10:10 Chef Alex Kemp: 

• The Canadian chef who's taking Philadelphia by storm
• Impressions of his new hometown
• Persistence and Alex’s Culinary Journal
• His Time on No Reservations 
• How Alex’s Experience Influences Him Today
• Montreal Restaurants Recommendations 

34:18 Chef Eric Leveillee

• Eli’s First Impression of Eric
• Cooking for Chef Alain Ducasse… or Not
• Taking Over at Lacroix
• The Thought Process of Creating and Executing a New Dish
• Keeping It Simple vs “One More Ingredient”
• Upcoming Dishes 
• Mentorship vs Reputation 
• Philadelphia Restaurants Recommendations 

1:02:00 Chef Chance Anies

• Background 
• Telling his Story Through his Menu
• Quitting his Job and Starting The Food Cart
• Meaning Behind the Name of Tabachoy
• Advice for Anyone Not in the Right Career Feild
• How Fatherhood Changed Chances Perspective
• Philadelphia Restaurants Recommendation 

A huge shout out to our sponsor, Singer Equipment for their unwavering support, which allows us to be able to bring these conversations to you. Check out their website for all the amazing equipment they can supply your restaurant with to make your team more efficient and successful.

If you are looking for the best in class pizza oven for your next concept, make sure you check out the incredible ovens built by Moretti Forni and reach out to Greg Listino at their exclusive Northeast dealer, Rosito Bisani.

Meez, is one of the most powerful tools you can have as a cook and chef because it allows you to have a free repository for all of your recipes, techniques and methods so that you never lose them. Meez does way more than just recipe development though; it's an incredibly powerful tool that any chef or restaurant would benefit from.

My favorite new beer on the market, Kenwood Original, might be the most drinkable and most flavorful craft lager I've ever tried. Nothing goes better with a five star meal than a five star beer so head to their website and check out the Kenny Finder for location nearest you. So before we get started, go ahead and grab yourself a Kenny and enjoy this week’s guest.

In this episode, we delve into the dynamic culinary partnership of Trey Smith and Blake Aguillard, who share a role as chefs at Saint-Germain. Together, they navigate the intricate dance of collaboration in the kitchen, where balancing creativity, leadership, and teamwork is key. As we explore their journey, we uncover the challenges and rewards of working side by side with another chef. While the culinary world often celebrates the lone genius in the kitchen, Trey and Blake demonstrate the beauty of synergy and shared vision. Their partnership yields not only exceptional dishes but also a culinary experience that transcends individual talents. 

Here's what else:

• The influence of Chef Michael Gulotta and Restaurant August on their careers
• Exploring culinary journeys and influences
• The hearth cooking experience and its impact
• Founding Saint Germain and the birth of a partnership between three friends
• Maximizing quality in tasting menus
• The art of never settling and constantly evolving culinary techniques
• Balancing passion and emotion in leadership
• Cultivating their unique culinary identity
• What Blake and Trey look for in potential employees
• Exploring the business model of tasting menus
• Creative inspiration behind the menu
• Embracing New Orleans' rich culinary tradition
• Future aspirations and preserving their quality of life
• The impact of social media and fame on culinary careers
• Concluding thoughts and future plans

A huge shout out to our sponsor, Singer Equipment for their unwavering support, which allows us to be able to bring these conversations to you. Check out their website for all the amazing equipment they can supply your restaurant with to make your team more efficient and successful.

If you are looking for the best in class pizza oven for your next concept, make sure you check out the incredible ovens built by Moretti Forni and reach out to Greg Listino at their exclusive Northeast dealer, Rosito Bisani.

Meez, is one of the most powerful tools you can have as a cook and chef because it allows you to have a free repository for all of your recipes, techniques and methods so that you never lose them. Meez does way more than just recipe development though; it's an incredibly powerful tool that any chef or restaurant would benefit from.

My favorite new beer on the market, Kenwood Original, might be the most drinkable and most flavorful craft lager I've ever tried. Nothing goes better with a five star meal than a five star beer so head to their website and check out the Kenny Finder for location nearest you. So before we get started, go ahead and grab yourself a Kenny and enjoy this week’s guest.

