Restaurant Coast – gastronomy without borders on Sylt

We are on Sylt, the northernmost of Germany's islands, stretching out into the North Sea. It is the month of June. In recent years this picturesque destination has become a holiday paradise and a haven for lovers of nature and food. The island is home to a multitude of gastronomic enthusiasts who nurture their passion for good ingredients and their love for the local community.

Borderless gastronomy in a miniature kitchen South of Westerland we find an example of the island's enthusiasm for food. Here, in a small town called Rantum, lies Restaurant Coast. At the back entrance to the kitchen stands a man in a green shirt and chef's apron. With a firm handshake he introduces himself as head chef Tobias Evers.

- Welcome to Restaurant Coast, or rather, welcome to our modest kitchen, says Tobias as he lets his gaze travel around the room.

His choice of words is accurate. The kitchen is fighting a battle against its limitations. Every single centimetre is carefully used. Workstations, refrigerators and freezers are cleverly placed. Sauté pans, pots, knives and cutting boards are pared down to a minimum. The kitchen is a tribute to precision and order, which, as it turns out, is not all that surprising.

Tobias Evers leads the way into the restaurant with firm steps, and, considering the size of the kitchen, it is surprising to find space for more than 100 dining guests.

On the surface, Restaurant Coast looks like a fish restaurant. The name points the mind towards the maritime. The interior is full of references to the sea, with wallpaper featuring fish of every kind running throughout, and various fish figures scattered here and there across the restaurant. But that is not how things stand:

- At Restaurant Coast we have no gastronomic boundaries. We are a team of few, but ultra-dedicated cooks who love making good, flavourful food. We are mainly inspired by the southern European kitchens, but the menu spans everything from fish to pasta, burgers, noodles and dumplings, and we always have a dish on the menu where we experiment with reducing the CO2 footprint as much as possible, says Tobias Evers.

From front line to kitchen line Tobias Evers shifts to a thoughtful expression and begins to talk about his past. Years ago he was stationed in Afghanistan with the German military. Although he was not involved in direct combat, it was a time that left its mark and gave him invaluable life lessons that have shaped his approach to leadership and his role as head chef at Restaurant Coast.

In Afghanistan, Tobias Evers was introduced to a world of challenges and hardship. The tumultuous surroundings taught him to be resilient, persistent and dedicated to carrying out any kind of task:

- My experiences in Afghanistan changed my view of life. Whatever challenges I meet in my work at Restaurant Coast, it ultimately comes down to simply serving our guests a good meal. In Afghanistan there were daily challenges that demanded far more than just food on the table. It is a reminder I often use to put things in perspective, so I don't take my work far too seriously, says Tobias Evers.

Communication is an essential part of any successful operation, and Tobias Evers has learned how important it is to express yourself clearly and distinctly. He has brought that experience with him into the kitchen, where words must be able to flow freely in order to create a well-coordinated and efficient workflow. Tobias has felt first-hand what poor or inadequate communication means in a kitchen:

- I remember a previous job in a restaurant where I forgot to put cling film over some vegetables I had cut and prepared. The next day, when I turned up for work, I found a sheet of A4 paper with a huge question mark written in ballpoint pen. That was my boss's comment on my oversight. I was absolutely furious. Why didn't he just come and tell me directly, asks Tobias Evers rhetorically.

At Restaurant Coast, Tobias Evers leads his team on principles of openness, directness and respect. He believes in creating an environment where everyone can share their ideas, challenges and experiences:

- I want my colleagues to feel heard and valued. By maintaining an open dialogue and a culture of feedback, we can learn from each other and improve, says Tobias Evers.

Local treasures, global flavours

The menu at Restaurant Coast signals an exciting and unusual blend of gastronomic impressions. Tobias Evers and his team, which includes sous chef Felix Hirschmüller, who has experience from several Michelin restaurants, have created a menu that represents different cuisines and flavour nuances from all over the world. Tobias Evers straightens up in his chair and reaches for the menu lying on the table:

- We make food that we are passionate about. It is not just about following a particular trend or style, but about creating authentic and flavourful experiences that spark our own creative fire. We combine ingredients and techniques from different cuisines and create our own unique signature dishes, explains Evers with a twinkle in his eye.

In the beginning of his time as head chef at Restaurant Coast, Tobias Evers strove to make everything from scratch, even something as simple as a burger. He ground his own beef, baked his own burger buns and made all the dressings and pickled elements from scratch. He wanted to create an authentic food experience that gave guests something unique. But he quickly realised that maintaining that level of homemade quality was a challenge in a kitchen with limited space and a small staff:

- I had to adjust my expectations and find the right balance, says Tobias Evers.

Over time he has learned that it is possible to create high-level gastronomy without everything being homemade. Still, it is crucial for him to ensure that the products he buys meet his standards for homemade quality. Over 16 years as a permanent resident of Sylt, he has built partnerships with local producers such as Backensholz in Schleswig-Holstein, which supplies quality cheeses, and the small Danish ice-cream dairy Kastberg Is, which offers gourmet ice cream:

- We still want to give our guests an authentic and flavourful experience by primarily making everything from scratch. When we also make sure to buy good local ingredients, we can maintain the high standard we strive for, says Tobias Evers.

The head chef's personal journey began in Afghanistan, but it has by no means reached its end here on Sylt. Inspired by Tobias Evers' multifaceted past, Restaurant Coast has become a culinary meeting place where no one is afraid to cross and challenge gastronomic boundaries.