by Amy Wu

David Goldstein, the general manager of Aquavit, says one of the upscale restaurant’s biggest attractions isn’t Hollywood stars or socialites, but it’s head chef Marcus Samuelsson.

Samuelsson became the restaurant’s chef eight years ago at the age of 25. He is one of the youngest chefs to receive two, three-star reviews from The New York Times. He also received the “Best Chef in New York City” award from the James Beard Foundation in 2003. His story is as compelling as the intricate dishes that he invents: Ethiopian-born, the culinary protégée was orphaned and adopted by Swedish parents.

According to his 2003 coffee table book “Aquavit (Houghton Mifflin, $45),” the now 33-year-old chef was inspired to cook by his grandmother. He was raised on her cooking, and spent his summers living with her in Sweden where he learned some tricks of the trade. He later refined his skills on study trips in Austria and Switzerland.

Samuelsson is famous for his creativity. All of the dishes on the restaurant’s six or more menus are his inventions, and they are a blend of traditional Swedish dishes such as Swedish meatballs and the chef’s own inspirations. Dishes include Kobe Beef Ravioli described as a blend of beech mushroom, hearts of palm salad and truffle tea broth.

He is also meticulous with presentation; Aquavit’s dishes look like they can be displayed at the Guggenheim Museum. For example, the “Salmon Plate” includes two pokerchipsize rolls of salmon, and two, icecube size salmon placed like paperweights on an ivory-colored plate.

Goldstein, a 20-year veteran of the restaurant business, said that the 17-year-old Aquavit’s business soared after Mr. Samuelsson joined.

“It’s made a huge difference. People come to shake his hand, and would break their necks to talk to him,” said Goldstein, commenting on the chef’s rock star status. “Before Marcus this was just another two star restaurant, and now we’re known all over the world.”

Samuelsson’s celebrity has also raised the hiring standards at Aquavit. Aquavit has an estimated 50 full-time staff, not including the people in the kitchen. However, the competition to get any job here is fierce. He receives hundreds of applications every month from aspiring chefs, some who offer to work for him for free.

Marcus Samuelsson shares his cooking wisdoms at Sonoma Valley Culinary School in California

PHOTO: SONOMA VALLEY CULINARY SCHOOL

Goldstein, who previously worked in the hotel industry before joining Aquavit two years ago, said that he mostly hires people with at least three years of New York restaurant experience. He also prefers to hire New Yorkers although he also considers candidates who have worked in other big cities with a sophisticated dining scene such as San Francisco.

Beginning this year, Samuelsson began dividing his time between Aquavit and his new venture Riingo, a Japanese-American restaurant that opened in January. Just as with Aquavit, he owns half of the restaurant.

And of course he is busy at what he does best: inventing new recipes such as green tea doughnuts and tuna salad with sea urchin vingrette.

Nevertheless, Marcus Samuelsson can rest assured that Aquavit is on a continued path of success. The restaurant, which opened in 1987, receives 6,000 customers a month and as many as 100,000 customers a year, and that number has remained steady for the past eight years.

In addition, last year the privately held restaurant formed the Townhouse Restaurant Group, where Samuelsson and other executives are constantly scouting out potential cities for future restaurants including locations in Las Vegas and Miami. The business also sells products such as spreads and gift cards.

Goldstein said that despite the fierce competition of New York’s restaurant world, he is confident that Aquavit will enjoy continued success.

“It’s for very special occasions and people come for the atmosphere. If you are a client here for dinner, it says a lot about the relationship,” he said. #