Check out and follow us on Instagram

Email Eli with any comments, concerns, criticisms, guest requests or any other ideas or thoughts you might have about the show. [email protected]

Prepare to be swept away into the heart of culinary excellence as we explore the dynamic world of partnerships in the culinary industry. From the farmers who cultivate our ingredients to the purveyors who supply our kitchens, every alliance plays a vital role in shaping the culinary landscape. But in this episode, we redefine the concept of partnership, delving into the profound bond between chef and business partner—a relationship akin to Batman and Robin or SpongeBob and Patrick.

Join us as we unveil the transformative power of great partnerships, igniting creativity, mentorship, and innovation in the pursuit of culinary perfection.

Here's a taste of the culinary wisdom awaiting you in today's episode:

• Embark on a journey of self-discovery as we unravel the story of a chef whose path from the art world led her to her true passion: cooking.
• Witness the pivotal moment at Charlie Trotter's that forever changed the course of her culinary journey, setting her on a trajectory of unparalleled success.
• Explore the unique challenges faced by a left-handed chef and the profound impact of growing up in a kosher household.
• Prepare to be surprised as we uncover the identity of the toughest chef she ever worked for and the valuable lessons learned along the way.
• Follow her from the bustling streets of Chicago to the vibrant culinary scene of NYC, where mentorship under Tony Mantuano and the daunting task of filling Andrew Carmellini's shoes shaped her culinary philosophy.
• Discover the transformative power of taking a step back, as a year off brings herclarity, confidence, and a renewed sense of purpose, culminating in the creation of Grove House Hospitality.
• Explore the profound impact of breast cancer on her life and career, and the unwavering determination that led her to open her second restaurant amid intensive radiation treatment.
• Uncover the importance of self-care in the culinary industry, especially for young women
• The game-changing impact of her latest venture, Misi Pasta and it's boundless potential and why this might need to be your next step into entrepreneurship.

Join us as we dive deep into the heart of the culinary world, where every partnership, every challenge, and every triumph shapes the narrative of culinary excellence. Welcome to a podcast like no other. Welcome to the CHEF Radio Podcast

A huge shout out to our sponsor, Singer Equipment for their unwavering support, which allows us to be able to bring these conversations to you. Check out their website for all the amazing equipment they can supply your restaurant with to make your team more efficient and successful.

If you are looking for the best in class pizza oven for your next concept, make sure you check out the incredible ovens built by Moretti Forni and reach out to Greg Listino at their exclusive Northeast dealer, Rosito Bisani.

Meez, is one of the most powerful tools you can have as a cook and chef because it allows you to have a free repository for all of your recipes, techniques and methods so that you never lose them. Meez does way more than just recipe development though; it's an incredibly powerful tool that any chef or restaurant would benefit from.

My favorite new beer on the market, Kenwood Original, might be the most drinkable and most flavorful craft lager I've ever tried. Nothing goes better with a five star meal than a five star beer so head to their website and check out the Kenny Finder for location nearest you. So before we get started, go ahead and grab yourself a Kenny and enjoy this week’s guest.

Join us on this episode as we sit down with Chef Hari Cameron, tracing his remarkable journey from the world of fine dining to becoming a sought-after chef consultant, and now, his triumphant return to the culinary scene with his new venture, The Chef's Table in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Hari candidly shares the challenges he faced balancing the demands of a culinary career with family responsibilities, shedding light on the pressures many chefs experience as they navigate parenthood and traditional kitchen roles. Tune in as he discusses the pivotal moments that led him to adjust his career, leveraging his expertise while carving out time for his family, all while passionately pursuing his culinary dreams.

