BINGELY BOOKS

BANCHAN: 60 KOREAN AMERICAN RECIPES FOR DELICIOUS SHAREABLE DISHES

Chronic Books

Caroline Choe

We enjoy a number of dishes and when you're able to make them at home, you can create your own feast! In Banchan: 60 Korean American Recipes for Delicious Shareable Sides, we know that all of our favorite bites will be in this book! Caroline Choe includes recipes that include Smoky Gochujang Chicken Salad, Hobakjeon (Zucchini Pancakes), and Pa Muchim (Shaved Onion Salad). Of course, you can never have too much Kimchi! We can't wait to try Kimchi Mac & Cheese or even her Creamy Kimchi Bacon Dip!

This book will let you know how to make Modern Korean dishes while learning about the backstory about them from a first-generation experience!

LIFE'S TOO SHORT TO STUFF A MUSHROOM

Carnival

Prue Leith

We have enjoyed watching Prue Leith a South African restaurateur, TV Presenter/Broadcaster, cookbook author, novelist and Co-Host/Judge of The Great British Baking Show! She knows her flavors, can tell you about a composition of a dish, and it's great to see when she is taken by surprise when the bakers on the show put ingredients together in an unexpected way.

In Life's Too Short to Stuff A Mushroom: Really Good Food Without the Fuss, she breaks down her recipes for those new to cooking, home cooks, and those that are advanced. We're interested in making her Chicory, Pear Hazelnut and Goat's Cheese Salad; Gunpowder Steak with Coriander Chutney, and Herbed Salmon Parcels.

Without a doubt, there are a number of items that we can make when it comes to the change in weather that's upon us! We'll defintiely find a number of dishes to shake up what we make in our rotation.

HOKUSAI

Taschen

Andreas Marks

Hokusai is noted to have painted his first picture at the age of 6 and when he dies at the age of 89, he has his designs for illustrated books which was published posthumously. In Hokusai, this edition spans that artists' creative sphases! It even includes 1,300 designs that were made in the final years under the name Manji.

Known as Japan's most famous artist, Hokisai is known as a recognized figure of the Edo period.

This coffee table book is one that you will want to enjoy flipping though with the beautiful artwork! It's a conversation piece that those who come by to visit can also enjoy.

Read the OCT ISSUE #106 of Athleisure Mag and see BINGELY BOOKS in mag.

FAITH, FAMILY, FOOD CHEF AARTI SEQUEIRA

This month, We're making the transition from the Summer to the Fall. We're thinking about all the things that this season is perfect for from still being able to enjoy being outdoors with a few layers, the crispness that begins to encompass the air, a number of fun festivals, apple/pumpkin picking, and so much more! The last few months have involved being out and about with friends and family, and of course the upcoming holiday season.

This sense of community and coming together with food is something that Chef Aarti Sequeira embodies. We've had the pleasure of interviewing her in our NOV ISSUE #71 a few years ago when her My Family Recipe Journal was released. At that time we talked about how she came to food, being a chef, Food Network's Halloween Wars, and more.

This month, we caught up with her to talk about her latest cookbook that came out last year - UNWIND: A Devotional Cookbook For The Harried and Hungry, food festivals that she is participated in and why she likes being involved, hosting Halloween Wars, why she likes being part of the Food Network family and more!

ATHLEISURE MAG: It was so great chatting with you a few years ago where we talked about how you got into food, your food journey and everything that led up to the Family Recipe Journal that you dropped as at that time, you were a few days out from dropping that book!

So before we talk about things that have gone on since that book and things that are coming up, we’d love to know if you remember the dish that you had that made you first fall in love with food?

CHEF AARTI SEQUEIRA: Oh wow! I mean, I don't remember doing this because I was just a baby but my mum, my most vivid memory of me with food is that she would be making dinner and she would just you know pick me up and put me on the counter next to her chopping board and she would just be slicing onions, garlic and ginger and she'd look away for a second. And you know, with my little like you know how babies don't have like knuckles, right?

AM: Right!

CHEF AS: They just have dimples. It’s just those teeny, tiny dimples in a fist and I'd grab the onions and I was just shoving them in my mouth!

AM: Oh!

CHEF AS: She couldn't, she couldn't believe it and I liked it! It’s ironic because I hate raw onions now.

AM: Right!

CHEF AS: But I loved it back then, and I think that, you know, just from then on that the kitchen is just always where I've wanted to be and there's always been food in my mouth haha.

AM: Which is a good thing! I feel like if people were less hangry, that things might be better!

CHEF AS: Well that is true!

AM: Well, when we last chatted you were like a couple of days out actually from the My Family Recipe Journal, but since that conversation in talking with you, you also have released UNWIND: A Devotional Cookbook For The Harried and Hungry. Can you tell us a bit about the book, why you wanted to create it, and what can we expect when we're reading this?

CHEF AS: Yeah, I really created it for people like me and maybe people who are not like me, but anyone who experiences that sort of 4:30pm/5:30pm salt in the wound?

AM: Yes!

CHEF AS: You’ve had a full day and you've been all things to all people and then you’re like, “and now I’ve got to make dinner?”

AM: Right!

CHEF AS: Are you kidding? And it feels you know, it’s the last thing usually between you and bed.

AM: Yeah.

CHEF AS: Haha or you and crappy television, you know what I mean?

AM: Exactly!

CHEF AS: It’s the last hump that you have to get over. And I just found myself taking this thing that had once been my joy and once been my Sanctuary and starting to resent. It was like I started to phone it in and that's not right because you know, I have children now!

AM: Right!

CHEF AS: I didn't want to be giving them or serving them resentment at the dinner table.

AM: Of course!

CHEF AS: So, one of the things that I remembered is that there was this woman that owned an Indian grocery store in LA. and when I had to talked to her about cooking, she had mentioned that she had always prayed before she cooked and that was such a light bulb moment for me! She's Hindu, and I'm Christian. and I just remember going, well if she's doing it - why am I not doing it, you know?

AM: Mmm

CHEF AS: So I did start praying before I cooked and I just found that it opened up a passageway, like a spiritual passageway that took this very mundane chore. This thing that I resented and helped me see it as a moment of sacred connection and it redeemed it, right? And what I found was that in what started off like, "oh Lord, please let this dish turn out right or okay,” you know what I mean? Or let the kids like it or not have anything fall on floor – turned into…

“You know, one of the reasons I'm really upset right now, Jesus is that I'm really feeling discouraged that I didn't get that job that I wanted.”

AM: Right.

CHEF AS: Or, “I'm really scared about this thing that's happening in my family or any number of things.” And so, while I was cooking, that's when that conversation was happening. And I found that there was so much healing.

AM: Yup.

CHEF AS: That healing that was happening through that whole process was amazing. And I was like, well, if it works for me, I would like to be the sort of guide that says, “hey guys, this can work for you too.” This can be a moment, a half hour, 45 minutes in the day, where okay, maybe you didn't have your quiet time today, or maybe you did, and you need another one. This can be It. And I think the lesson that I learned from that is that, you mentioned it! You know, so often when we're walking into the kitchen at that hour, we are tired and we are hungry and we are hangry. And that's when quite often we are in that space. So, if we can get into the practice of turning our eyes towards heaven, when we are at our worst in the kitchen, then we will do that when we are at our worst in the car, in a meeting, doing laundry, talking to someone that's very triggering.

AM: Oh yes!

CHEF AS: All of this stuff, it just builds up muscle in us. So, I now have learned after that experience and after writing UNWIND that how you show up in the kitchen and how you come out of that kitchen, is great practice for how you show up and leave every situation in your life.

AM: That really resonates because a lot of times when there's projects being worked on whether it's a series of business meetings or calls I need to make I'll do a prayer before.

CHEF AS: Yes!

AM: It could be a project or anything I’m doing where I need that reset, it allows my mind to take a pause a beat and then to almost get closer to certain things that maybe have nothing to do with what's going on. But you're able to kind of like categorize it and you just come out a lot better of a person versus me just running out and being like argh!!!

CHEF AS: It is good to sort of slow down. You know, I think a lot of people say, get present. And for me, getting present with myself is just not enough because myself is the problem. So I need to get present with God. That is the one that's going to pull me out of myself and actually fix it.

AM: That's true. That's very true. And, you know, do you find that, because I find that the books that you've done, it is so personal because you are talking about, you know, getting in touch with yourself, getting in touch with God, getting into a better place. Is it is it more difficult to have these books that have a cookbook component as well as this other inspirational component too? Do you feel the process in writing it is longer? Do you feel that you get, you know what I mean - like, because you're doing two different components putting it together. It's beautiful, and seamless, but I know a lot of times if I'm writing something that comes from more of a personal place in my heart, I'm gonna grapple with that for like 80 more hours.

CHEF AS: Yeah, 100%. I mean, I think writing a cookbook is a much more difficult process than I imagined. I think before I kind of got into this world, I was like, oh, well, you know, you just write your recipes and blah blah.

AM: Right!

CHEF AS: But then once it becomes your way of life, at least for me, you know, I'm super critical.

AM: Yeah, same.

CHEF AS: Super critical of myself and so I'm questioning every instinct, every idea, every finished product. Wondering if it's good enough, wondering, if I've written it well, wondering - you know saying the worst things to myself. And so, then couple that with trying to be an ambassador for God.

AM: Right.

CHEF AS: There is always like, there is so much room for failure. I did find it to be a really, really difficult process. We also did it so quickly. We did the whole thing in about 6 or 7 months.

AM: Whoa!

CHEF AS: You know, most people take like a year or 2 years because, you know, some of the people that I'm seeing putting cookbooks out, they're like, “you know, this has been the past 2 or 3 years of my life,” and I'm like, oh my God! You know, I don't know what's worse. Like I don't know if it's worse to live with something for 3 years and live with that kind of pressure for three years.

AM: Exactly.

CHEF AS: Am I a marathon runner or am I a sprinter? I think I've always been a sprinter.

AM: Yup.

CHEF AS: So I think that God kind of knew, you know, what kind of project it needed to be for me. But yeah, I mean, I think I even posted on my social media about how difficult it was that like the process of creativity was not like - was not like a scene from Ratatouille and it has never been for me. It's never been - it's very rarely a moment of like the muse, you know, and going to bed where it’s saying, “hey, why don't you pull tamarind and ginger together and build ribs,” like it’s very rare that that happens. A lot of it is full on. It feels like you're working out, you are throwing weights around picking them back up again, throwing them down again that was the process for me and getting to write that book meant that I had to employ 2 very different parts of my brain and try to make them make sense. But it was also a great challenge, like, I really enjoyed it and I sort of felt like this idea for me felt like a download from heaven and so I was like at this moment in time, I'm the only person that is doing this. So I have to believe that I am also being totally equipped to do it. I have to thank my husband who helped me so much because he loves words and he loves the Bible and so it's really helpful to have him at my side literally for some of them like writing portions of it and then me being able to then put it in my own words. He was like such a such a rock to me.

AM: That's amazing!

Are you already thinking about that next cookbook? I mean, you've already done, you know, these last two. I mean, I know you had one before obviously, but you know, that's so quick between the recipe book. Now it's UNWIND! Is there something in the future that you're kind of sketching out?

CHEF AS: I don't know, you know, I think cookbooks are so hard because frankly there are just so many of them and it's hard to capture people's attention in between. I mean, I'd love to write another one, but I think I also would like some time to really fine tune you know, where is my cooking at this point? What is it that excites me. And what you know? I just feel a little bit all over the place because my career has really, has really taken off it feels like this year.

AM: Yeah.

CHEF AS: I’m traveling, so much of that. I'm probably cooking for other people more than I'm cooking for my family.

AM: Wow.

CHEF AS: And yeah. And so, I want to get back to cooking for my family because I feel like that's like truly the essence of who I am or who I want to be. And so, I'm open to it, of course, and I'm open to even doing another one because I, I do think that I'm proud of it. I really, I'm really proud of it. And even, you know, and every time, just even the other day, someone sent me a photo of one of the recipes that they made and the fact that they were doing it in their small group and they were going through the devotions together. I mean, it just is like so meaningful to me more meaningful than anything else I've worked on, because yes, they're making the recipes, but they're also reading the words that I wrote and reflecting and when I read the words that I wrote, I'm so very convinced that I was not the one that was writing them because I don't recognize it!

AM: Haha right!

CHEF AS: You know, I'm a little nervous to go through that whole process again because, frankly, it was really rough. But when I look at it and I look at the fruit of it, I'm like, well, I mean, hi, I get to partner with God again and that’s kind of amazing.

AM: One thing I love when I'm looking at your IG, I love your Monday Motivations. I think they're so amazing.

CHEF AS: Oh thank you!

AM: And as we are dropping on Monday, do you have a Monday Motivation for us that we can share with our readers?

CHEF AS: Ooo. What have I been toggling in my mind? I think the message that I feel like keeps coming up is - if God is knocking on the door, he's kind of yelling through the door at you.

AM: Ha! I feel that one!

CHEF AS: Which is kind of, “are you more interested in what I can do through you or are you more interested in spending time with Me?”

AM: Ooo ...

