The South Eastern U.S. cuisine redefined with Nordic precision

Erin Sykes, Executive Chef

Born in the American South, Erin Sykes’ earliest memories of food are rooted in adventure and family — catching crayfish in North Carolina streams, lobster diving in Miami, and baking key lime pies alongside her grandmother. These formative experiences sparked a lifelong passion for flavor, seasonality and the joy of cooking.

Erin’s path into the professional kitchen was anything but conventional. At 21, she left the South to travel, living in Ecuador and India before settling in Copenhagen to pursue a master’s degree in project management. It was here, while working in kitchens to support her studies, that she discovered her true calling — drawn to the energy, creativity and precision of the culinary world.

Her career quickly evolved within Denmark’s highly respected food scene, refining her craft at acclaimed restaurants including Kødbyens Fiskebar and the Michelin-starred AOC. Erin developed a signature style that blends technical excellence with a natural, produce-led approach, influenced by both Nordic and international flavours.

In 2023, she played a key role in the opening of Væksthuset, located beside Copenhagen’s opera house. The following year marked a defining moment in her career as she became Head Chef for restaurateur Karim Khouani, launching Restaurant Texture. Under her leadership, the restaurant was awarded its first Michelin star within just eight months — a testament to her talent, vision and consistency.

Erin’s cooking is defined by elegance, balance and a deeply personal connection to her ingredients and guests. Alongside leading the kitchen at Texture, she has founded her own dining and restaurant consultancy, offering a holistic approach to long-term culinary success.

With a global outlook and a refined yet expressive style, Erin continues to bring her distinctive cuisine to audiences around the world — whether in her restaurant, through consulting, or at exclusive international events.

Theodoros Panagiotou, Head Chef

Theodoros was born in Athens, and was first inspired by his grandma Spiridoula cooking, where he loved to be in the kitchen, watch her prepare the dishes, tasting the flavors, helping his grandma and at the same time learning about cooking. It was also already from childhood that Theodoros found the peace in nature and forest and started to explore also the interesting flavors and ingredients to be found there.

When Theodoros later became a waiter in Greece, he loved to observe the activity in the kitchen forming a clear ambition to become a chef. Saving money while working as a waiter led Theodoros to go to chef school in Athens in 2018. After that, his only wish was to work as a chef.

But as Theodoros wanted more adventure, he decided to move to Copenhagen in 2023, because of the hot culinary scene and after a while Theodoros got into the fine dining scene, working first at the Pescetarian and subsequently working as a sous-chef at Texture, together with Erin from the opening of the of the restaurant and getting its one Michelin star just 8 months after opening

Tomislav Busija, Restaurant Manager & Sommelier

Rooted in a disciplined background of competitive sports and a lifelong immersion in culinary culture, Tomislav Busija approaches hospitality with a winner’s mindset and an uncompromising dedication to excellence. His appreciation for the “culture of the table” began early, shaped by childhood memories in his grandfather’s vineyards and multi-course family gatherings orchestrated with meticulous care.

Tomislav’s professional journey in hospitality began behind the bar, mastering mixology and coffee arts before his transition into fine dining sparked a deep and lasting passion for wine and gastronomy. Driven by a relentless pursuit of precision and education, he quickly advanced his expertise through the Croatian Sommelier Club, the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), and the Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS). He is currently pursuing the prestigious WSET Level 4 Diploma and preparing for the Court of Master Sommeliers Advanced examination, continuing his path toward the industry’s highest accolades.

His impressive career spans tenure at world-renowned establishments, including one- and two-Michelin-starred venues, as well as a three-Michelin-starred restaurant named The World’s Best Restaurant in 2022. While his technical mastery centers on world-class wine curation, Tomislav’s philosophy encompasses holistic hospitality at every level. For him, the ultimate measure of success is not found in awards, but in the simple joy of welcoming a first-time guest back through the doors.