• An introduction to Hari and a little history lesson on the restaurants of Rehobeth Beach, Delaware
• Growing up in a spiritual household where gurus and meditation were typical, along with the prasad, aka the offering
• How he got the name Hari from the Bhagavad Gita
• A family with three boys who are all in the restaurant business, and how it was the youngest of the brothers who helped Hari find his path in food
• Getting busted at a young age with some illegal substances, which made him wake up and realize he had to get his shit together
• Setting a goal to open a restaurant by 30 and beating it by one year
• Opening his restaurant a(MUSE.) in Rehobeth, which was noticed very quickly by the press
• How he is hyper-focused and obsessive about learning things until he knows a lot about it
• Getting lucky by selling his restaurant after 10 years in late January 2019 before the pandemic hit
• How he shares his enthusiasm for food with his three young sons
• Getting into consulting and why he says he never applies the "hard sale"
• How he does a large range of consulting, from equipment companies, menu development to food companies, etc.
• Opening his new space in Rehoboth called The Chef’s Table, where he will be doing dinners, classes, content creation, and other food related research and development
• The art of dry aging fish and why he is a big fan of it

Supporters of the show:

A huge shout out to our sponsor, Singer Equipment for their unwavering support, which allows us to be able to bring these conversations to you. Check out their website for all the amazing equipment they can supply your restaurant with to make your team more efficient and successful.

If you are looking for the best in class pizza oven for your next concept, make sure you check out the incredible ovens built by Moretti Forni and reach out to Greg Listino at their exclusive Northeast dealer, Rosito Bisani.

Meez, is one of the most powerful tools you can have as a cook and chef because it allows you to have a free repository for all of your recipes, techniques and methods so that you never lose them. Meez does way more than just recipe development though; it's an incredibly powerful tool that any chef or restaurant would benefit from.

Check out and follow us on Instagram and subscribe to the show.

Email Eli with any comments, concerns, criticisms, guest requests or any other ideas or thoughts you might have about the show. [email protected]

Today's guest, Charlie Mitchell of the one-star Michelin restaurant Clover Hill in Brooklyn, New York, has a wisdom that is hard to come across in a chef barely into his 30s and someone who has gripped the food headlines as becoming the first black Michelin-starred chef in New York City’s history and one of only two black chefs in America. Yeah, you heard read that correctly, the first. In 2022, the Michelin guide recognized the work that he and his partners were doing in Brooklyn Heights and saw that the work that he put in, the training, and his dedication to the craft of cooking helped leapfrog him over even some of the more established and well-known chefs in the country's most competitive restaurant city.

Here's what else we talked about:

• Growing up in Detroit, Michigan, and hailing from a family of auto workers
• Finding a mentor who pointed him in the right direction and inspired him to leave Detroit and go to New York, even though it was his last choice of city
• Pushing himself to work in the hardest kitchen in NYC
• Why his first cookbook, Eleven Madison Park, motivated him to work there
• The layers of protection from failure that EMP has to ensure that each guest has the experience that they expect
• Why working as a commis at EMP was one of the biggest growth point in his career
• Going out on a ledge and taking over a smaller neighborhood restaurant in NYC, but then quickly learning he wasn't ready to be the man just yet
• Meeting his future partners at Clover Hill and why it's such a great match
• How they slowly transitioned to a tasting menu-only restaurant
• Creating a fine dining restaurant that was reflective of the owners and why it's so important for Clover Hill to make people feel comfortable and at home without the pretension that you may find often in fine dining
• Charlie talks about why honest cooking is so important to him
• Raising their prices because they are getting better ingredients to work with, not just because they now have a Michelin star
• When they started getting clued in that they may be on the Michelin radar
• The conversations he had with his partners after they won the star
• What it means to him to be the first black chef in New York City history to have a Michelin star
• What he learned once he started writing tasting menus and deciding what kind of journey he wanted to take the guests on
• How he sees the restaurant continuing to evolve over the next few years
• How he folks on "doing his part" when it comes to being a leader and showing other black chefs what's possible. Leading by example

Sponsors

A huge shout out to our sponsors, Maxwell McKenney and Singer Equipment, for their unwavering support, which allows us to be able to bring these conversations to you. Check out their websites for all the amazing equipment they can supply your restaurant with to make your team more efficient and successful.