CHEF AS: Because I have to say, I took inspiration from someone who posted it online - that concept, at least. But I have been feeling it -

AM: Yeah.

CHEF AS: You know what I mean?

AM: Yeah.

CHEF AS: The first one is about me.

AM: Yup.

CHEF AS: And the second one is about God.

AM: It's about Him. Yeah, you gave me goosebumps because I yeah, I thought about something very similar to that, a couple months ago, and I was like, well am I really trying to do that because I want to amplify Him or am I trying to do it so I can boost myself up? Like wow, yeah.

CHEF AS: Yeah, it hurts. So I did not like it.

AM: 100%

CHEF AS: When I saw it on IG and I still don't, but I think that's the point. I think that it's –

AM: It’s uncomfortable -

CHEF AS: It’s uncomfortable and I think those of us who are sort of our own turbines, who are in that sort of entrepreneurial space, it becomes a lot about me and what can I do? What can I accomplish and what's the next thing to build? How do I build on what I've already built? All that stuff and so then we try to kind of loop God into it saying, “you know use me for whatever it is that you want,” but you know intrinsically, we're like yeah we want to get some action, right?

AM: Right.

CHEF AS: You want to rustle up some action. And I think, especially for me, like I'm not really good at sitting very quietly.

AM: Same

CHEF AS: Or sitting in a posture of listening or just being or just any of those things.

AM: It's a good reminder.

CHEF AS: Yeah, that would be my Monday Motivation is just go sit and do nothing for a minute.

AM: Yeah, wow. Yeah.

CHEF AS: Haha I know!

AM: Well, you are always traveling! You were just on an amazing trip in Peru with some of our faves who have previously been in our issues - Chef Duff Goldman, Chef Fariyal Abdullahi who was our AUG ISSUE #104 cover, and Chef Marcel Vigneron. I love an immersive trip and it seemed like you guys got to combine your culinary knowledge along with those that were indigenous to the area and people, as well as to be part of some amazing cultural activities!

Right now your IG has a number of food festivals you’ve been at as well as those that are coming up! We are looking forward to the Food Network NYC Wine Food Festival that takes place mid Oct. and I know that you’re not involved in that one, but Iove being able to go to festivals like this. What do you love about participating in food festival and can you tell me more about the Del Mar Wine + Food Festival that is next month? I mean that Spice Girls Dinner seems pretty amazing.

CHEF AS: Yeah, food festivals are so fun because it's sort of like, you know, that everybody there is one of you, you know what I mean?

AM: Yup!

CHEF AS: Like, these are people that love food and love food television and love to celebrate and love to gather!

AM: Yes!

CHEF AS: The Gathering thing to me has really been feeling more and more important. I think because we have so many years of not gathering.

AM: Yeah that was tough!

CHEF AS: I heard once I was listening to a podcast and I'm not saying I've ever read Alexis de Tocqueville, but I guess when he visited America he was like, “the thing that's very interesting about Americans is that they love to gather.”

AM: Facts!

CHEF AS: They will find any reason to gather and so when we weren't gathering, it was like one of the most un-American things that we could have done.

AM: Yeah.

CHEF AS: So I think that's one of the things that I have come to really appreciate about food festivals is we're all together. We're breaking bread, we're maybe having a couple cocktails.

AM: Yes!

CHEF AS: You sort of feel like, this is who we are. This is the essence of our humanity, the essence of our identity as a people, you know? It's a very unifying moment. I think, especially for people who are creating content, whether it's, you know, on traditional streams, or on social media streams, or YouTube or whatever it is, you know, it kind of goes out into the ether and even if you get likes, yes, you get some sort of feedback, but to see the actual faces! To sort of interact with the actual spirits of people who were like, “I saw when you did that thing.” Oh, it feels real and it feels really gratifying in that moment, selfishly. And it feels very encouraging, honestly - to say, okay, I'm on the right path, I'm going to keep going because it can feel like a very isolating experience.

You know, basically, like I remember when Twitter came along we were all like, oh, doesn't it sort of feel like there's one million people and each of them has a megaphone and they're all yelling? So no one's listening to each other and so sometimes things like food festivals can be so gratifying because here are the people that have been listening!

AM: 100%

CHEF AS: You can see, you can then engage like, oh this is what touches people. And this is what people find necessary. And this is what sort of they find unique about when they come to my corner of IG and it can help sort of fine tune your voice.

AM: Exactly!

Tell me about the Spice Girls Dinner at the Del Mar Food Festival!

CHEF AS: Yeah, I'm excited about Del Mar because not only because it's a very beautiful food festival, this whole thing was spearheaded by Troy Johnson and his wife, Claire Johnson and you know I've known Troy forever for like decades through Guy's Grocery Games.

AM: Ok!

CHEF AS: No, no it’s not been that long! So this is the, you know, they already have babies, but this is another baby of theirs. They're really putting their money where their mouths are and trying to encourage the same thing, the sense of community and gathering, and celebration, and celebrating chefs who are, you know, taking risks in the kitchen and so, I'm really excited to go see people, but also support people who are risking it all you know.

AM: Wow.

CHEF AS: Like Troy and Claire, I think our dinner is going to be so interesting because I love Claudia Sandoval (winner of MasterChef S6, Judge on MasterChef Latinos, Host of Taste of the Border on Discovery+). I love the way she cooks. She has a really strong connection to where she comes from and in a way that I love because she sometimes will take the humblest of dishes, like, her grandmother's beans and she won't change it all that much. She will present it just like that because she's like they're actually good enough. That's very inspiring to me because there's, you know, a lot of the food that we all grew up with, it's not restaurant food.

AM: Correct.

CHEF AS: It's home food. I'm trying to figure out a way to gussy that up so that it looks pretty in an Instagram photo sometimes can feel very difficult!

AM: Daunting, yeah.

CHEF AS: So I I think that it's, I think it's really, it's been very inspiring to me to go, no, the dal, just the way it is. The dal just the way I grew up with is enough and good enough! So, I'm really excited to see where our spice palettes cross over, compliment each other, and contrast with each other. I think it's going to be a really fun dinner and I'm really excited also for the wine pairing because Neeta Mittal, owner of LXV Wines - she's Indian and so she's got a particular palette when she's looking at wines because she's going well, what wine will play well, with these spices - will amplify them and vice versa. So, I think it's gonna be a really interesting unique dinner in that way.

I'm relatively new to this circuit you know, compared to some people that have been doing it for a while and so you're only honestly, you're only as good as the organizers of the festival. It is such a beast to organize these things. There's always something that you didn't think about.

AM: Right, for sure.

CHEF AS: So that's a huge factor to me! I want to be at a festival where we’re all you know, you do your job, I do my job, but we do our job so that we can support each other and make each other look good. That's, you know, that's one of the big things.

AM: That's amazing.

CHEF AS: I love going to festivals where there's a lot of great food on display, you know, especially a lot of adventurous food because I'm like, oh, the people that are going to show up here are going to be willing to try things that, you know, they've maybe never tried before.

I just did the Ilani Wine and Food Festival at the Ilani Resort just outside of Portland. That one was so amazing because even though you know this festival's been going on forever, I made these Jackfruit Sliders with a date barbecue sauce. That was a two for two in terms of things that people haven't tried before. People were so willing like, when you know, I remember someone came over and they were like, “your pulled pork was amazing.” I was like, “that was jackfruit!” So I love going to festivals where I can bring something that someone hasn't had before. Not just for the the purpose of maybe trying something new but, then also that people go home and they're like, I'm going to buy that and I'm gonna work that into my meal plan, or whatever it is. You know, that's just like I want to be of service, and that's really helpful but I love festivals like that where I can be of service.

AM: I think that that’s amazing. And I saw those pictures of the Jackfruit Sliders. And I was just like, whoa, I've had jackfruit but never thought about barbecue sauce and dates – but ok!

CHEF AS: Yeah, well, you know, I had the barbecue sauce ready to go. I had that idea. I was just trying to think because I didn’t think that I was gonna have the time or the energy to like slow cook a ton of pork.

AM: Right.

CHEF AS: So then it was like, what about, you know, I think actually I was talking to Damaris Phillips (2013 winner of Food Network Star, Guy’s Grocery Games Judge, author of Southern Girl Meets Vegetarian Boy) about it and then we came up with that idea together, so that was super helpful.

AM: Love that! Ok, so Halloween Wars. I mean, first of all, I can't even believe that we're sitting in the fall.

CHEF AS: Yeah!

AM: It's rainy here in New York today and I'm like, wait, the holiday season is around the corner. I always know it's around the corner because I see the promos for Halloween Wars.

CHEF AS: Ha ha! I know! It’s all a long slippery slope from there!

AM: Yup! So what are you excited about for this season? I always look forward to the different things and I'm always amazed at how grotesque in the best way possible that some of the things end up being, I'm like, oh my God, who does that? I'm so scared! But at the same time, the baking capabilities and dedication to craft is next level when they’re on the clock!

CHEF AS: This season is so great because each of the teams is helmed by an All-Star. So each of these people have won before, they know what it feels like and they know what it takes. So, they’re kind of acting like team leaders to their teammates. There's a lot to, you know, you whenever you go into competition, you don't cook, carve, sculpt the way that you do –

AM: Exactly.

CHEF AS: At your bakery or at your place, you know? You've got to, you've got to do it in a way that is a work smarter not harder kind of mindset.

AM: Yeah.

CHEF AS: And yet, you're still going for perfection as possible. So that's why this season is so great because and that's why that from day one like the displays were already almost like finale level.

AM: Ooo.

CHEF AS: Perfect, right?

AM: Yeah -

CHEF AS: You had these people who are veterans informing the entire process. So that's what's so great about this season.

AM: That is so exciting!

Tyler Florence’s, The Great Food Truck Race is one of my favorite shows. So, seeing you on the finale, this last season, I was like, wait, there's Aarti!

CHEF AS: Ahhh. Yeah, the food was legitimately awesome! You know, sometimes it's like you know with competition you have a lot of grace because things are not gonna - you just don't have the same amount of time that you would at home or in a restaurant. So I was so impressed, every bite that I took, I was like this tastes completely dialed in. It was amazing. It was truly amazing.

AM: Well, are there any other shows coming up that we should keep an eye out for because I always love when I see you at, like, Tournament of Champions or you're on Guys Grocery Games. And I'm like, this lady is working.

CHEF AS: I'm trying to work. I am trying to work. I just got something and I don't think they've announced it yet.

AM: Okay.

CHEF AS: That's going to be super exciting!

AM: Amazing.

CHEF AS: Thank you! And then you know, all the usual like Grocery Games and all that kind of stuff is still coming down the pipe. Yeah, it's just always such a privilege to be part of the part of the family over at Food Network. Whenever we get to see people, you know, you get the sense that that Food Network is on all day.

AM: Exactly.

CHEF AS: For some people, you know what I mean? It's just very cool that even if I'm not currently shooting something and they turn it on, more than likely one of us is on there. You know? It feels really intimate to be in people's homes that way, and I think that that's how they feel about us, you know, based on the reactions we get. So it's really such a privilege.

AM: I love that and are there just any upcoming projects In general that you would like to share to get out there or or, you know, just things that you have going on?

CHEF AS: Yeah. I mean, one of the most exciting things that's coming up in the short term is that I'm expanding my line with QVC.

AM: That’s amazing!

CHEF AS: Yeah, really amazing! It's such a huge community to be able to dive into and QVC has been so generous and so sweet with me to sort of pull me into the fold and say, hey what do you think about doing this? And here are the kinds of things that our people love and how would you put your own spin on it. And so, you know, it's a select few people that get to do that and I was really hopeful when we started the line last year that we would get to do this, and It has expanded exponentially and some of the things that we've got in the line, I use on a daily basis. They're unbelievably good quality, you know, I really wanted to make sure that it would be something I would use and it's just really exciting, so I think that's going to launch at the end of October.

AM: Congratulations on the continued success of your line with them and I’ve seen the cute kitchenware!

That's so exciting. Yay!

CHEF AS: Yeah!

AM: I just love that every time I see you on shows, you just have such a love and zest for food, and like you're talking about community and people coming together! What do you want your legacy, you know, to be in terms of the imprint that you've left on all of these different things that you're doing and whatever ends up being in the future - that may not be happening at this moment?

CHEF AS: Gosh. Well, I mean, the most important thing to me obviously is my family, right? And just for my girls to know that I did the best I could to balance these two parts of my life. But that they were always way more important than anything else, you know, for them and my husband to know that.

But outside of the home, I guess that I want people when they think of me to think of someone – who really valued coming around a table. Like, I really think that there are so many things that are coming in to distract us from connection with each other, you know, phones and social media. And I know there's been a lot of discussion and study recently on, you know, the impact of phones on kids.

AM: Yes.

CHEF AS: And teenagers. And what that does to the family and I really think that something as simple as sitting around the table and having dinner as many nights as possible is one of the most powerful things that we can do to combat that. Like so that would be probably part of my legacy. Then the other part is that, so often when I'm competing and doing things like that, I'm doing stuff that I feel completely out of my depths doing.

AM: I feel that.

