Monika + Jan Pawlak
The Journey series
Owners and Chefs at Seks, Authors & Travellers
Copenhagen, Denmark
https://www.sekscph.com/
@transeating
Monika and Jan Pawlak make you see the world through their plate — a blend of warmth, curiosity, and a zest for discovery. Their eyes light up when they talk about food, travel, or their children, as if all three are beautifully intertwined threads of one grand adventure. From a bold move from Poland to Copenhagen, to crafting flavors that tell stories of their globe-trotting past, the Pawlaks have built more than just a bakery; they’ve created a space, Seks, where every detail reflects their life’s passions. Over plates of homemade bread and secret cheesecake, they speak of family, exploration, and a life guided by intuition and love. This is a tale of two dreamers who see the world not just as it is, but as it could be—with a little courage, creativity, and a dash of quark.
7115: Leaving behind something you've worked tirelessly to build is rarely easy. Can you recall the journey and emotions behind your courageous move from Poland to Copenhagen? What motivated you to take such a bold step forward?
Monika & Jan: The plan to move had always been in place, ever since our children were born. We were driven by curiosity about the world, other cultures, a desire to deepen our travel experiences, and the opportunities for our children's development and education. Above all, we wanted them to learn languages and communication skills. We waited until our younger son finished kindergarten, and then it was adventure time. We considered Canada, but a lot happened along the way, including a rather complicated immigration process and COVID. By chance, or maybe not, in the middle of 2020 we ended up in Copenhagen, which we love and believe is the best city for a family with children to live in. As travelers and adventure seekers, we live by the principle that home is wherever you park it. Home is wherever you and your loved ones are.
7115: What were you hoping to discover in Seks, and what inspired the name "Seks"?
Monika & Jan: Compared to the previous projects, Seks was conceived to be a place where we slow down, work in a smaller team, and operate during the hours when our children are at school. It is, therefore, our micro-bakery and specialty coffee shop serving breakfasts and lunches. From the very beginning, we also knew that we would work using only the best organic products, and as much as possible, of Danish origin. All our flour, dairy, and vegetables are of the highest incredible quality, and we often joke that Copenhagen is a bit like a playground for chefs.
As for "Seks," it's simply the number six in Danish. We are located at number six on Krystalgade. We don’t know what’s on your mind, but we definitely encourage you to keep seksing.
“ To our kids, Helena and Czeslaw - enjoy the wonderful world and be free.”
7115: What are each of your current favorite items on the menu, and what’s the story behind its inspiration? Are there any classics that will always be included on the menu?
Monika & Jan: If our guests, visiting us for the first time, ask what we recommend, we always reply: everything. We only serve things that we really like ourselves. Let’s talk in 25 years about what became a classic and whether we will still be serving anything we serve today. There is so much food to enjoy and still to discover. Homemade bread with butter and coffee? Probably!
7115: As a proud owner and avid reader of your incredible books, "Riceland" and "¡America!", I just have to say they are my favorite gifts for any of my foodie and adventurous friends. Could you share how the idea of these culinary adventures came to you? What challenges did you face during those 300-plus days, and how did the experience transform you?
Monika & Jan: Actually, this desire to travel has been within both of us since early childhood and the first books about the incredible, colorful world. For us, growing up in the specific conditions of 1980s Poland, this distant world seemed almost unreal, amazing, and incredibly alluring. And then came an absolute passion and interest in food, world cuisines, and everything that happens around the tables.
Then there’s that strange feeling that, here, several or even a few thousand kilometers from home, there’s a world with its most important everyday life. “Just as fast-paced, with horns honking, hair salons, children running and playing, ice cream, serious and quite trivial matters, worries, arguments, music and dancing, pubs, and above all, streets full of new tastes and aromas” - we wrote in one of our books.
For 340 days in 2017 and 2018, we traveled across both American continents, from South to North, from Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego, through Patagonia, all the way to northern Alaska. A few years earlier, we visited Bolivia and Peru, and overwhelmed by what we saw and experienced, we knew we had to come back and see as much as possible. And so we did—we shipped a specially prepared car from Poland to Uruguay, and off we went, adventure ahead.