Meez, is one of the most powerful tools you can have as a cook and chef because it allows you to have a free repository for all of your recipes, techniques and methods so that you never lose them. Meez does way more than just recipe development though, it's an incredibly powerful tool that any chef or restaurant would benefit from.

Check out and follow us on Instagram

Email Eli with any comments, concerns, criticisms, guest requests or any other ideas or thoughts you might have about the show. [email protected]

Chef Matt Kelly talks about his journey into the culinary arts, discusses what has influenced his cooking style, and how he managed to build a successful career out of it. His experiences range from early life in the kitchen to his stint at the Inn at Little Washington, where he honed his takes on food quality and sourcing. The Chef goes in-depth about his mission to create dishes that speak to their roots and tell a story, especially in his own restaurants in Durham, North Carolina. Apart from sharing insights into running multiple restaurant businesses and keeping up with the ever-changing food trends, he also emphasizes the importance of nurturing future chefs and make sure they understand the importance of foundational cooking. The conversation wraps up on a high note, with appreciative closing remarks and a display of gratitude for the shared interaction.

The Meat of the Conversation:

• Discussing the North Carolina Food Scene
• The Influence of Sports on Local Culture
• Chef Matt Kelly's Background and Early Life 
• Impact of Regional Cuisine in NC
• Influence of Family and Early Cooking Experiences
• Importance of Local Food Systems
• The Role of Mentorship in Culinary Careers
• The Impact on Matt of Working at the Inn at Little Washington
• Exploring Spanish Cuisine and Opening Mateo Bar & Tapas
• Incorporating Southern Traditions into Food
• The Importance of Foundational Cooking
• Defining Southern Food
• The Story of Grano Arso and its Influence on Cuisine
• The Evolution of Oyster Culture in North Carolina
• Reviving a Classic: The Story of Nana's
• The Importance of Relationships with Purveyors
• The Role of Grandmothers in Culinary Traditions
• The Importance of Mentoring in the Culinary World

A huge shout out to our sponsor Singer Equipment for their unwavering support, which allows us to be able to bring these conversations to you. Check out their website for all the amazing equipment they can supply your restaurant with to make your team more efficient and successful.

If you are looking for the best in class pizza oven for your next concept, make sure you check out the incredible ovens built by Moretti Forni and make sure you reach out to Greg Listino at their exclusive Northeast dealer, Rosito Bisani.

Meez, is one of the most powerful tools you can have as a cook and chef because it allows you to have a free repository for all of your recipes, techniques and methods so that you never lose them. Meez does way more than just recipe development though, it's an incredibly powerful tool that any chef or restaurant would benefit from.

Check out and follow us on Instagram

Email Eli with any comments, concerns, criticisms, guest requests or any other ideas or thoughts you might have about the show. [email protected]

That's right! You read that headline correctly. Chef Jeremy Fox is coming to Philadelphia for the next installment of the Voi•ãge dining series where he is joining fellow CHEF Radio alum, Nicholas Elmi of Lark restaurant! And in honor of Chef Fox coming to Philadelphia, we are revisiting his podcast, which still ranks up there as an all-time favorite and one of the most listened CHEF Radio Podcast to.

As one of the most influential chefs of the past decade, Chef Fox continues to forge a path forward with his Michelin-starred restaurant, Rustic Canyon, and his critically acclaimed restaurant, Birdie G's, in Los Angeles. Be sure to click the link above to check out tickets for this once-in-a-lifetime dinner that will also raise money to support a nonprofit of the chef's choice.

There will be two nights of dinners on February 28th and 29th, and tickets are highly limited. However, because you are part of the CHEF Radio family, we have an early access to your price for you to take advantage of. For listeners of the show, there is a discount of $10 per ticket if purchased before Thursday, January 25th, so be sure to head over and get those tickets before it's too late.

