By Kurt Eddison 07-08-25
Restaurants open every day in Los Angeles, but not all of them become a place where people go for something more than just a meal. The restaurant Katsin is one of those rare places. With its Armenian roots, Californian character, and a truly living soul, it offers a unique experience. Behind it all is Oleksandr Skrypka, active member of the Association of Chefs of Ukraine, a chef, restaurateur, and culinary expert with over fifteen years of experience in the kitchens of Europe and the United States.
Oleksandr considers himself less a cook and more an architect of the kitchen. His systematic approach begins with discipline and respect. “You are responsible for what a person puts in their mouth. That is a huge responsibility,” he explains. “For me, control is the absolute first priority. Control over quality, products, cleanliness, and hygiene. Without it, there can be no creativity and no results.”
For Oleksandr, control is not about micromanagement. It is about fine-tuning processes and clear organization. The most important thing, however, is his team and his belief in people. He values not only skills but also a person’s inner motivation and their desire to grow and be passionate about their work. “Once, I walked into a restaurant and said, ‘I really want this. I’m ready to work for free.’ And they hired me. Today, I hire people in the same way. I look for those who have that fire, maybe without a diploma, but with character,” he says.
At Katsin, there is almost no staff turnover. People work there for years because they feel they are not just cogs in a machine, but co-authors of the dining experience. Chef Skrypka believes his team, not his recipes, is the key element of success. “A dish can be invented in a day,” he shares. “But to bring it to life, you need to coordinate people from three or four different sections. That is the real work.”
Local products are a particular passion of his. He calls California one of the best gastronomic landscapes in the world because everything is here, including meat delivered from a specific farm, fresh grape leaves, and colorful local beets. All of it is the result of local production.
The menu at Katsin is updated twice a year, but without rigid dogma. It’s not because that’s “how it’s done,” but because it’s what works. “California doesn’t have true seasons with seasonal products. Everything is available here year-round,” he says. “So we navigate not by the calendar, but by guest feedback and sales. If a salad isn’t popular, we find out what people don’t like and we adapt.” He explains that a modern menu is the result of mathematics combined with attention to people.
Speaking of the future, the chef is confident that the focus will be local. He predicts a rise in farm dinners, more transparency in food, and a greater focus on health. He believes fast food will continue to lose ground as guests develop a more refined taste. These are observations confirmed by his own research published in Colloquium-journal and the scientific journal APNI.
Oleksandr’s scientific enthusiasm went beyond academic journals. He applied for a patent and copyright for his original recipe for “Kharkiv-style summer green borscht,” which includes a unique method and sequence of preparation that he developed in February 2023.
Oleksandr received his foundational training in Europe. He studied at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu in France and the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners, and he has managed dozens of projects across England, Italy, Ukraine, and France. But it was in the United States that he saw limitless potential.
Working in Europe, he says, can be difficult in terms of growth. There are unspoken limits, established systems, and rigid rules. America, on the other hand, is a clear sky. “If you have experience, passion, a good head, and energy, you can build anything, from a food truck kitchen to a million-dollar culinary brand,” he says. Here, you are valued. Here, you are needed. You don’t have to “retire” when you hit a ceiling, because there isn’t one.
We also spoke about mentorship. “Mentors are not about technique,” Oleksandr says. “They are about behavior. About how to be a human being, how not to break, how to grow.” He recalls his internships at the one-star Michelin restaurant La Capinera in Sicily and the three-star Epicure in Paris. He watched his chefs and learned not just how to cook, but how to lead. He learned about discipline, respect, and hard work from the people who were beside him. This is what he works to pass on to his own team.
In 2022, while serving as the owner and head chef of the “Ryba v Teste” restaurant in Kharkiv, Oleksandr was honored by the organizers of the prestigious UBA Awards with the title of Entrepreneur of the Year and Chef of the Year 2022 for preserving and developing the restaurant amid the challenging conditions of the crisis. In 2024, Chef Skrypka was recognized as Katsin’s Employee of the Year for his creativity and outstanding professional results. But he seems calm and unaffected by such honors.
When asked what he considers the ultimate proof of talent, whether it’s letters of praise, culinary awards, or a line for a table, his answer is simple.
He says, “Empty plates.”
It’s an honest answer. And in that honesty, one can find the essential flavor of his kitchen.