef award at the Silverspoon/Hõbelusikas gala, and his restaurant Écrin was recognized as the Best Fine Dining Restaurant.

Aleksandrov said the honor is first and foremost the result of his team's work.

"I just guide them. I'm very pleased that they received this title. I hope they now understand why I sometimes yell at them. We're doing something right, and we try to be better every day," he said.

Écrin has been open for just over half a year. Aleksandrov admitted that the opening period was exhausting for him and his team.

"When I was driving home, I thought, dear God, I don't know how we'll survive this time. But six months later, we already laugh about how hard it was. Today we're not afraid of anything," he told "Ringvaade."

Aleksandrov said the most important things in a good team are discipline, focus, and dedication. "I can honestly say I think this is the strongest team in Tallinn," he said.

Aleksandrov, who grew up in Narva, did not plan to become a chef as a child. The decision came unexpectedly after graduating from school.

"I actually sent my documents to a university and was accepted, but I chose to become a chef. I didn't know what I wanted to do in life. But once I stepped into a kitchen, I basically liked everything right away."

Over the course of his career, he has worked in Belgium, Sweden, and Denmark in restaurants with three Michelin stars, and considers his experience at Estonia's two-star restaurant 180° equally important. "That's where I gained my confidence," he noted.

Although Michelin stars are a meaningful recognition for chefs, Aleksandrov considers guest satisfaction more important. "For me, the most important thing is that the restaurant is full every day and the guests are happy."

Aleksandrov said that after a hard day at work, there is also magic in the simplest of foods, like a gas station hot dog or hamburger. "You sit alone in the car and eat your hot dog — after a long day, that's the best thing," he laughed.

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