Take a listen to this incredible, inspiring story of perseverance as chef Fox describes the successes, challenges, and mistakes that were made along the journey that his career took.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Eli breaks down Jeremy Fox’s career
• Creating the menu for Ubuntu
• Jeremy’s transition to working at Rustic Canyon and his reputation
• Eli on his time at Torrisi
• Jeremy reflects on his childhood in Philadelphia
• Philadelphia food traditions vs. the west coast
• Jeremy on his experience in Los Angeles
• How Rustic Canyon changed in 10 years
• Jeremy’s grandmother and inspiration for Birdie G’s
• Jewish cuisine-inspired dishes at Birdie G’s
• How fatherhood changed Jeremy as a chef
• The journey to working at Manresa
• Jeremy’s advice to leaders in the kitchen
• The next generation of chefs
• How Jeremy stopped being an intense, confrontational chef
• Managing the stress of making a restaurant successful
• Eli’s experience with anxiety
• Jeremy on his anxiety and helping others
• Dealing with anxiety and effects of the pandemic

Stay connected with Jeremy Fox on Instagram, and grab his book On Vegetables: Modern Recipes for the Home Kitchen here!

Listen to more episodes of The Chef Radio Podcast, and be sure to check out our other podcast Delicious City Philly!

Connect with Eli on Instagram:

The Chef Radio Podcast

Delicious City Philly

A huge shout out to our sponsors Maxwell McKenney and Singer Equipment for their unwavering support, so we are able to bring these amazing conversations to you. Check out their websites for all the amazing equipment they can supply your restaurant with to make it more efficient and successful.

This episode of CHEF Radio is brought to you by DryAger, the world’s leader in dry aging technology.

Embarking on the journey of a sushi chef involves an unparalleled commitment—one that extends far beyond the ordinary expectations for culinary excellence. Often, to begin that journey, one must apprentice for years under an Itamae, or sushi master, working hard to learn even the most humble tasks before earning the privilege to handle crucial elements like rice, scallions, and ginger. In the realm of high-end sushi, these seemingly ordinary duties bear significant weight.

In today's podcast, Chef Jesse Ito shares his journey with us from being the son of a sushi chef to becoming one of the most celebrated sushi chefs in America today.

Here's what else was discussed:

• How Jesse's star is rising as a twice-selected James Beard finalist
• How his restaurant has exceeded his expectations after seven years in business
• His father being one of the founding sushi chefs in the Philadelphia area, and how that came about
• Fuji restaurant in Cinnaminson, New Jersey, just outside of Philadelphia, and how it used to be a very sketchy area, including some questionable “motels” with mirrors on the ceiling.
• Growing up in a restaurant and running around with king crab shells on his head as a child
• The very notable chefs that would come in to have his father cook for them
• Why a great dishwasher is worth its weight in gold
• How Jesse worked his way up in his father's restaurant to be a sushi chef before he was 20 years old
• Finding his partners at Royal Sushi and Izakaya, and how that relationship began
• Why Jesse slices his fish before each service and why the temperature of the fish is so important but often overlooked
• The importance of rice and sushi and why it is the most important part of the Nigri experience. Jesse talks about his technique
• What the actual definition of the word sushi is and why it applies to preservation
• How the great earthquake in 1923 changed the game for sushi chefs and allowed them to come indoors after traditionally serving from street carts
• The way Jesse supplies his fish, how the topography of the Asian Pacific Ocean is different than that of the rest of the world, and why it factors into the price of the product
• The reverence that the Japanese hold their fish in versus how American fisheries treat their product
• How dry aging has begun to change the game in sushi and why it makes the product more interesting, according to Jesse
• Jesse's decision to stop drinking and begin to live a cleaner lifestyle and how that has allowed him to become an even better leader, business owner, and chef
• Jesse reads his vision statement and mission statement that he originally had in 2016 and how it continues to be applied to the work he does today

A huge shout out to our sponsor Singer Equipment for their unwavering support, which allows us to be able to bring these conversations to you. Check out their website for all the amazing equipment they can supply your restaurant with to make your team more efficient and successful.

Rosito Bisani: If you are looking for the best in class pizza oven for your next concept, make sure you check out the incredible ovens built by Morello Forni and reach out to Greg Listino at their exclusive Northeast dealer, Rosito Bisani.

Meez, is one of the most powerful tools you can have as a cook and chef because it allows you to have a free repository for all of your recipes, techniques and methods so that you never lose them. Meez does way more than just recipe development though, it's an incredibly powerful tool that any chef or restaurant would benefit from.

