Innovative Insights: NYC Chefs Talk Culture and Creativity

flavors unknown podcast

In today’s episode, you’ll hear part one of a panel discussion that took place in New York City during StarChefs Rising Stars with 5 chefs of New York. Jeremiah Stone is Chef and Co-owner of Contra and Wildair. Trigg Brown is Chef and Owner of Win Sun Restaurant and Bakery. Rafiq Salim is Chef and Owner of Rolo's. Celia Lee is the Pastry Chef at Naro. And Matt Reysen is the Bar Director at Al Coro. This episode is sponsored by Symrise NA. You’ll hear about some of the most innovating and exciting things happening in this industry across the city. Plus, they share the stories of their paths to success, their creative processes, and how their cultural background influences their work. What you'll learn from this panel discussion The smells from an Indonesian Arab Dutch kitchen 4:58The science of bread making 5:56How immigration can change how we cook 6:28The big name brand where chef Trigg Brown started his career in food 8:57How chef Rafiq Salim got into cooking 10:58Why pastry chef Celia Lee prefers baking over cooking 12:21When your parents don’t really understand what you do 15:56What it’s like having bar owners as parents 16:52How playing youth sports can help prepare you for working in hospitality 18:14How chef Jeremiah Stone transitioned from DJ to bartender to BOH 21:24Why chef Trigg Brown kept washing dishes at his first restaurant job 24:19Escaping bad influences as a young restaurant employee 25:32How the cocktail revolution has changed how bartenders mix drinks 27:30What’s influencing Matt Reysen’s bar menu post-pandemic 29:10How the American palate is changing 30:15Thoughts on the changes in fine dining 31:43Making sure your concept fits its location 36:23Why descriptors identifying food style are no longer necessary 37:20Understanding personality driven food 38:12Describing the hospitality vibe between restaurants in NYC 39:45The collaborative nature in New York 42:05 I'd like to share a potential educational resource, "Conversations Behind the Kitchen Door", my new book that features dialogues with accomplished culinary leaders from various backgrounds and cultures. It delves into the future of culinary creativity and the hospitality industry, drawing from insights of a restaurant-industry-focused podcast, ‘flavors unknown”. It includes perspectives from renowned chefs and local professionals, making it a valuable resource for those interested in building a career in the culinary industry.Get the book here! Links to other episodes with chefs from New York CIty Don't miss out on the chance to hear from NYC talented chefs and gain insight into the world of culinary techniques.Conversations with chef Trigg BrownInterview with pastry chef Françoois PayardConversation with Erik RamirezInterview with pastry chef Erin Kanagy-LouxConversation with chef Dan Kluger Links to most downloaded episodes (click on any picture to listen to the episode) Chef Sheldon Simeon Chef Andy Doubrava Chef Chris Kajioka Chef Suzanne Goin Click to tweet When we opened, we didn't have the money to make the space or anything about it look more fine dining than it actually was. We were in the Lower East Side where it didn't make sense for us to do something that didn't fit the neighborhood. - Jeremiah Stone Click To Tweet Everybody in the restaurant was like ‘don't go to culinary school, you don't want this job. You don't want to be like me’, and I was like ‘I do. I love this!’. I thought of it as a party job, I was having fun. - Trigg Brown Click To Tweet If you make a sauce and you don't like that flavor, you can fix it by adding more spices.