The biggest challenge was undoubtedly remotely managing our café and restaurant during the year of travel. We did it! And does such a journey shape you? We wrote a dedication on the first page of our book about this journey. "To our kids Helena and Czeslaw - enjoy the wonderful world and be free. And to All Americans - thank you for enchanting us each and every day with your 'tranquilo' and 'take it easy'."
7115: What’s “travel cuisine”? When choosing this direction for Seks, did you set out to replicate your favorite dishes from around the world —or put your own spin on it?
Monika & Jan: This is an attempt to recreate our culinary memories from our travels around the world. These are dishes and flavors that we fell in love with somewhere far away in the world. However, when we serve them in Copenhagen, we give them our own signature touch and use the most local Danish ingredients possible.
“ Be free, follow your intuition, let yourself get lost in the street corners... Appreciate, admire, and enjoy.”
7115: What would you like people to pay more attention to when traveling? How do you hope seeing the world will help shape your kids’ worldview?
Monika & Jan: Be free, follow your intuition, let yourself get lost in the street corners. Don’t just follow the well-trodden paths from guidebooks or Instagram. Look with your eyes wide open, and less through the camera of your phone. Slow down, sit on the street, observe, talk to the people, and buy as much as possible from local and independent businesses. Appreciate, admire and enjoy.
With open, independent minds, able to communicate and collaborate. With faith that there are more people of good will.
7115: Many people I've spoken to and dined with at the communal table have expressed that your secret cheesecake is the best they've ever had. While I won't ask for the secret ingredients, could you share how this dessert came to be and what it means to you both?
Monika & Jan: This cheesecake is Monika's interpretation and variation on one of the best cheesecakes in the world, in our opinion, which you can enjoy at our dear friends' café in Berlin, Five Elephant. For many years of traveling to Berlin, we always wondered how on earth they achieved that very specific flavor in their cheesecake. The very rich German quark they use turned out to be the magic ingredient. Ours, however, has a bit more going on in terms of secret ingredients, sits on a buttery, crumbly base, and has a very creamy, delicate texture. It's a joyful imitation, and Kris, the owner of Five Elephant, once said that it's better than theirs.
7115: Working alongside your partner can be a challenging yet rewarding experience. How do you shape your partnership? What does this balance look like both at home and in your work life?
Monika & Jan: As it was once said by a 10 years old girl, Monika is the real boss here, and Jan just walks around entertaining the guests. But seriously, we're 19 years married, and we've known each other and been working together for so long that somehow it just works. There probably isn't a recipe for it, and it doesn't mean that everything is always perfect. Each of us has slightly different tasks and skills, and we complement each other. We can find a balance, though we're not sure it can be called harmonious. We find it more during our travels.
7115: What is the go-to food to cook at home and why?
Monika & Jan: On one hand, our favorite flavors are from home, from childhood; on the other hand, our favorite dishes are from travels, but ones that for various reasons we don't serve at Seks. It's often quite spontaneous cooking, depending on what we find in the fridge, what the kids like and don't like (and that list can be complicated), or suddenly craving something like "we haven't had this or that in so long, let's make it!"
7115: Where to next for the Pawlak family’s adventures? I hear there’s something special happening in Sweden. Is it something ready to be shared?
Monika & Jan: Ideally, somewhere we haven't been yet. We genuinely like every place we visit and explore. And if something doesn't go perfectly sometimes—like undesired adventures or bad weather—then we'll just have to go back and experience the place again. In short, the next destination is anywhere.
In Sweden, in a beautiful forest located less than 2 hours from Copenhagen, we are slowly working on our new and next base, which we tentatively call Seks in the Wild or Wild Seks. That spot is conceived to be a place where we can slow down more, work in an even smaller team, and operate during warm Swedish months, spring and summer. We think and dream about it in a way that allows us to travel the world in our 1992 off-road car during the rest of the time. But don't worry, it's still a long, long way to go, and for the next few years, we'll be based in the beautiful and much-loved Copenhagen.
Whether building connections with people or combining ingredients, Monika and Jan lead with love and open minds. They explore new places and dishes with curiosity and an appetite for adventure; their understanding of the significance food plays in our lives personally and culturally adds delightful depth to their menus. As Monika and Jan continue to grow their business, we can’t wait to see what experiences and inspirations shape the spaces they create and where those spaces take us.