This holiday season make sure you reach for the true and authentic Parmigiano Reggiano to wow your guests with incredible flavors and textures. Click on the link to find out some fun and creative ways to use the one and only king of cheese this holiday season!🎁🧀

Heavy is the head that wears the crown—an adage familiar to all. For chefs, the culmination of aspirations often transforms into a suffocating responsibility. Balancing the delicate dance between creative desires and the day-to-day demands of a profitable restaurant, chefs find themselves assuming the roles of part-time therapists, plumbers, dishwashers, and maintenance personnel. While these daily responsibilities are integral, chefs must elevate their perspective beyond the immediate tasks, recognizing that the traditional role has evolved add our positions as role models and trendsetters require to look at how we can help the evolving world outside of our restaurants.

Chef Matt Orlando is an absolute visionary and his work at *the now concluded Amass* in Copenhagen, Denmark, forged the pathway for other chefs to see how they can have a major impact on reducing food waste, thus helping with the needs for action when it comes to the future of our planet.

⚠️ One note before you get to the show, because we are calling international, we had some challenging moments with the technology, so please forgive the less the desirable recording quality. We apologize and will try to be better next time.🤘

• Economics of upcycling
• Saving water from blanching and circulating to clean the floors at the end of the day
• Turning fish bones into noodles and why it just works. Bouncy!
• Why he wants people to copy his food and techniques
• Why Matt closed Amass and why he says he’ll never open a restaurant under the same name
• His company, Endless, where they take massive amounts of commercially produced food waste and find ways to keep it out of the waste stream
• His chocolate alternative called Thic and why it could be a game changer for the industry
• Working with large skill producers and why it’s a totally different way of thinking then a chef and a fine dining restaurant
• His new project in Singapore that is a multifaceted restaurant and education spot called AIR that will include a 9000 square-foot garden and farm in the middle of Singapore
• Using flavor as a vessel to carry a message of sustainability and not preaching to the guest table side
• The importance of understanding that sometimes a journey ends and you have to begin a new.
• The importance of being a chef, but also allowing yourself to be open to other ideas and concepts when it comes to food
• Leaving a team in today’s labor climate and what you have to do to be successful in creating a culture of excellence

A huge shout out to our sponsor Singer Equipment for their unwavering support, which allows us to be able to bring these conversations to you. Check out their website for all the amazing equipment they can supply your restaurant with to make your team more efficient and successful.

If you are looking for the best in class pizza oven for your next concept, make sure you check out the incredible ovens built by Moretti Forni and make sure you reach out to Greg Listino at their exclusive Northeast dealer, Rosito Bisani.

Meez, is one of the most powerful tools you can have as a cook and chef because it allows you to have a free repository for all of your recipes, techniques and methods so that you never lose them. Meez does way more than just recipe development though, it's an incredibly powerful tool that any chef or restaurant would benefit from.

This holiday season make sure you reach for the true and authentic Parmigiano Reggiano to wow your guests with incredible flavors and textures. Click on the link to find out some fun and creative ways to use the one and only king of cheese this holiday season!🎁🧀

For this podcast, we have an author, publicist, and podcast host who recently published a book that has so many incredible and unique perspectives from an astounding number of industry-leading chefs from around the globe. The author, Shari Bayer, based in New York City, is someone who is a lifer in our industry, or at least industry adjacent, as she has been a publicist for many of the highest-achieving chefs in America, and she's done that by creating genuine relationships with the chefs that she's met over the years.

Most recently, she added author to her title with a book that is as much great reading material as it is great lessons from many of the world's leading chefs as they share their own perspectives and methods when it comes to the duties of a chef. 