CHEF AS: I'm, you know, like just recently I got booked for a bunch of things and it made me so scared. I was like crying in a fetal position.

AM: Oh no!

CHEF AS: It was bad because I was like, I cannot do this. I don't know how I'm gonna fail like. That has no matter how many times I do it, it just feels like it's something that I'm constantly fighting and I don't think I'm the only one.

AM: Nope!

CHEF AS: So I suppose part of my legacy, I hope these are very big words. It's just that, I was loud about feeling unequipped to do things, but doing them anyway!

AM: Which is huge! I tell people all the time, I’m always in my head, mulling over things and nervous before I do something. Even if it's like a million times, whatever, because everything is a little bit different and you just, I don't know, it's a thing, but I was like, if I feel that shaky about it, I have to kind of tell myself that you feel shaky because you want to do so well, and you care so much about what it represents for myself and what it is for the other people involved. So I try to turn it, although I'll still sit there and be like, I gotta run to the bathroom. This is crazy, but in the end, it does end up being lovely.

CHEF AS: Yeah, I think that there's the sense of like, if it isn't going easily, then you must be doing something wrong or you must be in the wrong place. Yeah, you must have made the wrong decision and I think that as I mean I'm 46 now. So hopefully it'll stick this year …

AM: It hasn’t yet, but it’s tough.

CHEF AS: Yeah, hopefully, but you know for the first time this year, I was like, after I had my little fetal position breakdown. I was like wait. Why don't I ever say to myself, “yes, I don't know how to do these things. I feel completely out of my depth. But the second half of that is, I'll figure it out.”

AM: Yeah.

CHEF AS: Yeah, figure it out. Just saying that has started to change things where I'm like, okay, you know, it may not go smoothly and it may not go off without a hitch.

AM: Right.

CHEF AS: But, I will figure it out. You know what I mean? It doesn’t have to go perfectly. I'll land something out of there. And that has felt very empowering actually. I think that just saying that to ourselves can be very edifying.

AM: 100% I like that. I will try to remember that the next freakout that happens.

CHEF AS: I will figure it out!

IG @aartipaartipics

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | FRONT/BACK COVER, PG 16 - 22 Rowan Daly | PG 25, 26 + 38 Food Network |

Read the SEP ISSUE #105 of Athleisure Mag and see FAITH, FAMILY, FOOD | Chef Aarti Sequeira in mag.

THE ART OF THE SNACK | SUSHIDELIC

This month's The Art of the Snack takes us to SoHo after the first night of NYFW SS25. After taking in a series of shows throughout the day and early evening, we were ready to continue a bit of drama during dinner! We found ourselves at SUSHIDELIC which was a feast for the eyes as well as the tastebuds. We were transported to Tokyo, Kawaii, and interactive eating. After enjoying an epic omakase meal experience, we sat down with this restaurant's General Manager, Esmeralda Syku to find out about the art within its 4 walls, characters, what you can expect to enjoy when you're dining in, and of course the power of Kawaii that is infused throughout your meal here!

ATHLEISURE MAG: We had the pleasure of dining at SUSHIDELIC to kick off our first night of Fashion Week of the SS25 season and it was amazing to see the decor, the vibe, the sounds, and more. Tell us about the joint venture between AUTEC and Asobi Systems that came together to create this restaurant.

ESMERALDA SYKU: The joint venture between AUTEC and Asobi Systems was instrumental in bringing this vibrant restaurant to life. AUTEC, known for its innovative approach to sushi, introduces a fresh perspective on sushi-making that emphasizes creativity and quality. Meanwhile, Asobi Systems, recognized for its creative flair in entertainment and design.

AM: We love Kawaii as we got to experience it when we were in Tokyo and love how it is presented in the restaurant. For readers who are not familiar, what is Kawaii and what is the Kawaii experience that guests can enjoy when they come in to dine?

ES: Kawaii is the definition of cuteness, but it can resonate differently with everyone. When guests dine with us, they can expect to embark on a delightful culinary journey where our Executive Chef, Reina Tange, artfully combines unexpected colors and flavors, creating unique and playful dishes. It’s not just about the food; it’s about immersing yourself in a joyful, whimsical atmosphere that sparks happiness and nostalgia. Each meal becomes a celebration of creativity and cuteness, ensuring an unforgettable experience for everyone!

AM: We had the pleasure of meeting Sebastian Masuda who is known as the Godfather of Kawaii and was responsible for Kawaii Monster Cafe in Tokyo. We know that he created the stunning art that is at SUSHIDELIC, can you share more about the pieces that people can see when they come in?

ES: As you enter, you'll be greeted by stunning art pieces that reflect Masuda's signature style. The suspended, colorful lipstick lights create a playful ambiance, setting the tone for a delightful dining experience. Center stage, you’ll find three charming and curiosity-provoking cats, each sporting a playful expression that invites interaction and adds a whimsical touch. The rotating conveyor belt is a highlight, showcasing an array of artistic creations, from purses and shoes to a playful cat enjoying sushi.

AM: Tell us about the Delic Cats as we loved being greeted by them and how they correspond with the 3 cat sculptures that are suspended from the ceiling.

ES: We have Delic cats, each with their own, personality and spunk: Tipsy, Lovely, Sassy.

AM: We ate at the sushi bar which was great to enjoy watching the DJ, seeing the art on the conveyor belt and being at the center of the action! What can you tell us about the design aesthetic of the space?

ES: Everything in SUSHIDELIC is custom made and was designed by visionary artist, also known as the “Godfather of Kawaii”, Sebastian Masuda.

AM: Can you tell us about where Chef Reina Tange trained, schools she attended, restaurants she worked in before coming came to SUSHIDELIC?

ES: Chef Reina Tange was born and raised in Tokyo and has worked in prestigious hotels and resorts. Chef Reina Tange’s culinary journey started at her family’s restaurant, Sokodo-so, on Hachijojima, a subtropical island off the coast of Tokyo. She then pursued culinary arts studies at the Japan Culinary Arts College. Reina’s passion for food led her to Italy, where she attended the University of Foreigners in Perugia and gained experience working in local restaurants. After returning to Japan, she worked at the prestigious Bvlgari Hotels and Resorts in Ginza, Tokyo, where she honed her customer service and operations skills.

AM: What is the menu design process in terms of deciding what you would like to include on the menu?

ES: A lot of thought and creativity goes into our menus. Each item is carefully curated by Chef Reina Tange, drawing from her extensive experience and inspired by Sebastian Masuda’s artistic vision. The process involves selecting unique flavor combinations, prioritizing vibrant presentation, and incorporating seasonal ingredients to create a delightful Kawaii dining experience.

AM: We enjoyed the Pure Imagination six-course omakase! Can you tell us about this as well as the Painter's Palette?

ES: Currently, our Omakase style menu, PURE Imagination, features 5 courses – each course is a piece of art that bursts in your mouth, full of flavor - from the savory and sweet 1st course, which is the Hokkaido Scallop Macaron to the carousal wheel, giving the guest the opportunity to try our various delic rolls and nigiri. Our sauce palette is like a painters palette and we encourage guests to create their own journey and dabble into our different sauces to create a variety of flavors. Our. Sauce palette includes: Spicy Mayo, Wasabi, Carrot Ginger, Ponzu Mayo, Black Sesame and Yuzu.

AM: For those that opt to enjoy their menu a la carte, what are 3 appetizers that you suggest that we should enjoy when we come in for dinner?

ES: When delighting in our A la carte menu, we encourage guests to try these dishes: Tuna & Crab Croquette with soy marinated tuna, Chicken Kaarage and Fried Gyoza.

AM: From the Delic Rolls, what are 3 rolls that we should enjoy?

ES: Rolls we recommend include: Special Salmon Roll, Aburi Salmon and Wagu Uni Roll.

AM: Tell us about the Tokyo Signature portion of the menu and what are 3 items you suggest that we can enjoy with family and friends?

ES: Our Tokyo Signature portion of the menu are items inspired straight from Tokyo that are currently popular and our recommendations include: Poke Avocado Sushi Burger (hamburger style with a crispy rice bun filled with flavorful Poke Avocado), Delic Fries (loaded with flavor from Bonito Flakes, Salmon Roe & Fried Garlic), and Minced Pork Katsu Ball (with a curry sauce).

AM: Tell us about the Sushi Tower Deluxe?

ES: Our Sushi Tower is a tasting of all of our favorites! From our specialty Delic Rolls to fresh sashimi and mini cups of our popular Chirashi Parfait.

AM: From Tokyo Sweetness, what are 3 dishes that you suggest that we should think about?

ES: Our favorites include the Lost Red High Heel, a delightful chocolate and hazelnut cake adorned with an edible red high heel, and the Jiggly Lips Panna Cotta, which adds a playful twist to a classic dessert. Don’t miss the Harajuku Parfait, a creative mixture of desserts from the chef's imagination, presented with flair for a truly whimsical experience!

AM: Tell us about Sushi Sundays.

ES: Sushi Sundays is the perfect day to gather with friends and family to enjoy delicious sushi in a vibrant atmosphere. It’s a time to relax, share great food, and create lasting memories. Whether you're a sushi aficionado or trying it for the first time, there’s something for everyone to savor. Join us for a fun-filled Sunday where you can indulge in our creatively crafted sushi rollsand delightful sides, all while soaking in the Kawaii ambiance!

AM: You are open for lunch as well. Are there any dishes that are specific to the lunch menu only?

ES: Lunch at SUSHIDELIC is all about fun and relaxation! Join us to enjoy our enticing lunch specials, which feature a selection of salads, soups, and various sushi rolls. Be sure to try our Rolling-to-Lunch special, perfect for those looking for a quick yet delicious bite. Or indulge in the Sushi-Go-Round, which offers a delightful variety of sushi rolls to share and savor. It’s a great way to enjoy a leisurely meal with friends or take a break from your day.

AM: Cocktails are always our favorite part of the meal! What are 3 that you suggest that we should try?

ES: Lovely in Pink (named after our Delic Cat Lovely), Tipsy Sake-Tini (named after Delic Cat Tipsy), Sugar Plum Spritz.

AM: Does SUSHIDELIC change its menu throughout the year and if so, can you tell us about what we should expect for the Fall?

ES: Yes, we do change our menu seasonally! This fall, we’re excited to revamp both our PURE Imagination and à la carte menus, introducing a variety of delicious new dishes that capture the essence of the season. From cozy flavors to vibrant ingredients, our new offerings will celebrate autumn’s bounty. Stay tuned for the launch of our refreshed menu, coming mid-October—we can’t wait for you to try the new delights!

AM: Are there any upcoming events that you can tell us about that we should mark our calendars for or what we can anticipate for the upcoming holiday season such as New Years Eve?

ES: Join us for our spooktacular Halloween festivities, where our beloved Delic cats will transform into playful Zombie cats, adding a fun twist to the celebration! And that’s not all—stay tuned for exciting updates about our New Year’s Eve celebrations, where we’ll ring in the new year with style, delicious food, and unforgettable experiences. You won’t want to miss it!

AM: In addition to the sushi bar seating, you also have tables, what can you tell us about those looking to do group dinners or special events?

ES: For large groups, we highly recommend table seating, allowing you to relax and enjoy meaningful conversations with your friends while immersing yourselves in the vibrant atmosphere. This arrangement fosters a communal dining experience, perfect for sharing delicious dishes and creating lasting memories together. Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or just enjoying a night out, our table seating enhances the experience, making it even more enjoyable!

IG @sushidelic.nyc

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 100 SUSHIDELIC| PG 102 - 113 Paul Farkas |

Read the SEP ISSUE #105 of Athleisure Mag and see THE ART OF THE SNACK | SUSHIDELIC in mag.

NYCWFF 2024

We're looking forward to one of our favorite times of the year in terms of the culinary calendar - the 2024 Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival (NYCWFF) presented by Invesco QQQ! Much like Chef Aarti Sequeira mentioned in her cover interview, there is something about gathering and community! Being at these events allow you to see a number of Food Network stars, celebrity chefs, food personalities, mixologists, culinary creators and more! You will be able to enjoy master classes, panels, wine tastings, your favorite restaurants through tastings and intimate dinners, as well as to try new ones to get an idea of their menu. We enjoyed attending last year's event which you can check out what we did here from our OCT ISSUE #94.

This year, we're excited as NYC's ultimate wine and food festival takes place Oct 17-20th and will include over 80 events over 4 days that will be in NYC and in Brooklyn that allows you to join them in their mantra of EAT. DRINK. FEED NYC! This includes 500 restaurants, bars, and 200 sponsors. On average, approximately 48,000 fans a year attend this event along with 3,000 volunteers that are involved to support this event.

As we're days away from kicking off the 17th annual event, a number of these events will take place at the Invesco QQQ Campus at Brooklyn Army Terminal. By including the borough of Brooklyn into the festivities, it centralizes the signature events, Pier Parties, and the Grand Tasting (which is one of our events that we will attend on the Trade Day) into one expansive 450,000 square foot campus. Regardless of whether it's raining or not, this will be a tented experience at this location so that you know the good vibes, bites, and sips will happen uninterrupted! It also highlights the diversity of culinary tapestry that also exists here and it's exciting that they are making their debut at the NYCWFF.

