Peja Krstic
Peja Krstic was born in Belgrade, the capital city of Serbia, in 1983. He learned at an early age that quality food is an essential ingredient for a good and quality living.
As a child, he watched his grandfather, from which he inherited a passion for cooking, preparing culinary masterpieces. Chef Krstic was drawn to food from the time he could reach the kitchen counter and was tutored in cooking at his grandfather’s side. His grandfather, who was a passionate traveler and gastronome, instilled in Peja the importance of experiencing and exploring the many diverse cuisines from around the globe.
Every Sunday Krstic’s family would gather at his grandfather’s house for lunch. There, Krstic helped make pasta from the scratch, sometimes handling the dessert course for the gathering. Besides his grandfather, Krstic’s mother, who is a veterinarian, thought him the importance of utilizing whole animals in a proper way.
In 2005, Krstic moved to Dallas, TX. Ambitious, hard-driving and temperamental, he began working his way up through different restaurants and cuisines.
Today he is a chef and owner of Má»™T Hai Ba restaurant in east Dallas. Under his leadership, the tiny neighborhood restaurant has received rave reviews and recognition from food critics, and
most importantly, guests.
Chef Krstic mainly focuses on technique and simplicity combining Vietnamese and French. He believes in the importance of quality and seasonal ingredients while being able to praise such by applying the proper technique.
Krstic lives in Dallas with his wife, Silvana, their son Filip, and dog, Winston.