Here's what was discussed:

• Why this book is a dream project of Shari's
• The early jobs that got her interested in the restaurant industry
• Working for Charlie Trotter in Chicago
• Her first foray into the world of restaurant PR with some industry legends
• She breaks down the reasons why your restaurant needs or does not need a PR company
• Working with Jim Lahey of the respected Sullivan Street bakery
• Some of the common threads that she sees through the different chefs she interviewed for the book
• Many chefs opened up to her about the mistakes they made along the way and shared those life lessons with her readers
• The pressures on chefs today that were not there 15 to 20 years ago, and why so many chefs feel they need to open more than one restaurant
• Eli is extremely impressed with the roster of chefs that she was able to put together for this book
• The importance of cooking for not only great chefs but also great leaders who are going to mentor you while you grow, and why you need to give them your all, and they will help you succeed when it is your time
• The wisdom of Chef David Kinch
• How easy it is to get from NYC to Philadelphia, and why more people don't take advantage of it

Note: This is not a paid advertisement and no money was exchanged for our guest's appearance on CHEF Radio Podcast.

A huge shout out to our sponsor Singer Equipment for their unwavering support, which allows us to be able to bring these conversations to you. Check out their website for all the amazing equipment they can supply your restaurant with to make your team more efficient and successful.

If you are looking for the best in class pizza oven for your next concept, make sure you check out the incredible ovens built by Moretti Forni and make sure you reach out to Greg Listino at their exclusive Northeast dealer, Rosito Bisani.

Meez, is one of the most powerful tools you can have as a cook and chef because it allows you to have a free repository for all of your recipes, techniques and methods so that you never lose them. Meez does way more than just recipe development though, it's an incredibly powerful tool that any chef or restaurant would benefit from.

This holiday season make sure you reach for the true and authentic Parmigiano Reggiano to wow your guests with incredible flavors and textures. Click on the link to find out some fun and creative ways to use the one and only king of cheese this holiday season!🎁🧀

What would you say if I told you that a Disney artist, who helped bring animated films to life as well as designed video games and Disney theme park attractions, won a James Beard award this year for Best Chef California? Well, in today's podcast, we welcome Justin in to talk about his highly improbable journey from a first-generation Thai kid who grew up in his parents restaurant to one day leaving his artistic profession to come back to take over after his father had a debilitating stroke. This podcast has all the elements of a heart wrenching and uplifting Disney film, and we can't wait for you to listen!

Here’s what else was talked about:

• Justin doing the inaugural Voi•ãge dinner at Kalaya with Chef Nok
• Starting out as an artist at Disney
• How certain aspects of his time at Disney still play into his decisions at Anajak Thai
• Justin’s and Eli’s shared love for drawing out dishes before they begin to develop them in real life
• Literally growing up in his mom and dad’s restaurant
• His mother would give him ”showers” in the bathroom at the restaurant!
• How beat up the physical space of Anajak is after 40+ years in business
• When he had to take over the restaurant for his ailing father and the difficulties of filling his shoes…literally
• Learning from other chefs and friends in the business
• Are drop lines for servers necessary, or should guests be left to figure out the dish?
• What kind of chef do you want to be? 
• The importance of hiring people who compliment you and fill the void in your knowledge
• Justin’s early memory of trips to Thailand to visit family
• How his father, after his stroke, still came into the restaurant using a wheelchair to help direct and train Justin
• Justin’s incredible James Beard speech

Supporters of the show:

This holiday season make sure you reach for the true and authentic Parmigiano Reggiano to wow your guests with its incredible flavors and textures. Click on the link to find out some fun and creative ways to use the one and only King of Cheese this holiday season!🎁🧀

A huge shout out to our sponsors, Maxwell McKenney and Singer Equipment, for their unwavering support, which allows us to be able to bring these conversations to you. Check out their websites for all the amazing equipment they can supply your restaurant with to make your team more efficient and successful.

 Meez, is one of the most powerful tools you can have as a cook and chef because it allows you to have a free repository for all of your recipes, techniques and methods so that you never lose them. Meez does way more than just recipe development though, it's an incredibly powerful tool that any chef or restaurant would benefit from.

This holiday season make sure you reach for the true and authentic Parmigiano Reggiano to wow your guests with incredible flavors and textures. Click on the link to find out some fun and creative ways to use the one and only King of Cheese this holiday season!🎁🧀