While we celebrate food and what it means when we're together, 100% of net proceeds from NYCWFF will support God's Love We Deliver which is NYC's only provider of medically tailored meals and nutrition counseling for individuals who are living with severe illness. To date, NYCWFF has raised more than $14.8 million for its charitable partners to make a significant impact in the city. In 2023, God's Love We Deliver delivered 4 million meals to nearly 15,000 individuals.

Make sure to read our OCT ISSUE #105 which drops on Oct 30th where we will have a recap on events we attended during NYCWFF which includes: Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits Trade Day hosted by Wine Spectator at Grand Tasting, Meet Cutes NYC presents Tacos & Tequila, and JJ Johnson’s The Cookout: A Hip Hop Celebration hosted by Rev Run and Angela Yee.

IG @nycwff

@godslovenyc

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Paul Farkas

Read the SEP ISSUE #105 of Athleisure Mag and see NYCWFF 2024 in mag.

FOOD ANTHROPOLOGY | CHEF ANDREW WONG

We're always looking to add that next great restaurant to our list and when we're in London next, we have 2 Michelin-starred A. Wong as one of our stops! We took some time to chat with Chef Andrew Wong to talk about his passion for food, his culinary background, what led to him launching this restaurant and what we should have in mind when we come in for an epic meal. We also talk about what he does outside of the restaurant.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you first fall in love with cooking?

CHEF ANDREW WONG: I grew up in my parents' restaurant, and cooking wasn't something I was interested in. I went to university to have fun and escape work for a while, but I was drawn back in. It was when I decided to learn how to cook and enrolled in culinary college that I became more engaged with the whole thing and saw it as something I could make a go of.

AM: What was the moment that you realized that you wanted to be a chef?

CHEF AW: After graduating from culinary college, I travelled through China on a working tour to learn more about the roots of Chinese cuisine. This was eye-opening, as I discovered the vast regional differences in cuisine and understood the cultural context and history behind dishes and techniques. Once returning to London, I continued learning and researching Chinese cuisine, where it all began.

AM: What was your culinary background in terms of what led you to going to culinary school as well as kitchens you trained in?

CHEF AW: When I was younger, my parents ran a Chinese restaurant called Kym’s. It was an old-school Cantonese restaurant and takeaway, filled with brightly coloured sauces, dragons, and everything you would imagine an eighties Chinese takeaway to be. I worked in their kitchen as a teenager but always said I would never want to be a chef.

When my father passed away, I needed to step up and help my Mum run the family business. Over time, I became more interested in the history of Chinese cuisine. I spent some time travelling around China and perfected and honed my new skills before deciding to close Kym’s and open A Wong.

AM: You launched A. Wong in 2012, why did you want to open this restaurant and what was your approach to the menu?

CHEF AW: My parents had been running their restaurant on that site since the 1980s. The restaurant had sentimental value and a good location in Victoria. There was no reason to open anywhere else, and I’m pleased we didn’t.

Our approach at A.Wong is to celebrate Chinese culture, craft, history, and techniques. Over time, the menu and cuisine have become more personal. I would describe it as ‘A.Wong cuisine.' This reflects my heritage, our exploration, and how we approach dishes.

The menu celebrates techniques, some very old and some more modern. We draw on the vast array of ingredients from the Chinese kitchen—fermented, dried, and salty—with vegetables, seafood, and meat to create a balanced and harmonious dining experience.

AM: Tell us about the ambiance of your restaurant and what guests can expect when enjoying their meal here.

CHEF AW: Fun, unpretentious, explorative, inquisitive, researched, and a celebration of culture, still keeping up with modern ways while keeping our techniques and cooking methods traditional.

AM: For lunch, what are 3 Dim Sums that you suggest that we should have in mind when we come in?

CHEF AW: Black Pepper Beef wispy pastry with tamarind and dried shrimp caramel, Rabbit and Carrot Glutinous Puff & Bamboo Pole Noodles with King crab and Spring Onion Oil.

AM: What is the Touch of the Heart menu and what are 3 items from this menu that we should try?

CHEF AW: Touch of the Heart menu is our lunch menu, which still offers guests a beautiful journey across the borders of China. I think every item on the menu has its own story to tell, but the three I would pick would be the 999 Layered Scallop Puff with XO Oil, Steamed Duck Yolk Custard bun, and Memories of Peking Duck.

AM: For dinner, walk us through The Collections of China menu that we can have for dinner.

CHEF AW: The concept behind it came from when I was travelling. I read and spoke with many people about Chinese cuisine, but experiencing the diversity of flavours first-hand is very different.

I wanted to give our guests an insight into these diverse, regional flavour profiles, from flash-frying to steaming carbohydrate menus, the amount of pickle, preservatives, and the type of fermented product. All these things are integral parts of a region's identity and its role in China as a whole.

AM: Tell us about your beverage program.

CHEF AW: At A. Wong, we offer close to over 350 different labels and vintages, including both new world and old-world wines. Veering away from traditional service, the interactive wine program, at A. Wong is centered around the concept of 'adventure and personal exploration.' Our sommelier team encourages the guests to sample a wider selection of wines by exploring lesser-known wines and understanding the flavour profiles of well-known old wines. To create contrast and adventure, our beverage pairings at lunch and dinner are served as multiple flights, and include craft beers, Chinese teas and vinegars alongside the wines. We want guests to play and enjoy the wines within a collection of dishes, and discover for themselves what they enjoy.

AM: What is the Forbidden City Bar and are there cocktails that are offered here that are specific to this portion of the restaurant?

CHEF AW: The Forbidden City Bar serves as a venue for enjoying intimate moments with your loved ones, where we serve classic signature cocktails and our own Forbidden City cocktails. Enjoy your pre-meal and post-meal drinks. The bar also welcomes non-diners.

The most signature cocktail available at A.Wong is the Peking Duck Old Fashioned, which is made of Johnnie Walker Whiskey infused with traditional Peking duck fat and roasting spices, hoisin syrup, and Angostura.

AM: As someone with an Anthropological background, how has that inspired the foods and the ingredients that you use?

CHEF AW: I’ve been working with Dr Mukta Das for about five years now. It’s a real privilege and one I don’t take lightly. We introspectively look at the cuisine in terms of flavour, technique, balance, and cultural etiquette. I think all of this – taste, cultural, and social, affects our perception of the dining experience and taste.

Mukta’s approach is from a historical point of view, looking at all sorts of economic and social aspects behind whatever dish we are researching. I look at it from a chef’s perspective, what it will taste like, what the texture would be, and how I can logistically make this happen.

We do a lot of research to ensure that the base flavour profiles are nearly identical to historical and technical Chinese techniques. But at the same time, I like to think that our food is quite explorative, in the sense that we don’t specify that our food comes from a particular region or style. I want people to take an interest in the flavours of a dish. I want to try and encourage people to go out and explore other Chinese restaurants that they may not have done before. This opens us up to criticism, but if what we are serving isn’t deemed “authentic,” that’s ok because it’s not supposed to be.

AM: Can you tell us what SOAS is and how it has influenced your restaurant? What does it mean to become an Official Research Associate there for the Food Studies Centre?

CHEF AW: SOAS is the School of Oriental and Asian Studies, a university in London. I’ve worked with them before, and becoming a research associate means they support my endeavour to learn more about food and the cultural discourse around it.

It means I interact with food as a cultural phenomenon. For me, the idea of humans as social beings is essential. This means when you talk about running a restaurant, it's not purely about the food. It's also about how humans interact in a space, with each other and with the experience.

It's an understanding we are social beings, and we like to communicate. We want to taste, see, and touch, which is very important for a restaurant. Restaurants are not just purely about food, interaction with the space and concept are integral.

Food is not just flavour; it is an expression of history, location, ingredients and choices.

AM: You received your first Michelin star in 2015 and you received another recognition in Jan 2021 with a second Michelin star making A. Wong the first Chinese restaurant outside of Asia to achieve this. What does this mean to you?

CHEF AW: The first Michelin star was for my team at A. Wong, they all work incredibly hard, and to be recognised was wonderful. Receiving the second star was an extraordinary moment for us at A. Wong. It was a significant achievement for me personally and Chinese restaurants globally. It was for our community, our forefathers. I am just a tiny part of the thousands and thousands of restaurants that have come before us. It's good to see that a global brand like Michelin broadens and represents multiple cultures and cuisines.

IG @awongsw1

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 92 , 96 + 99 James Gilles | PG 95 Jutta Klee |

Read the AUG ISSUE #104 of Athleisure Mag and see FOOD ANTHROPOLOGY | Chef Andrew Wong in mag.

INTEGRITY EXCELLENCE SUSTAINABILITY | CHEF FARIYAL ABDULLAHI

As the Summer comes to a close, we're looking ahead to the Fall and Holiday! We love being able to take time with friends and family and those that are in our inner circles to connect and many times, these gatherings take place in our favorite restaurants! It's within these 4 walls that memories are made, food is shared, and horizons are expanded. With the restaurant as the canvas, it is helmed by those give us the foundation for this exchange to take place.

This month's cover is Executive Chef Fariyal Abdullahi of Hav & Mar which is located in Chelsea's Art District in the Starrett-Lehigh Building. We talk about how a passion for food, fine dining, sustainability, and advancement led to a culinary career that has included phenomenal restaurants and a track record of integrity; her helming and being personally selected by Marcus Samuelsson (Red Rooster, Streetbird, MARCUS ADDIS) for this restaurant that is in the Marcus Samuelsson Group; being the Chef for and walking the Met Gala red carpet in 2021; being a judge on Food Network shows such as Chopped and Alex vs America, and being a James Beard Award 2024 Finalist! We wanted to know more about her culinary journey, her approach to food, sustainability, and changing restaurant culture.

ATHLEISURE MAG: It’s been such a fun day in being able to hangout at your baby, Hav & Mar and your cover editorial here with, a number of looks, and to see your restaurant and you in this way.

What was the first dish that you remember when you realized that you fell in love with food?

CHEF FARIYAL ABDULLAHI: Um, ok, so I grew up in Ethiopia and I am the youngest of 6 siblings. My mom would cook all of our meals herself – breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We were a family of 8, it didn’t matter. She always made it herself. You know, people say that their mom was a good cook, I can tell you objectively as a Chef that my mom was very talented and she didn’t have any formal training or anything. She was just very intuitive and very good at it. Because of that, everybody used to come to our house for food because her food was just that good! Holiday and everything, my uncles would be at the house. They were not at their wives homes with their cooking. They would be at the house and I noticed that at a very young age. I was like, “mom, you have to put me on!”

So it’s not a particular dish. But, she started me out with salad from the beginning. It was nothing that had to do with fire and stuff. I was a Garde Manger Queen (Editor’s Note: The pantry chef, commonly known as Garde Manger or Garmo is responsible for the preparation of cold dishes, salads, charcuterie, and appetizers in a commercial kitchen) when I was 6 years old. I was like, I want to do this, I want to do what you do. But it was also the process of – we’re very close to our food source. So, I have photos of me from when I was a kid making salad! We would go to the farm which was right around the corner from our house and they would grow the lettuce. So it was a whole process. I would go get the lettuce, the tomatoes, and all of that stuff and I would have the connection of seeing all of this stuff going from the soil, the farmers that grew it, and then I would go back home and it was literally a simple salad. Romaine Lettuce, Serrano Peppers, and Tomatoes – you didn’t even make a vinaigrette for it – it was just lime juice and salt.

AM: Oh wow!

CHEF FA: Yeah, that was my responsibility. It was very few ingredients, but it built my relationship that I had with food. It kind of made that first part where I had that connection with the people that grew my food. Then I turned what they did into something that was delicious to eat, and then everyone comes over - everyone pulls up. It was really that process where I was like, this is what I want. This is that thing that connects all of us.

AM: You graduated with a Bachelor’s in Clinical Child Psychology. When did you realize that you wanted to be a Chef as opposed to going down that track in terms of a graduate degree? You opted to go to the Culinary Institute of America in Nappa as opposed to staying on the psychology track.

CHEF FA: I always knew that I wanted to be in food. But, it’s the classic immigrant story where you leave your country and you go to America. The American Dream is that you are a doctor, lawyer, or engineer. Those are the 3 things. I would tell my mom when I was 14 or 16 that I wanted to cook and that I wanted to be a chef. And she would always tell me that that was a hobby and that it wasn’t a career. So when you’re a doctor, you can go home and cook as a hobby. That was your hobby, that was not a career. But I was like, “damn, that is really what I want to do!” As the youngest of 6 siblings, that’s what they did. So I have a sister that is a Neurosurgeon, my brother is an Immuno Oncologist – so he is doing cancer research, I have a brother and a sister that is doing Internal Medicine – so then it was my turn and I mean, I guess my second love is just knowing people and understanding behavior and that is why I went into Clinical

Psychology. But it never -

AM: It never really felt right.

