i. Biography
Alex Petricean is the chef of NOUA. Bucătărie Românească in Bucharest, and the founder of NOUA in Bucharest. Romanian culinary memory sits at the center of the work: familiar flavors are tightened, clarified, and set with control, so tradition stays legible while being read in a current register.
Coming Up
At Maize, farm to table (2017–2019), Alex Petricean was Head Chef, a role that helped define a style built on precision and seasonality. The period points to the base of the approach: close attention to ingredients, a measured sense of balance, and cooking that lets the season set the pace. From there, a distinct culinary identity took shape, later carried into NOUA and expressed most fully in Bucharest.
Where They Are Now
At NOUA in Bucharest, Alex Petricean works as founder and chef at NOUA. Bucătărie Românească, where the menu is built as a line between craft and invention. Ileana Cosânzeana is one of the named signatures: a sweet-and-sour cocktail with sour cherry liqueur, wild strawberry wine, and raspberry liqueur, finished with a cap of raspberry foam. The construction is direct and composed, using brightness, lift, and layering in the same way the kitchen does. Mici in a crispy potato crust is another named dish, and it keeps a familiar reference in a more textured frame. It sits within a broader vocabulary shaped by restraint, clarity, and contrast. At NOUA. Bucătărie Românească, those ideas show up as concrete decisions: a crisp edge, a sweet-tart note, a clean finish, and a remembered flavor set into a new form.
Signature
Alex Petricean's signature dishes include Ileana Cosânzeana, Margareta, the house brioche bread (cozonac) syrup cocktail, smoked hay lemonade, and the mici in a crispy potato crust. Read together, they show a kitchen attentive to nuance and atmosphere as much as to taste. Ileana Cosânzeana leans into sparkle and fruit-driven brightness; Margareta extends the repertoire; the house brioche bread (cozonac) syrup cocktail moves a baked staple into liquid form; smoked hay lemonade brings a quieter aromatic note; and the mici in a crispy potato crust returns to the familiar meeting point of tradition and texture. In Alex Petricean’s hands, each item is placed with care, with the elements judged not only for flavor but for how they stay with the diner.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Alex
Where did Alex Petricean work before?
Alex Petricean's earlier career included Maize, farm to table.
What recognition has Alex Petricean received?
Knife Recognition (2025).
