Our conversation with Liubov Atamusova started with my question about where she began her career as a chef — and her answer was Anatolii Leibovich. Which instantly triggered a wave of memories. Of course, not every reader today remembers Tolia Leibovich (Grill House on Armenească, Grill House Club, and other restaurant ventures around Chișinău — there were plenty). But for many of my friends, “Tolia” is an entire era — both of the restaurant scene and of Chișinău itself.

I’ve told this before: among many other things, Tolia was the person who once handed me a warm pita, poured some olive oil and balsamic into a plate, sprinkled salt around the edge, moved a glass of red wine in my direction and said, “Enjoy.”

It’s been 20 years since that day, and I still enjoy that Mediterranean simplicity — and sometimes I silently thank him for it.

So, I’d like to begin this story about Liuba with that memory.

Liubov Atamusova began her career in food service with Leibovich’s restaurant group. Her first job was at Wok Noodle — a short-lived Thai food experiment in the mall, cooked over open flames. It didn’t last long, but it was delicious. And unusual for that time — seeing an open kitchen and bursts of fire. Liuba was 22 then (“I was a snot-nosed kid,” she says, in her own words). What does she remember about that time?

“The thing about Anatolii Grigorevich was — he wasn’t just demanding. You could really learn from him. I still caught the golden years — we used to cater lunches in amazing locations. How else would I have ever ended up at the British Embassy for the Queen’s birthday?”

Every chef has their own story. Liuba’s is about Konstantinos Dimopoulos, a Greek chef who worked with Leibovich. Here’s her version:

“By that time I was already working at Grill House Club. Not just anyone could get in — it was a closed club. Naturally, kitchen standards were higher too. One day, I didn’t clean all the bones from a salmon fillet. The guest didn’t say anything, but left the bones on the plate. When Konstantinos saw that plate, he grabbed a whole raw salmon by the gills and smacked me a couple of times with its tail — so I wouldn’t make that mistake again.

It worked! Since then, I’ve never left bones in fish — doesn’t matter if it’s salmon or goby.”

When we were drinking coffee at Sensi, they brought Liuba a special cup for espresso. Turns out, she has a whole collection of espresso cups from around the world — some she buys, others are gifts from friends. So now you know what to get her for her birthday.

After Leibovich’s group, Liuba moved to another restaurant group — Kommunalka, Room Café, Tiffany. This was an entire story in Chișinău, and considering Villa Etnica too — all across Moldova: the DOR-Group. Chef Mikhail Martov is remembered not just by Liuba, but many others in Chișinău. They’re still in touch — he’s now in Spain. Here’s Liuba again:

“I was lucky to move from one big group into another. Leibovich’s standards and refined taste taught me so much. And at DOR-Group we learned that a kitchen is a business. That it’s not just the expenses of the entire business — but that every dish has its food cost. And that cost isn’t just the ingredients, but also the time it takes to make it. That’s a cost too, even if you can’t touch it right away.”

I asked Liuba about her favorite dish. Her answer:

“For me, a favorite dish is the one I’m still struggling with — still figuring out how to make it better. When I know it’s still not quite right. I’ll keep calling my friends, asking for advice, experimenting… And once I finally get it right — I’ll move on to the next favorite. The one that’s not working yet.”

What does the chef at Sensi like to eat?

“When it comes to food — I love eating whatever someone else made for me. It could be a masterpiece with 30 ingredients, or just a simple sandwich. I’ll enjoy it either way. I’m a grateful eater.”

“After Leibovich and DOR came Sensi. And it’s still going. I’m both the manager and the head chef — the finances and the kitchen are all on me. During this time, I also launched Zeppelin, but now it runs on its own, without me.”

Which chefs does Liuba follow? Adrián Quetglas, the Michelin-starred chef with his restaurant in Mallorca, and Massimo Mantaro, two Michelin stars, Sicily. She actually knows Mantaro personally. I asked her what she’d cook for him if he somehow ended up at Sensi:

“What would I cook? Pasta alla Norma. It’s on our menu. I make the pasta myself. It’s served with beef tongue, roasted eggplant, and romesco sauce made from roasted vegetables. It’s one of those dishes that looks simple — but took me a very long time to get right.”

Liubov Atamusova’s hobbies? Documentary films about serial killers and true crime books. After she told me that, I sent her a link to my childhood favorite — A Hundred Years of Forensics. Want to read it? Here’s the link.

Let’s wrap up with one of Liuba’s great quotes:

“As a chef, I’m drawn to dishes that have character. I understand they might not please everyone. But a good dish should spark emotion. I’d rather get extreme reactions than make something everyone likes but no one remembers.”