CHEF FA: It didn’t! It really didn’t and I am a very empathetic person and so I got my Bachelor’s in Clinical Child Psychology and my sister who is in UCLA – both of my sisters are in UCLA, I went to go visit them and they said, “let’s show you the psych department.” They took me to where the children are and that’s what kind of changed me forever because I knew that I could not work with sick kids every day. I couldn’t do that and then go home with it! I knew that I would always go home with it! So that day, instead of applying to grad school, I applied to culinary school. I had my heart set on CIA because I had read 2 biographies from Grant Achatz and Anthony Bourdain and they both went to CIA and it is supposed to be the Harvard of culinary schools. I thought, hold on, if I get accepted to this school – this 1 culinary school, it’s go to be big right? So, I didn’t apply anywhere else, I just applied there.

AM: One shot!

CHEF FA: Yeah, one shot and I got accepted. So I told my mom, you have to let me do this.

AM: I used to have a teacher who felt that I should be a surgeon because in our labs when we were dissecting various animals, my precision in cutting was something that she loved. I had to explain to her many times that it wasn’t the work that I wanted to do, and that inspired me to find a piece that called back to that to bring it to this set. My mind will continue to run and replay a number of things and I can’t make my mind not work that way. I don’t know if I could take running a procedure in my head where something went wrong on that level and be ok.

CHEF FA: Yeah, I don’t know how they do it!

AM: So while you waited to hear about your application, you went to 18 countries and traveled for 3 months! What was it like to go to these places and for someone who already had an interesting palette already, how did you retrain that to take on all of these other areas that you had not previously been exposed to?

CHEF FA: So that was the purpose because I didn’t think that I had a palette. I don’t want to say advanced, but I didn’t think that I had a good palette yet. So the first 16 years of my life, I lived in Ethiopia, so I had a very high tolerance for spicy food, but also like very heavily spiced food. Things are very seasoned in Ethiopia so that is my threshold. I came to the States and my intro into American food became what I ate on campus.

I was like, “what is this flavorless, unseasoned – what is going on?” I swear that at 16, because I started college fulltime at 16, I used to walk around in my purse with Tabasco before Beyoncé said it, I swear to God that I had hot sauce in my bag! Because I was like, this ain’t it for me! It was just no flavor! It was that and the burritos, the burgers, and I’m in college. I kept thinking that there had to be an in between – hold on!

Yeah so, that was kind of the purpose behind my trip and I knew that there had to be more food out there. So it was 18 countries and now I’m on my 56th country. But in those 3 months, I did 18 countries and it was just to eat!

AM: That’s insane and amazing!

CHEF FA: It was cool because it’s like the whole 10,000 hours that Malcom Gladwell talks about (Editor’s Note: Malcolm Gladwell is a Canadian journalist, author and public speaker. He is known for his unique perspective on popular culture. He has been a staff writer with The New Yorker since 1996 and has published 7 books. He is also the podcast host of Revisionist History and the co-founder of the podcast company, Pushkin Industries. In his 2008 book Outliers, he states that, “10,000 hours is the magic number of greatness.” This theory means that to be considered elite or truly experienced with a certain craft you would need to practice it for 10,000 hours) it was the exposure of different flavors and textures that I would not have been exposed to if I had not traveled to these different countries. It became my little culinary school!

AM: Did you have a little travel journal and write down things as you navigated these countries?

CHEF FA: Yeah! I was solo too! I went by myself!

AM: Got it! Wow that’s a lot!

So what was it like to attend CIA and what were some of the kitchens that you trained in as you navigated to where you are here?

CHEF FA: So CIA, so I was responsible for my own tuition and that was the deal when I moved from Ethiopia. I did 8 hours of school a day, that’s how long our classes were – 8 hours, but then I would also work as a Teacher’s Assistant for the first 8 hours of my day. So that’s when I got into the 16 hour work day.

AM: Right!

CHEF FA: So, it was actually teaching me the work ethic that I needed honestly at the time, I didn’t know! I didn’t know how many hours people worked at restaurants. I had never worked in a restaurant before and there were no examples around me. So CIA in addition to obviously the culinary fundamentals, it was the first thing that taught me – ok, you can’t be tired. If you’re going to do this, you’re going to have to have the energy for this. I mean, it’s the Harvard of culinary schools and I do think that I got into Noma which was my first job ever – I mean Noma was the best restaurant in the world for 4 years in a row! It’s because I set myself up by going to the CIA!

AM: For sure!

CHEF FA: I felt like I was behind because when I was attending the CIA, my classmates were 18 years old and I was 25! I knew that I had to be on the fast track. Yeah, so it was essentially, a career change for me.

AM: Clearly, it all worked out as I’m sitting here talking with you in your restaurant!

CHEF FA: Yeah, I’m pretty much on a space ship and I’m on it.

AM: So, you were at Noma and I know that they are closing at the end of this year, but they will be more of a food laboratory and so that’s an interesting evolution with how they will continue their journey. So what are 3 things that you learned in your time of being at that restaurant? I mean when you hear of people who were at that restaurant, it’s no joke and it’s highly prestigious!

CHEF FA: I mean, especially with that being my first job ever! I remember when we were in culinary school getting ready to graduate and my classmates were like, we’re going to start off at this restaurant and then work our way up. I was like nah! I knew that I had to go straight to the top. They were like, you can’t do that. That’s not how the system is set up. You have to work your way up to Noma and I’m like, “cool, that’s what y’all are going to do.”

AM: But when you have a vision and you already feel like that you’re older than those that you have been with, you just can’t go at the same cadence because you have to make up for lost time.

CHEF FA: So the first thing that I learned at Noma is Integrity. Because my thing was that if I want to learn to be the best, I have to learn from the best! They were the best restaurant 4 years in a row and I was like, cool. What is it that makes them the best. It’s not always necessarily the food, what I learned there was Integrity is so high. Everybody was doing the right thing whether someone was looking or they weren’t looking. There’s no cutting corners. If this is how you’re shown how to do something, you do it. If there is something that is stopping you from doing it, you do it. Either way, you always do the right thing. That’s really powerful! So integrity!

10 years ago, the restaurant industry and kitchens are set up on this bully system I would call it. You get called all kinds of names, you get yelled at, that’s the relationship that you have with your Chef. The standard is always excellence and you will never reach that. So you're getting yelled at constantly every single day. So I was like, ok cool, this is how it is. If this is how it is, you just adjust to it. You learn how to have tough skin and you move on. But there is a changing area and I was getting ready to close out from the day and I heard René Redzepi (Editor’s Note: Danish chef and co-owner of 3-Michelin star Noma in the Christianshavn neighborhood of Copenhagen, Denmark) having a conversation with his leadership team and I guess there was this line cook that was being bullied and he just couldn’t take it anymore and he just left and he wasn’t answering anybody’s calls for 3 weeks.

AM: Oh wow!

CHEF FA: And people were like ok, whatever, if he’s gone, he’s gone. That day when I was getting ready to leave, I was in the changing area and I heard the conversation that René was having with his leadership team and he was telling them, “we have to shift the culture. How do you guys not care? What if this guy isn’t even alive right now? What is wrong with you?”

AM: That’s what I was wondering!

CHEF FA: He was really laying into them. He said, we have to be better. So he was like, “cool, you guys are going to go to his apartment, you’re going to find him and make sure that he is fed.” He was an intern so he wasn’t getting paid, but he was like, “do we need to pay him?” He wanted to find out all of this information. René’s wife was pregnant at the time and he thought that he was having a son and he was like, “if my son told me that he wanted to work in the kitchen, I would tell him no.” That’s because it is very abusive and we have to shift the culture and we need to be able to create a system where people want to come to work and that they feel appreciated and cared about. I was like, what is he talking about? That is not how kitchens run. Don't you just get yelled at and told that you ain’t shit?

AM: Yeah and you go into the corner and do a cry where no one can see you so you can get back in the game.

CHEF FA: Right? You go to the side, handle it and go right back out!

AM: Right? That’s how it was for me in fashion and that was just how it went!

CHEF FA: Yeah and I thought that it would be like that forever! But that was the first time that I had ever heard anybody talking about changing and shifting the industry! I thought, ok I guess that it could be different. So that sparked the biggest thing in me where it made me say that I run my kitchen with joy. I lead it with joy. I think that that is why we have such a high retention rate here. People want to stay working here.

AM: We have been here for a few hours and I haven’t seen anyone slacking, slinking off or even watching us do a photoshoot and having me interview you. Everyone is just focused!

CHEF FA: Yeah they have a very heavy prep list. They are super focused! They are totally fine! I am really proud of what I have built. It all stems from my Noma days. Build a workplace that people actually want to come to and I learned that from René and have integrity! Always do the right thing!

AM: You leave Noma and prior to Hav & Mar, what are some of the restaurants that you were working at between these 2 periods?

CHEF FA: Right after Noma, I went back to LA because that’s where my family lives and while I was there, I got a call from a Chef here in NYC and he was an Executive Chef at a restaurant called Caviar Russe which is a Michelin-starred restaurant and he called me and he was like, “hey, I need a prep cook." I was like, “damn, starting from the bottom. I just came from Noma!” But it made sense because there is such a huge gap in my resume because I went from culinary school to the best restaurant in the world and while I was at Noma – you know, that’s the third thing that I learned.

I learned that you determine your own growth in terms of how quickly you grow. Because I went as an intern and interns don’t really get to work the line especially prep, but I was out of the prep kitchen after a month and they put me on the line.

I remember that there was a huge symposium that they do called the MAD Symposium (Editor’s Note: René created the MAD Symposium which is considered the G20 of Food Industry Change) where they bring some of the best culinary minds and René would be on huge pins and needles and he was very anxious to make sure that service went well. Obviously, they had all the interns in the prep kitchen and he came upstairs and he said, “what are you doing here?” I was like, “Chef, this is where I was put.” And he told me that I was going to be working on the line. He put me on the line for one of the most important services that he was about to do. So I said, “got it Chef.” I just put my head down and I did the work.

AM: Inside, you must have been like, argh!

CHEF FA: Oh yeah! I mean, we’re extremely close, but he could be very intimidating. So, we always knew when he was in town because when he is in the kitchen, all you would hear (Chef Fariyal pulls her keys out of her pocket and puts her finger through the keyring and flips the keys over and over through the loop) is those keys and you would say, “Chef’s here.”

So he put me on a station with a Sous Chef from Finland and he was this massive guy! He said, ok you're going to work this station with him. The Sous Chef was like, “don’t say nothing. All you have to do is shuck these 200 year old clams and that’s it!” I mean, dude, they were the size of my palm. I’m like wow 200 year old clams, but I was like, “yes Chef.” He let me know that no matter how intense it got, all he needed me to do was to stay calm and just shuck these clams. So I said, “yes Chef.” 5mins into service, René comes around the corner and starts screaming at the Sous Chef and asking him why his station was dirty. It was not even dirty. “Why is your station dirty? You know what, stop, everyone come here. Look at how nasty his station is.” He kicks the Sous Chef out of the kitchen and now I am in the station by myself.

AM: Oh no!

CHEF FA: I said, “the Sous Chef told me to shut up and just keep shucking so I’m just going to shut up and keep shucking my clams!” So I learned to stay cool and to stay calm. So nothing gets me out of my zone.

AM: Nope!

CHEF FA: So that is my 3rd thing. You determine your growth because I was the only intern working the line on a shift that René kicked my Sous Chef off his station that I worked at and then it became mine. That was all because I put my head down and I put in the work.

AM: We also know that you accepted that job at Caviar Russe.

CHEF FA: Yes so Caviar Russe was the first job after Noma. They called me and I said sure, prep cook is kind of crazy, but sure. So I came and I moved to NY for that. Fine dining is my love and it’s what I love to do. But 6 months of doing that, making minimum wage and you’re in NYC – I was barely surviving – barely. I was like I don’t know how much longer I can sustain this. When I was in school, we always used to have job fairs and there would be this restaurant group, Hillstone.

AM: Oh yeah!

CHEF FA: They would always be in the school and try to recruit kids from the CIA. They have a few restaurants in NYC.

AM: Yeah, they had the spot at 53rd & Lex as I used to eat there quite a bit in my early days of living in NYC. That was my place at that time.

CHEF FA: I was never interested in working at a place like Hillstone. I was like, I’m a fine dining girl from CIA – what are you talking about? I’m not trying to make burger and fries! But then I was like, ok, fine dining is not cutting it. I’m literally a starving artist right now and I’m hungry and can’t even feed myself. I got recruited to Hillstone and I said, let me see what this is about. I went and I remember when I did my stage, I was like hold on, they may not be making the type of food that I am interested in, but the restaurant is run like a fine dining restaurant. So I thought hold on, maybe I can do this. They pay you a 6 figure salary right off the bat and I thought, I can do this and not be broke!

I was like, this is compromising the type of food that I love making, but it is done to the same standards. Also, the paycheck is cute and I did the switch from fine dining to Hillstone. I did that for about 5 years.

AM: That’s a long time.

CHEF FA: 5 years, 9 different restaurants, I moved 9 times to different cities, and I became the opener. That’s how I got my experience in opening restaurants. Anytime you are asked to open a restaurant as a Chef, that is a huge compliment because you’re laying the foundation.

AM: Yeah the standard.

