Chefs as a group tend to be very aware. Aware of what, you may be asking. A good chef has to be aware of everything going on in their kitchen and restaurant. This habit becomes second nature and therefore translates into becoming aware of the goings-on around your life in general. We as chefs have become aware of the impact that our chosen profession has on society in a number of ways. From how and where we source our food, to how much waste we are producing, to the quality of our employee’s lives, and countless other aspects of everyday life chefs need to be aware of their environment. Chef Nyesha Arrington is no exception. TGIF recently had the pleasure of sitting down and speaking with her. If her name sounds familiar, it’s because it should. She has one of the hottest restaurants in Los Angeles, Native. She has also been on several cooking shows, but where she really came into the national spotlight was her time on Top Chef. Nyesha comes from a true multi-cultural background, having a Southern-born African-American father and a Korean mother. She grew up in the kitchen with her grandma and has vivid memories of octopus and kimchi starting from the age of 5. These experiences laid the foundation for her career in the kitchen. Native is right in the heart of Santa Monica, just blocks away from the famous Santa Monica Farmers Market. This proximity was no accident. She is a regular at the Wednesday morning market, hand-selecting the ingredients that she wants to use for the week. Nyesha is dedicated to using the freshest ingredients and cultivating relationships with the farmers helps her get prime pickings when it comes to the products that she will serve at Native. Her resume speaks for itself. When she started her career, she really found her groove working for one of L.A.’s iconic fine dining restaurants with 2 Star Michelin Chef Josiah Citrin at Melisse. Here, she was taken under Chef Citrin’s tutelage and eventually reached the rank of Saucier (one of the most senior and trusted stations in a classic French Kitchen), gaining his trust and helping him open two other restaurants. She also put in her time in Las Vegas working for one of the world’s most decorated chefs, Joel Robuchon. These experiences framed her expectations and exacting standards as a chef. When it comes to her food, her menu is very eclectic. She uses her cultural background and classic French training to bring a menagerie of flavors and dishes to the table. Usually, such variation and not sticking to one theme is tough to pull off because there is no real focus. But she has succeeded because part of her belief is that food is a binder that brings people together. She believes the best memories are often created over food, and she wants Native to be that vessel. Of course, her restaurant and her food are a priority. However, that is not her sole purpose in life. Her relationships with small farmers are part of her efforts to contribute to a thriving society by allowing them to reach as large of a market as possible and actually be able to make a living doing so. She also wants to give back to the community and be a positive influence on society and those around her. Ultimately, she wants to leave the world a better place than how she understands it and her avenue for that is through her food. In my opinion, she is well on her way to achieving her goals. If you want great food that has some soul, tastes like it was just picked from the garden and comes from a variety of backgrounds then Native must be on your restaurant bucket list.
Listen to Interview with Chef Nyesha:
