Flavors Unknown

Innovative Insights: NYC Chefs Talk Culture and Creativity

Panel DIscussion NYC Part1

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 4:58
The science of bread making 5:56
How immigration can change how we cook 6:28
The big name brand where chef Trigg Brown started his career in food 8:57
How chef Rafiq Salim got into cooking 10:58
Why pastry chef Celia Lee prefers baking over cooking 12:21
When your parents don’t really understand what you do 15:56
What it’s like having bar owners as parents 16:52
How playing youth sports can help prepare you for working in hospitality 18:14
How chef Jeremiah Stone transitioned from DJ to bartender to BOH 21:24
Why chef Trigg Brown kept washing dishes at his first restaurant job 24:19
Escaping bad influences as a young restaurant employee 25:32
How the cocktail revolution has changed how bartenders mix drinks 27:30
What’s influencing Matt Reysen’s bar menu post-pandemic 29:10
How the American palate is changing 30:15
Thoughts on the changes in fine dining 31:43
Making sure your concept fits its location 36:23
Why descriptors identifying food style are no longer necessary 37:20
Understanding personality driven food 38:12
Describing the hospitality vibe between restaurants in NYC 39:45
The 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 Brown

Interview with pastry chef Françoois Payard

Conversation with Erik Ramirez

Interview with pastry chef Erin Kanagy-Loux

Conversation with chef Dan Kluger

Links to most downloaded episodes (click on any picture to listen to the episode)

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. But for pastry, it's different. If you forget one ingredient, especially like salt or sugar in bread, you cannot fix it. You literally have to start from the bottom. – Celia Lee

Click To Tweet