CHEF FA: They’re saying that they want you to instill and to inject your work ethic and the trajectory of the restaurant is all based on -

AM: Your brand standard!

CHEF FA: Yeah so I opened 9 restaurants in 9 different cities with Hillstone.When I was with them, they had 53 restaurants in a number of major cities. It was a $650 million dollar restaurant. It was 1 owner, he did not go public.

AM: Oh wow!

CHEF FA: Huge!

AM: That’s a flex!

CHEF FA: That’s a flex! That is where I learned my leadership. That is 100% where I learned my leadership style. A lot of Chefs say that it is one of the best run restaurant groups in America. Hands down, easily.

So Caviar Russe to Hillstone and then I was like, I’m tired. By that time, I had been in the industry 8 years and there was never any Black women and even with Hillstone, I grew really quickly so after 9 months they gave me my own kitchen which was also very much so on the fast track. People had issues being led by a woman of color and they would make it very clear.

AM: Oh yeah.

CHEF FA: Like they would actually verbally say I’m not doing that. Why? Because you’re a woman and you’re Black. I would say, “cool, do you take a paycheck from a woman because guess who is writing your paychecks?” So if you’re cool with that, you’re going to do this task. But that was very exhausting. It felt like I was in a state of isolation. Because I was far away from my family, cities and states that I didn’t have friends or family in them. So I was very much so alone and then you go into work and they make it a point to feel even more alone. Even though I was Head Chef, you didn't really have much of a say. It wasn’t my food. I didn’t get to hire the people that I wanted. So I wasn’t making any of the changes that I wanted to make. I was tired and it was 2020 and I felt that I was done with the industry. I moved back to Ethiopia. I was like, “I’m done, this is wack and I’m not into it.”

Then I get a call from Marcus Samuelsson. “I was like, what the heck is happening right now?” He’s like, “Chef, it’s taken me quite awhile to track you down.” I was like, “what – what do you mean?“ I was so confused. He tells me about this restaurant. He told me that he was opening a restaurant in Chelsea and he wanted it to be run by me. I wanted to know more. He said that he wanted to build a sustainable menu and that he wanted it to be led by a woman of color as he felt that he had not put any spotlight on women of color.

So I was in Ethiopia for 6 months. I didn’t know what I was going to do. I was chilling. I still had my home and my brother still lives there – I was cool. There was no rush. So Marcus called and he said sustainable menu which really mattered to me a lot and having it led by women of color. I was like, “hold on, so I can make whatever food I want and I can hire whoever I want?” He was like, it’s you. It’s your restaurant. You can do what you want! So I was like, alright cool, I have to come back. Also, it didn’t feel like I was done with the industry.

AM: Right, you just needed the right fit.

CHEF FA: So this was my second chance at the industry. Then within a year and a half, we have had a stellar NY Times review, I’ve gotten my James Beard Nomination, all of this stuff and it’s like – wait, what?

AM: That’s so insane! You must have gotten off of the call and just been like – he’s been looking for me? I’m going to be working with this man?

CHEF FA: How? I mean – what? You’re looking for me? That don’t make no sense!

It was and it is and he is letting me do my thing. I’m really glad that I came back.

AM: It’s such a great story. I have had the pleasure of interviewing him before and I have also done a fun culinary video with him and seeing him at culinary events and competitions. Love his personality and his focus as well as everything about him is really amazing.

What does it mean to you for him to place you in this position and to have this massive responsibility as well as being able to chart your own path?

CHEF FA: It’s 2 things. There is that whole show that comes along with it. It’s a very public and media facing restaurant. I wouldn’t have known that I could be a voice for women of color in the culinary industry if he didn’t trust me with this you know? There is only 6% of women of color that are Executive Chefs which no wonder that we feel so lonely. I do know some women of color that are Executive Chefs, but they say that they don’t have to talk about it all the time. They feel that the more that you focus on race and all of that stuff, you’re taking away from your craft. But I’m like, people are making it a point to focus on it anyway.

AM: Exactly!

CHEF FA: Right, so why don’t you talk your shit?

AM: It’s intertwined!

CHEF FA: It is!

AM: You can’t do one without the other.

CHEF FA: People don’t want to separate it so I will talk about it. People immediately are only focused on the food. I am going to talk about it and he gave me the voice which I think really helps. Because now, so many women of color reach out to me and say, “Chef this is so inspiring. I almost gave up on the industry.”

But the other thing is that Marcus is the first and the only person to ever tell me this. When we first started opening the restaurant he could tell because I had never really worked for a restaurant where I was in charge that was this front facing. He started talking about that we would get reviewed in the first couple of months and I was like woah, “I have never had to deal with this.” I wasn’t sure if I could do it and he was the first person to ever tell me, “Chef, you’re here because you deserve to be. You know that right?” I’ll never forget those words. I’m like, “no actually. No one has ever said that to me. Not a single person has told me that you’re here because you deserve to be.” He told me that I worry about that way too much and that he brought me here because I made great food and I tell a great story. So he told me that, ”whoever walks through that door, if they don’t see you, that’s not your problem. You’re here because you deserve to be.” And that kind of felt like the shackles that I had the first 8 years of my career –“

AM: Broke.

CHEF FA: Yeah, it unlocked it. I was like, cool. I don’t have to prove myself to anyone. I’m here because I deserve to be. You know, you don’t see white men prove why they are there.

AM: No you don’t.

CHEF FA: Right, everyone just knows that that is what it is. They make the food, people see that is the chef and there isn’t anything else that has to be said or debated. So he gave that to me. He gave me the belief and the understanding that I am here because I deserve to be. He gave me that voice so it’s been very impactful. It’s the first time and I always tell my siblings that their job is important because they are literally saving lives. My job is not important and that is what I have been saying for the last 8 years, but now like I have been doing this for 12 years and it’s the first time that I have felt that what I do is important. I’m changing an entire industry in terms of how you can run a restaurant and also many people see that you need to bring more women of color into your restaurant.

AM: There are a lot of people out there in your space telling a story, but you need to also be out on platforms sharing how you’re rocking things too. To hear as you said that it’s less than 6%.

What can you tell us about this space, the ambiance, the design, and what can diners expect when they come here? I love how decadent it is when you look in. But there is a relaxing element to the space as well as whimsical with the Black mermaids which I love!

CHEF FA: Yeah! Well that’s all Derrick Adams! So when Marcus commissioned Derrick Adams to do the artwork here, he told him it was going to be a seafood restaurant and that it would be led by women of color. So immediately, Derrick Adams was like Black mermaids. He titled it, We Are From the Water Too.

AM: I love that!

CHEF FA: We Are From the Water Too! So Black mermaids. So Marcus always says, “when you lose the message of Hav, look at the mermaids.” Like, they will always bring you back to what our message is at Hav. Visually and aesthetically, the architects name is Zébulon Perron (Red Bull Music Academy, Broccolini Condo Store, Pancho) and he’s won awards for creating this space and he's actually amazing.

But I love how it looks simple, right? Which is why you can feel so relaxed and it doesn’t feel intimidating where you feel that you have to be buttoned up. But then you get into the details and it’s like woah, hold on!

AM: It’s very Matrix-y in some ways with the way that the fixtures are floating. There are sections and yet everything is still together. It’s mind trippy! A little bit like Salvador Dalí (Editor’s Note: A Spanish surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and his striking images. Major themes in his work included dreams, stretching and mixing realities, as well as the subconscious.)

There’s just a warmth.

CHEF FA: And you know, he wanted it to be an open kitchen obviously. So I always stand in the pass (Editor’s Note: This is where plates go for a final garnish or inspection before they’re sent to the dining room. It’s also where components of a dish that are prepped at different stations meet to be plated together,) so I am the first person that people see. If we’re going to have a restaurant led by a woman of color, we’re not going to hide her. We’re going to make sure that people know that she is at the helm of it all. So I take my position right there and we have guests that walk up. Sometimes people are like, “can we meet the Chef?”

AM: It’s like, hello!

CHEF FA: Haha yes, hello! Were you expecting someone or something different?

AM: Sometimes they are!

CHEF FA: Well most of the time they are!

We get so many people that come up! Little girls and they’re like, “I want to be a chef!” This space! When I first walked in, there was nothing! It was rubble – a pile of rubble! I was like, “I don’t know what y’all see!” They did it just like that – 2 months!

AM: Really?

CHEF FA: Yeah!

AM: Wow!

CHEF FA: I love it here. I spend 80 hours in this building so -

AM: You know it very well!

CHEF FA: It’s not a bad place to spend 80 hours.

AM: What is the meaning behind the name?

CHEF FA: So Marcus is both Ethiopian Swedish. Hav is Swedish for ocean and Mar is the Ethiopian word for honey. So we are from the Sweet Waters which is how he describes it. But, it’s to pay homage to both his Swedish and Ethiopian roots.

AM: So what would you say the cuisine is and what are the ingredients and the flavors that are indicative of it?

CHEF FA: So when we were first talking about how we could make a sustainable menu, we kept coming back to seafood. Initially, he wanted to do a vegan restaurant.

AM: Part of me thought that this would have been a vegan restaurant.

CHEF FA: Right because when you talk about sustainability, that tends to be the best route to go. But then we were like, gosh, it’s really hard to tell our story through just plants. So we landed at seafood. I like to describe it as seafood. When we first opened it was, seafood told through the lens of the African Diaspora because it was very heavily influenced by African ingredients. I’m Ethiopian born and raised so a lot of Ethiopian influence, but I did a lot of West African ingredients too. Then we evolved because I have a Sous Chef from the Philippines and a Sous Chef from Puerto Rico.

PF: Oooo

AM: Yeah, both of us just said ooo at the same time!

CHEF FA: Yeah as the Executive Chef, the menu is mine. One day, I was feeling under the weather and my Filipino Sous Chef made me a traditional Filipino soup called Sinigang. I was in the pass and she saw me struggling as I was saying fire for the dishes. She said, “Chef, I made this for you.” I was like what is this and why is this not on our menu? She explained that it was from the Philippines and that they have a traditional soup made with fish. I was like, “you know we have a seafood restaurant?" Then I was like, hold on, I think that we should start bringing in their voices to the menu too. I don’t have to gatekeep this.

So then we started incorporating their dishes and then I think that that’s when Pete Wells (Editor’s Note: Pete Wells was the restaurant critic at The New York Times from 2011 – August 2024) came in to do the review and I was like, oh my God, we don’t really have an identity besides the fact that we are a seafood restaurant. He was like, “Chef Fariyal uses her global influence –.“ I was like, that’s who we are - we are a seafood restaurant. Some people will come in and say this is not African and I’m like we’re a seafood restaurant with a global influence. That’s it and now it has all of their global identities.

We have Puerto Rican flavors, we have Middle Eastern flavors, Filipino flavors – we have everything!

AM: That’s amazing.

CHEF FA: But the vessel is seafood. The seafood tells our story in terms of sustainability. It’s what keeps me up at night.

So when I was designing the menu and we were creating these dishes, we need to use as much of the ingredient as possible. I want very little waste. So the thing about restaurants is that we are one of the highest contributors of the Climate Crisis because we produce so much food waste and that ends up in landfills and I’m like how can we avoid all the waste that we produce here ending up in landfills? So it’s about using as much of the ingredient as possible.

So we are getting really creative so I have something called Ash Oil. So I was like, can we do anything with all of these scraps with the skins of scallions, onion skins, scallion tops that we throw away, garlic, and all of that stuff. Things that you would throw away and I thought that there has to be flavor in here! So we just put it in the Hearth oven which goes up to 800° and it gives it a nice char and then I blended it into a salt and then I mix that with oil so it has this super...

AM: Smoky

CHEF FA: Yes smoky flavor! So I was like, hold on this is edible and it gives this whole other dimension to dishes. So I was like, alright cool lets get really creative like that. Let’s use parts of ingredients that normally get thrown away. So that was Step 1.

Step 2 was how do I make sure that – obviously you can’t use 100% of everything.

AM: Right.

CHEF FA: How do I make sure that this doesn’t end up in landfills? So I did some research and found 2 different organizations one is called Afterlife. They come and pick up our compost every day. They grow mushrooms with our compost.

AM: Oh wow!

CHEF FA: I built a dish around these mushrooms so it’s like a full 360 moment. But then, the most important thing is that after they are done growing these mushrooms they take the substrate which is the compost and they turn it into soil and they create something called Biochar. So Biochar is soil, but it has the ability to sink carbon for a 1,000 years.

AM: Wow so they are a Circular Farm.

CHEF FA: Right, so I was like hold on, this is really fly! So all of our compost goes to them. I work with them a lot and they are doing a lot of really amazing things.

AM: And they are based here in the city?

CHEF FA: Yeah! They do all of that and they make Biochar by using our compost and then they donate the Biochar to farmers and it helps them increase their yield. So farmers are getting better yield while making sure that we’re not increasing the output of Carbon Dioxide to the air. They also donate it to parks and it goes to Governors Island. So they do all of these wonderful things with our compost.

AM: Wow!

CHEF FA: And then the second company, they’re called Billion Oyster Project.

