IN CONVERSATION WITH RENÉ FRANK

interview by TIMOTEJ LETONJA
words by NATALIE GAL

René Frank is a two-Michelin-starred chef and founder of Berlin’s groundbreaking dessert restaurant, CODA. A classically trained pastry chef who has worked in world-renowned kitchens across Japan, Spain, and France, Frank is constantly reshaping how we think about sweets. In this candid conversation, he opens up about the influence of Japanese Kaizen philosophy on his daily practice, the struggle to define a genre no one had seen before, and the pursuit of new flavors through relentless experimentation.

Your work is deeply inspired by the Kaizen philosophy. How do you apply this idea daily in your kitchen?

When I was a young chef, I wanted to create something new every day. That mindset was shaped by my experience in Japan, where I saw that creativity doesn't mean constantly reinventing, but rather improving what already exists. In traditional Japanese restaurants, many of which I worked in, including two and three Michelin-starred ones, the menu changes with the seasons, not trends. They focus on refining preparation techniques, how they treat others, and how they grow personally. That’s what I took from Kaizen: the idea of daily, continuous improvement. About two-thirds of our menu repeats with refinements, and one-third is new. It's not about always inventing; it’s about improving what’s already good.

You've transformed dessert into a fine dining experience. What challenges did you face in getting people to take the concept seriously?

The biggest challenge was that there was no reference point. No one had done it this way before. Koda started as a dessert bar, a side project, but we quickly realized desserts are difficult to sell because every culture has different expectations around sweetness. Communicating what we were doing became our main challenge. We kept evolving, adding more savory elements, creating tasting menus, banning white sugar, and using only fresh ingredients. Eventually, we earned our first Michelin star, then the second. The concept grew with us.

Collaboration is key in a kitchen, since it's such careful, precision-based work. How do you foster the trust and camaraderie among your team while maintaining excellence at a Michelin-star level?

Communication is key. Everyone needs to know exactly how things are done. In the past, kitchens relied on shouting to teach, but that’s not how we operate. We hold meetings, set standards, and document everything clearly. We measure ingredients down to the gram. With modern technology, it’s much easier to maintain consistency and clarity.

You've worked in Japan, Spain, France, and other countries. Why did you decide to open your restaurant in Berlin?

I'm from Germany. After years of living out of a suitcase, I wanted a home base. I had strong roots in Germany as a pastry chef, having worked six years with Thomas Bühner during which the restaurant earned a Michelin star. It felt natural to start something here.

Do any of the countries you’ve worked in have a stronger influence on your style?

Each country contributed something. From Japan, I gained a deep appreciation for umami, Kaizen, and minimalism, even in how they treat fruits and vegetables with the same respect as meat or fish. In France, it was about creating flavors, caramel, textures, and honoring tradition. Spain brought innovation. Switzerland taught me precision and discipline.

Do you have a favourite dish you love to cook, and is it the same as your favorite thing to eat, or are they completely different?

Not really. I love working with chocolate, and I’ll show you how we make it in-house tonight. I love eating pure chocolate, but what I enjoy cooking doesn’t always match what I love to eat.

You’ve described your cooking as progressive and non-conformist. How do you try new things without losing your own style or forgetting tradition?

Everything I create must connect to my roots, especially flavors I knew as a child. Even if it's not visible, the emotional connection has to be there. We also avoid artificial pastry ingredients like food coloring, pastes, stabilizers, and white sugar. Working naturally helps maintain tradition even in progressive formats.

Your work often merges culinary art with science. How do you approach research and experimentation in the kitchen?

I’m not a scientist, so I rely on my palate and gut feeling. It’s important to experience dishes the same way guests do, not just tasting a spoonful but consuming the full plate or drink. This helps understand how the body reacts, which is essential for our unconventional food.

How do you pair drinks with your dishes?

We don’t do classic wine pairings. We create custom drinks the same way we create dishes. A pairing drink acts like a sauce, but you drink it instead of pouring it over. It becomes a functional part of the course. We serve wine in between courses, not necessarily with each dish.

Was there a chef who really inspired you early on? What did you learn from them that still influences your work today?

Business-wise, I admire Alain Ducasse for building his empire and defining his style. I even attended his small school outside Paris. Creatively, Albert Adrià from El Bulli was a big influence, I’m a fan of his work.

Winning a Michelin star is a dream for many chefs. When CODA earned its first, what was that moment like for you , not just professionally, but emotionally? 

That moment was unforgettable. We aimed for it so our guests would see us as a restaurant, not just a dessert bar. When we received the first star in 2019, I was speechless, literally. My girlfriend saw me from a nearby café and came running over because I couldn’t even tell her on the phone. The second star came a year later, unexpected and overwhelming. It added pressure, yes, but also validation. Stars should come naturally, not from chasing them too hard.

Looking ahead, what’s the next culinary challenge, flavour, method or inspiration you want to explore?

I'm focused on finding healthier ways to enjoy sweets. Sugar is a global issue in food, especially with the influence of street food and overly sweetened dishes. I'm exploring fermentation techniques, like turning starch into oligosaccharide sugars, which don't spike blood sugar levels as quickly. It's a more balanced way to sweeten dishes naturally.

Last question, how did you choose the name "Koda"?

We knew from the start it would be dessert-focused. "Koda" is the final section of a musical composition in Italian, like the tail end. Traditionally, dessert is the final course of a meal, so we saw it as the culinary coda. That’s why we named it that.