Flavors Unknown

Panama to LA: Chef Jose Carles’ Culinary Journey

Chef Jose Carles

Today, I’m talking to chef Jose Carles, the creative mind behind Venice’s newest restaurant, Si! Mon.
Carles is originally from Panama, where he ran Donde Jose and currently operates Fonda Lo Que Hay in bustling Panama City.
You’ll hear about his early start in the kitchen and the encouragement his family provided to get him on the professional culinary path. You’ll learn about the diverse influences that come together to make up Panamanian culinary heritage. He shares the flavor profiles he’s best known for and the origins of inspiration for his deliciously creative menu items.

What you'll learn from Chef Jose Carles

Understanding the geography of Panama 5:11
The diverse cultures that make up Panama 5:55
The culinary layout and what you’ll find to eat 7:01
How wood is used for smoking food 8:23
Unique fruits that are incorporated in cooking 9:43
How colonization has influenced Panamanian food scene10:49
Connection through food across South and Central America 12:42
Why his mother forced him to start cooking for himself 14:08
What he learned from repeating the same recipes 15:02
How his father pushed him to get into cooking professionally 15:40
His experiences in culinary school 16:59
How he’s embracing Central American-style cooking as a whole 17:44
Fusing French techniques with the unique flavors of Central America19:32
Cooking traditionally with fire 21:12
Indigenous cooking techniques 23:13
The concept behind Fonda Lo Que Hay in Panama City 25:39
One dish that will never leave the menu 25:39
What inspired him to open a restaurant in the LA area 28:05
How the concept for Si! Mon began 29:45
An example of how a popular dish changes for an LA audience 32:47
The menu style that you’ll find at Si! Mon 34:01
His favorite restaurant discoveries so far in Venice 37:33
Guilty pleasure foods 41:08
Cookbooks that have inspired him 41:52
His appreciation for the advanced techniques of Asian cooking 42:26
Biggest pet peeves in the kitchen 43:45
One positive culinary lesson he embraces 44:47
How the influence of a food critic briefly changed his style 46:06
A chef in LA he’d love to collaborate with 47:36

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Links to other episodes with the chefs in Los Angeles

Don't miss out on the chance to hear from these talented chefs and gain insight into the world of culinary techniques.
Interview with chef Suzanne Goin
Conversation with Chef Elizabeth Falkner
Conversation with Coffee Roaster Zayde Naquib
Interview with Chef Tim Hollingsworth
Conversation with Chef Brad Miller – Food Truck Nation
Interview with Chef Alison Trent

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I think that Fonda Lo Que Hay was and still is, and I say this very humbly, a revolutionary restaurant for the country [Panama].
I am trying hard not to let people fall too much in love with dishes so I don't need to keep them forever.
Stay humble and understand the journey never ends. Believing you've arrived often signals the beginning of a downfall.