AM: That’s the host of the dinner we’re going to on Thursday at Governors Island (Editor’s Note: You can read the story about this dinner from Outstanding in the Field in this issue).

CHEF FA: No way!

AM: Yeah Le Jardinier is the culinary portion and we’re very excited.

CHEF FA: Ok, that makes sense!

They are my second partner. So what they do is they collect oysters from restaurants and they are basically reconstituting the oyster population in the Hudson and all of the rivers here. What that does is it gives us a good filtration system. So they take our oysters because I’m like, let’s not get lazy with it. Technically, you could throw everything into a compost, but I’m like are there things that we can separate within the compost that makes better use? So since we have been open, Billion Oyster Project has been in the loop.

That is the most important thing to me. We can get all of the best accolades in the world. But the thing is, If you are contributing to a worse planet, what are you really doing?

AM: We have to do something and to keep researching for new innovations.

CHEF FA: Exactly!

AM: Wow!

CHEF FA: I like talking about it because for example, Afterlife they have 20 restaurants that they have partnered with in NYC. Do you know how many restaurants there are in NYC? That’s wild that there are only 20 restaurants that participate!

I eventually want to end up in policy. I do work with Save the Children. I do a lot of advocacy work and I eventually want to end up there. But for now, if you can implement the stuff while you’re on the ground, that’s a great place to start.

AM: I can see you doing Food Advocacy work as Tom Colicchio and Todd English, both of them are doing what they can and making their voices heard.

CHEF FA: It’s important! Listen, I am a mushroom fiend! They are very tasty.

AM: In looking at the menu, the flow of it is really great! What are 3 dishes from your Raw & Cured that you would suggest for those coming in?

CHEF FA: Raw & Cured, so I am a little biased with my Tuna Tartare.

AM: I love a Tuna Tartare moment.

CHEF FA: It’s so good! Tuna Tartare is a must. Hamachi has been there since we have opened. It’s a ceviche that I use called the Black Ceviche which is non-traditional and I use the Ashe Oil in there. It’s very acidic, but that Ash Oil gives it that other dimension of what I was talking about when I was saying smoky. That’s not very traditional for a ceviche. I can never get rid of that. It will be on the menu forever. There are just some things – I mean we are a seasonal menu, but there are just some things that’s just like, there will be an uproar if we take that off the menu.

AM: People will be like, wait, is it even a restaurant if I can’t get this here? Forks raised in the air – where is it?

CHEF FA: For real – picketing! The Hamachi Ceviche and there is a dish called the Swediopian. So it is something that we have had since the beginning. Swediopian is our play on words where it’s Swedish and Ethiopian. So way before this restaurant opened, Marcus and I did an event for Pepsi and it was around the Super Bowl and he wanted a dish that represented both his Ethiopian and Swedish roots and he said to play around with the cured salmon. So I cured it using Swedish techniques, but then I used berbere which is an Ethiopian spice so it’s a twice cured salmon.

AM: Oh wow so it’s punchy.

CHEF FA: Yeah very actually. You guys need to come in and eat. Seriously.

AM: Oh we will, we want to be able to try that.

CHEF FA: So those three from the Raw & Cured are great!

AM: What are 3 Small Plates that you suggest that we should enjoy?

CHEF FA: Small Plates, we do a beautiful Scallop here.

AM: I love a Scallop.

CHEF FA: Yes, we have our Fall Menu coming in 3 weeks and so the format will change again.

Yes and the Salad is a big hit too! We always bring that in every Summer. I have this formula that I use. For this particular Salad I do a purée and it’s about what ingredient is at its best during the season? So for the Summer Salad, I do a corn purée then Heirloom tomatoes because you know and then I do a compressed watermelon.

AM: Wow!

CHEF FA: What could be more Summer than that? So I always say get the Summer Salad and the Scallops – those are my 2 favorites.

AM: What is Happy Hour like here?

CHEF FA: Happy Hour is from 5-7pm. We have a separate menu that we do and our General Manager Tia, a woman of color whose Jamaican, she’s a Somm and she does the Beverage Program here.

AM: Wow!

CHEF FA: So she wears many hats! So she makes awesome cocktails. We work in tandem and she takes ingredients from the kitchen that we are processed and done with and instead of throwing it away and making waste, she makes cocktails with it.

AM: Oh that’s smart and the sustainability continues.

So that means some of your cocktails are even a bit savory as well?

CHEF FA: Yup the Hav & Martini – so I make pickled red onions that I use as a garnish and I put beets in it to make that beautiful pink color. So when we're done pickling it, we used to toss out the juice. But she uses it in her Hav & Martini.

AM: I like that!

CHEF FA: Yeah it’s this beautiful pink hued beverage. She has this really beautiful way of explaining it because I don’t drink alcohol and I’m Muslim and I have never been in that world.

The way that she explains it she’s like this cocktail uses onions and this is why. I’m like, girl I don’t know, but it sounds good!

AM: It’s smart because there are a lot of studios in this area -

CHEF FA: Art studios.

AM: So you’re open for dinner every night. Do you ever foresee a lunch service? What was the decision behind this?

CHEF FA: So one thing that I love patting myself on the back for is because when you start getting to this whole thing – James Beard, Michelin, and all of that stuff – people equate how difficult it is to get into a restaurant with how successful that restaurant is. I always tell people – it’s not a competition, but when you look at and line up all of the restaurants, I have 140 seats. We are open 7 days a week and a lot of these restaurants are not open 7 days a week. They’re not and in this post COVID climate, it’s very challenging to have enough staff to be open and operating 7 days a week and that’s a really huge deal.

AM: Yup!

CHEF FA: And most of the restaurants, I mean this is a very big operation in terms of seats.

AM: When I walked in, I thought, they’re not playing.

CHEF FA: Yeah so 140 seats, 7 days a week. I’m like, you guys don’t understand – like when you guys are like who is the best chef? Look at the operation also, you know what I mean? I could run a 12 seat restaurant that’s open 4 days a week. I could run that very easily. So it already is doing the most because we are open 7 days a week in this restaurant. But Marcus does have pipe dreams of being open for lunch and I’m like, “Chef, where are these people? Where is the staff that I’m supposed to find?” I would say that that is the biggest challenge of being open for more service – it’s just not the same. The pool of people to hire is not the same at all.

AM: So speaking to that, what is an average day like?

CHEF FA: So the operating hours is that we are open from 5-10pm.

So there are 2 shifts. The AM team gets here at 8am. They are here from 8-4pm. They prep the food that all the guests are going to eat. So our rule is, “today’s food, for today’s guests.” So everything is made fresh inhouse every day. There is no rolling over. I have a Sous Chef, I have a Pastry Chef, 2 Prep Cooks, and a Dishwasher.

AM: Wow.

CHEF FA: So that’s who’s here from 8 – 4pm.

Then at 3pm, my line team gets here. So they are the ones that cook the food. So there is an hour overlap between the 2 of them. But they will be here from 3 – 11pm. So there is the prep team and the service team.

AM: Oh wow.

CHEF FA: I have to kind of be here for both.

So I get here between 12-2 and then I stay here until the last table leaves.

AM: So on your admin day, is that when you are touching base with the group?

CHEF FA: So with the group, we have weekly meetings every Wed. So we have our meetings with our Director of Operations. The only reason why she is here today is because our General Manager is in Chicago. But we have a meeting with her, our CEO, and our CFO every Wed. about our P&L. So I have to know every single penny that comes into this building and every single penny that leaves this building. So I always give them a presentation every single Wed. This is where we’re at, this is the goal, this is what my food cost is, this is what my labor cost is, and this is our bottom line. It’s every Wed. and I have to be prepared to talk about our numbers in and out.

But when I say admin stuff, it’s like every Mon. we do payroll. Bit every day, I process invoices. So there is always something. Or there is scheduling I do that every week.

AM: You are a woman of many hats.

CHEF FA: It never ends.

AM: So obviously we were talking about the Met Gala earlier during your shoot. You looked phenomenal on the red carpet. What did it mean to you to be part of that event in addition to obviously doing the menu itself? Just being in that apex of fashion.

CHEF FA: So in the moment, I obviously didn’t grasp how big it was!

Somehow in the end it looks like I’m a fashion forward person ...

That was important for me 1 – it was kind of my debut. We had done so many shoots with Vogue and a lot of stuff and it was like, Chef Fariyal, Chef Fariyal. I was always cooking behind the scenes and now it was like, people know me as a chef now. It was cool and that’s what kind of catapulted the whole TV and media. Because that is when I got a call from the President of Food Network. They were like, hold on, who are you and why are you not on TV? I was like what do you mean because I’m a Chef? What do you mean TV? But that is what catapulted it all. It was that Met Gala, that red carpet.

AM: You were on a lot of the main pages of a number of international editions of Vogue as well as the one here. It was like Lady Gaga what? I remember thinking wow and she’s a Chef on that red carpet – wow. It’s like that’s huge because I thought that she would be in the kitchen.

CHEF FA: I thought that I was going to cook, but no!

AM: What does it mean to your brand because you are doing Chopped as a judge or you’re on Alex vs. America as a judge, or you’re on your Roku show, Celebrity Family Food Battle, and you have done different kinds of things. What does that mean to you when you look at that particular component. Because it feels like being a Chef now – although you don’t have to do this – it has become elevated where you have to have these other touch points that includes TV.

CHEF FA: So it kind of goes hand-in-hand. One of the reasons that the restaurant has been successful is that obviously we’re blessed to have Marcus and his brand behind it and now it’s 50/50. Just as many people walk into the building to meet me as they do asking for Marcus and it’s because I do so many things and when they introduce me on TV they say, that is the Executive Chef from Hav & Mar. So it really helps and my brand is very closely tied to Hav & Mar. So we keep those butts in these seats.

AM: You’re rocking those 7 nights!

CHEF FA: Yeah!

AM: And being a finalist for James Beard. What does that mean to you?

CHEF FA: Oh my gosh, that was never – to me, it was one of those things like James Beard wasn’t even a North Star for me. It wasn’t something that I thought would ever be in my world or something that I could even attain. Then when I moved to Hav & Mar and we opened this restaurant, Marcus asked me what some of my goals were.

I was like, James Beard and he said, “oh, ok.” I was like, “what you mean?”

AM: And he was like what part did you not get? The O or the K?

CHEF FA: I want to be nominated for a James Beard. The other thing was Food & Wine Best Chef. I wanted to be in that category too. And he made me write a list and he said that these were all things that we could work towards. I didn’t think that it would come so fast within my first year of opening the restaurant.

So when I got my nomination for James Beard, I was on set at Chopped and the list came out. It was like right between takes and my phone because I always have it under my leg, it was going off. I was like is the restaurant on fire? What is going on? So I kind of snuck a look and I was like what? James Beard – whatever. And then in between, I read the first text and it was like, congratulations you are a nominated and I was like, what are they talking about? So I was with my co-judges and I was like, Tiffany, I just got nominated for a James Beard and everyone was like what that’s so cool! Then it was like, “and action!”

So literally this is happening in between takes and obviously everyone on set knew how big of a deal this was and what made it really special was that at some point, somebody went out and got flowers and a card. They made the entire team come out on set – every single person that works on Chopped came to give me flowers.

They announced it and said Chef Fariyal is a James Beard nominated Chef! It was very emotional.

AM: That is very cool!

CHEF FA: It was really emotional and how cool is that moment? I’m on the set of Chopped, we’re their celebrating a James Beard nomination and then of course, everyone was like wow just to be nominated is really important and a lot of people don’t even make it to the finals. The people were making sure that I didn’t get my hopes up. But sure enough, I made that shortlist too! It was like what? This is insane. So now, we’re really pulling up. We’re pulling up to the James Beard Awards – this is amazing. I thought that up until that moment that it was just the nomination that mattered to me.

But then, I am in the first category. I sat down, there was a quick presentation. First award of the night is the Emerging Chef Category. I had this super powerful and emotional speech written. I had envisioned it, I was going to go up there and Marcus had given me a pep talk and said that not that many people get it on their first nomination. So if they don't say your name, just try to find it within you to not be disappointed. Because the fact that you made it this far is insane.

AM: Yeah, it’s huge!

CHEF FA: Right so it’s my first nomination. I just remember that they didn’t say my name. I was like woah, I want that. But I didn’t know that I wanted to win. I thought – I mean my goal that I had written down was – I wanted to be nominated. But when they didn’t say my name, it was a 2 second thing where I said, I do want to win. Next year. Then afterwards, the President of James Beard came up to me and everyone was coming up to me and everyone was shocked. They thought that I really had this one. But they told me, you know you’re going to be here many, many, many more times.

AM: Exactly! And the dress you wore was amazing!

CHEF FA: That was like full on from my tribe! Because I did a little bit of it for Met Gala with the headband. But then I wore the full attire this time. That was part of the speech too! I was like gosh, I have to wear it every year now?

AM: Well, you set a little precedent for yourself.

CHEF FA: I did! But that was really important you know because I -

AM: Well representation!

