Flavors Unknown

The Ingredients of Success: Chef Rob Rubba’s Unique Approach

Chef Rob Rubba

In today's episode, we sit down with Chef Rob Rubba, the creative force behind the acclaimed restaurant Oyster Oyster in Washington, DC, and recent recipient of a James Beard Award. We discuss his South Jersey upbringing, his experiences working under renowned chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Guy Savoy, his time spent abroad, the opening of his first restaurant Hazel in 2016, and his recent transition to plant-based cooking.
Join us as we explore the smells that remind him of his childhood, how his family influenced his profession, his journey through art school and culinary school, and the lessons learned from working with top chefs. We'll also delve into his time in Japan, the importance of getting outside your bubble, his thoughts on the brigade system, and the concept of Oyster Oyster. Additionally, we discuss the starring role of sustainability in his restaurant, his approach to sourcing locally, and how he tells a story through a plate of food.
Don't miss Chef Rubba's recommendations for food stops in DC, his guilty pleasure food, favorite cookbooks, and must-have condiments for your kitchen. Throughout our conversation, we'll share insightful quotes from Chef Rubba that offer a glimpse into his mindset and culinary journey. Listen in as we uncover the fascinating story of this talented chef and learn what it takes to make a mark in the world of fine dining.

What you'll learn from this panel discussion

The smells that remind him of his South Jersey childhood 3:15
How his family influenced his profession 4:33
Why he eventually dropped out of art school 5:18
How culinary school got him to take things more seriously 7:10
The frozen duck incident 8:14
Why he dropped out of school for the third time 9:39
How Gordon Ramsay inspired him to move to New York 10:56
What it was like to work in a Gordon Ramsay kitchen 12:03
Going from an artist mindset to an apprentice who’s learning 13:11
Learning simplicity from Guy Savoy 17:05
The difference between the food from Gordon Ramsay and Guy Savoy 18:41
How he ended up going to Japan 19:32
Why getting outside of your bubble is important 22:16
His feelings about the brigade system 23:22
Transitioning to a plant-based menu 25:14
The concept of Oyster Oyster 30:57
The starring role of sustainability 31:46
How he sources locally 36:54
Telling a story through a plate of food 40:13
How his meat-eating past influenced his vegetarian future 42:49
Five food stops in DC 46:18
His guilty pleasure food 47:03
His favorite cookbooks 47:45
Must-have condiments for your kitchen 48:47

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Links to other episodes with the chefs

Don't miss out on the chance to hear from other chefs located in the DMV area.

Interview with Chef Will Fung from China Chilcano

Conversation with Chef Opie Crooks

Conversation with Chef Matt Conroy

Interview with Chef Masako Morishita

Conversation with Chef Declan Horgan

Conversation with Private Chef Chris Spear

Covid-19 – Top Chefs Respond (with Chef Ian Boden)

Conversation with Chef Hari Cameron

Conversation with chef Johnny Spero

Interview with chef Drew Adams

Interview with chef Edward Lee

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

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The biggest thing I got from Guy Savoy while I was there was working with very humble ingredients that were elevated and cooked very well.

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I think that developing cooks is important and it's something I try to instill in everybody here. You're gonna learn how to actually cook, right, from start to finish.

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There's a lot of damage to our local food system by coming in and washing away indigenous people.

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