CHEF FA: That’s the thing! I represent 4 voices in America – I’m Black, I’m a woman, I’m Muslim, and I’m an immigrant. 4 of the most underrepresented voices and I think about that every day. I just can’t carry myself like that – this stuff matters, you know what I mean? People are paying attention to me and I have to be very careful about how I speak, what I say, and it’s not all fun and games.

The reason why I was disappointed that I didn’t get it is because we talk about so much about how this is – I always talk about how we need to give women of color more opportunities in the kitchen. So when I got the nomination, it wasn’t just me, I was making a case and a point for why more people of color should be nominated in these things. Then when I didn’t win I was like, gosh, did I let everybody down? I don't know.

AM: No, not at all.

CHEF FA: I got us in the room.

AM: You got in the room and like you said, you will have many more opportunities.

Do you envision having your own cookbook? I know that you had a recipe that was included in a cookbook.

CHEF FA: They are on my case every day!

AM: Haha I can imagine.

CHEF FA: It’s definitely in the pipeline. It’s just a matter of me finding the time.

AM: Last year, we had the pleasure of covering the Food Network Wine Food Festival and this year, you are going to be participating. How excited are you to be part of it, is this your first time?

CHEF FA: This is my first time!

Well I’m doing -

AM: I know that you have a sit down dinner that you’re doing right?

CHEF FA: It’s a Hav & Mar X The Musket Room Brunch with the chefs from The Musket Room. So that’s Mary Attea and Camari Mick. How much more aligned can we get? Like Camari is also killing it in the game! So we got on the phone and we came up with the menu in like 3 seconds and we knew that this was going to be so fun. But I think that that will be so powerful. That should be fun so I’m excited.

I’m also doing the Blue Moon Burger Bash: Champions vs. Challengers presented by Pat LaFrieda and hosted by Rachael Ray.

That is going to be fun, a little burger competition.

AM: We loved the spread of coverage and the fact that you could to eat a number of amazing dishes, connect with people we have covered as well as to hang out with the food community, it’s a good time.

I love that we’re living in a time right now where people are understanding more and want to get a better awareness of the restaurant industry. That’s whether you’re watching Chopped, Top Chef, or The Bear.

CHEF FA: Oh yeah.

AM: I love The Bear!

On your IG, you’ve been talking about the industry, explaining terms, and giving people an inside scoop. Why do you also enjoy sharing this aspect so that people are able to know more about you, but also the industry?

CHEF FA: It was kind of a natural progression from people developing an interest from watching these programs. There are all these Food Network shows, but it’s not an insight into how restaurants are. I think it was The Bear that started this whole thing. People would start using kitchen terms and be like, “how does the pass work?” and I was like what? How did you know about the pass? Where did you -

AM: Carmy said it!

CHEF FA: Exactly, Carmy said it. Oh my gosh! But I am glad that if they’re going to take any information from a show, it’s The Bear because it’s 1000% accurate. Now obviously, there are some Hollywood liberties that they take so that it makes it more dramatic or whatever. But it is a very accurate representation of how restaurants are. So, it came from people being so interested and asking questions. Then on my end too, it’s like it was such a huge shift when the industry was shut down during the pandemic and then opening back up. I was like, people are going to be nice. Right? Because we’re all struggling collectively as humanity.

No, we would get people that were so mean to our servers and just being super mean, just like – beyond. So I thought, well maybe if you give people insight into how tough that it actually is to get the food to your table, you’d be more grateful for this experience.

AM: Tell me about Take Care of Home, why you created it, and what does it do?

CHEF FA: So it’s a non-profit that I started with my friends from Ethiopia. Education has always been at the forefront of my philanthropy work because my mom was set in an arranged marriage when she was 16. So she had to drop out of school in the 8th grade and she was married and started having kids at 16 and her only regret in life was that she didn’t finish school. She stressed that with us. She put all 6 of us thorough private school. It was really important to her. So it became important to me. In Ethiopia, there is a huge gap where in the capitol city, there are a number of schools. But in rural parts of the country, there aren’t actually that many schools because the government only has the funds to subsidize teacher’s salaries, but there are no physical structures because no one has the money to build these infrastructures. So on paper, the schools exist, but no one is going. You’re learning under a shed and under crazy circumstances.

So we were like if this is what is going on and all they need is funding to build the schools, why don’t we do that? So we created Take Care of Home just by the first year was just asking our friends. We were like, we could build a school with $20,000 US or $60,000 US depending on the size of the school. The first year we raised money just by asking our friends. Then it becamea formal thing. We became a non-profit, and we spent an entire year raising money and we just built our 9th school.

AM: Wow!

CHEF FA: We’ve been open for 7 years. We have also expanded our initiatives as well. The first school that we completed, we always go back and visit. We noticed that it was mostly boys that were attending school, but not girls. So when we started digging into that, we learned that in that part of the country, girls don’t really get to go to school because they have house things that they have to do. Especially, when it comes to getting water. None of these homes have direct access to water so the girls have to go to the river and it’s not always close or nearby. So they can’t go to school. So I said, what if we fix that problem?

So we started a second initiative where we build water pipelines to the homes. We started doing that and that freed the girls to start going to school. So we are learning as we go. We’re adding more initiatives in addition to building schools.

AM: 9 is huge!

CHEF FA: 9 schools and I’m very proud of it!

AM: Are there any upcoming projects that we should know about that are on your radar that you are comfortable in sharing with us?

CHEF FA: Not really – obviously you know that there are always talks like TV shows.

AM: How do you take time for yourself when you’re not doing all of the things at the restaurant or are on set for TV? How do you reset especially with the amount of hours you have for work?

CHEF FA: So my reset is if I do take 2 days off like a human being, and I am doing this next week, after I get off of work here, I go straight to the airport, hop on a redeye, to go be with my family for 36 hours and then come right back. So I usually catch the red eye coming back and I come here straight to work. I’m usually suitcase out and suitcase in. So my family is my reset.

AM: What do you want your legacy to be?

CHEF FA: See that’s an Oprah style question?

AM: Yes, she was my very first interview when I was 12.

CHEF FA: No way. But it makes sense. I’m not surprised!

Ok, what I want my legacy to be is the Chef that changed the culture.

AM: Yeah!

CHEF FA: Anybody could make good food honestly. I could give anybody the recipe and they could carry it out. But to make people feel seen and that they deserve to be here the same way that Marcus made me feel that I deserved to be here regardless of your race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation – none of that stuff matters when you’re making food. None of that stuff matters at all! But we have not created that yet and I think that that is what I have done with these guys. But I want it to go beyond these 4 walls. This should be how restaurants are run.

AM: 100%

CHEF FA: I’ve had these conversations with Chefs and they’re like, nope – it would never work. Like, if you want to make this kind of food, this is how you have to run the kitchens. Ok, but then why am I able to make it work here? It’s happening here now.

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@havandmar

INTEGRITY, EXCELLENCE, SUSTAINABILITY COVER EDITORIAL | TEAM CREDITS

PHOTOGRAPHER Paul Farkas | FASHION STYLIST Kimmie Smith | MUA Dru Coppin/Felicia Graham Beauty Team | HAIR STYLIST Lea DeLoy |

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INTEGRITY, EXCELLENCE, SUSTAINABILITY COVER EDITORIAL | CREDITS

NIGHT OUT LOOK FRONT COVER + PG 16, 34 - 43, + 62 | NORMA KAMALI Super OS BF NK Shirt/Body/True Navy + Shirred Mini Skirt/True Navy | LAGOS Long Superfine Diamond Drop Earrings | MIGNON FAGET Banana Leaf Cuff | GOLD STORIES Rani Cuff Ring with Sapphire + Rani Cuff Ring |

WFH LOOK BACK COVER + PG 18, 21 | SCOTCH & SODA Printed Maxi Cotton Voile Dress | PONO BY JOAN GOODMAN Evelyn Necklace Starlight | LAGOS Blue Ceramic Stainless Smart Caviar Watch, 18K Gold and Blue Ceramic Hoop Earrings, Small Ceramic Dynamic Stacking Ring, Ceramic Beaded Bracelet 9mm + Caviar Skull Bracelet 9mm |

OUT & ABOUT LOOK I PG 22, 25 | TOMMY HILFIGER The Letterman Cardigan | AIR AND ANCHOR Stainless Steel One of A Kind Kinda Necklace Neutral /14K Gold + Center of the Universe Necklace Set | GOLD STORIES Rani Cuff with Sapphire + Intertwined Bangle | PARKER THATCH Cross Your Heart Sling - Leather Butterscotch + Adjustable Crossbody Strap - Modernist |

OUT + ABOUT LOOK II PG 26, 29 | SCOTCH AND SODA Short Trucker Jacket in Multi Color Stripe + Relaxed Fit Cotton Linen Chino Joggers | LNA CLOTHING Essential Cotton Kaden V Neck | AIR AND ANCHOR Stainless Steel One of A Kind Kinda Necklace Neutral /14K Gold + Center of the Universe Necklace Set | GOLD STORIES Rani Cuff with Sapphire + Intertwined Bangle | CONVERSE Chuck 70 Canvas |

FITNESS LOOK PG 30 - 32 | NORMA KAMALI Hologram Foil Mini MotoJacket + Hologram Foil Cropped Leggings | MACHINES FOR FREEDOM Foundations Bra | HAMMITT Tony SML | GOOGLE Pixel Watch 3 45mm | PONO BY JOAN GOODMAN Colette Luce Bracelet | CARRERA Super Champion Italian Style Pilot Sunglasses | LAGOS Delicate 18K Gold Beaded Bracelet 3mm, 18K Gold Superfine Caviar Link Necklace + 18K Gold Karat Pendant | ATHLETIC PROPULSION LABS TechLoom Bliss |

Read the AUG ISSUE #104 of Athleisure Mag and see INTEGRITY EXCELLENCE SUSTAINABILITY | Chef Fariyal Abdullahi in mag.

THE ART OF THE SNACK | KINTSUGI OMAKASE

This month, we made our way to Kintsugi Omakase to have an epic meal that we will talk about for quite a bit! We knew that there would be a number of courses that would be created in front of us by Chef Victor Chen who was in last month's issue in our THE 9LIST 9M3NU feature.

Our meal didn't disappoint! We were able to enjoy a 16-course meal that is part of their Kintsugi Experience. It's a fantastic experience where upon entering the restaurant, you are sitting with 9 other guests who have a front row seat at a meal that is next level. We wanted to know more about when the restaurant launched, why they provide omakase, and what you can expect when it comes to heading to this SoHo destination!

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did Kintsugi launch and can you tell us about the founders/owners of the restaurant?

ASHE YEUNG: Kintsugi was originally founded in 2018 by owners and New York-based creative partners, Ashe Yeung, an architect, and Tim Madrid, an Art Director.

AM: Can you tell us about the chef as well and his background?

AY: Executive Chef Victor Chen, formerly of New York Sushi Ko & Sushi Seki, is a passionate sushi chef that prepares his sushi in the traditional edomae style. Unlike many other sushi chefs, he does not solely use Japanese ingredients. A long-standing relationship with fishmongers allows Kintsugi Omakase to offer locally sourced fish, enabling for a broader selection and more moderate prices.

AM: Can you tell us about the ambiance of the restaurant and what guests can expect when they come in for a visit?

AY: The dining room is centered around a natural wood 10-seat sushi counter, which is framed by dark charcoal walls. Soothing light is filtered through Japanese wooden slats creating a relaxing mood for guests. Each course is presented on dinnerware in collaboration with EM Ceramics and Spark Bird Studio who has created an exclusive line of handcrafted, gold-fused dinnerware for Kintsugi.

AM: We know what omakase is, but can you tell us the history of what this dining experience is?

AY: Omakase, rooted in Japanese culinary tradition, traces its origins to the Edomae sushi culture of early 19th-century in Tokyo. Initially, it is referred to entrusting the chef to create a meal based on seasonal ingredients. Over time, omakase has evolved into a revered dining experience where patrons place complete trust in the chef's expertise and creativity, highlighting the essence of Japanese culinary craftsmanship.

AM: You only offer omakase. Why was that the experience that you wanted to focus on?

AY: Omakase represents the pinnacle of our culinary philosophy, emphasizing quality, seasonality, and the art of storytelling through food. By exclusively offering omakase, we curate a deeply personal and memorable dining journey for each guest, showcasing the freshest ingredients and innovative techniques that define a culinary vision. It allows us to foster a direct connection with diners, sharing not just a meal, but a transformative gastronomic experience that celebrates tradition with a modern touch.

AM: For those that are coming for lunch, what can you tell us about The Lunch Rush Omakase?

AY: The Lunch Rush Omakase is a combination of a quick sushi fix with a high quality offering and also serves as an introduction to omakase for those who have never tried. Our Lunch Rush Omakase is a 12-course one-hour experience for $60. It is served only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We always promote the art of omakase and it is key for us to have an omakase with an affordable price tag.

AM: For dinner, you offer The Grand Street Classic, The SoHo Experience, and the Kintsugi Omakase - the latter which we enjoyed this recently. Can you tell us about each one of those and what the differences are between them?

AY: We serve three tiers of premium omakase which include seasonal appetizers and sushi: The Kintsugi Omakase, a 16-course service for $195; The Soho Experience; a 13-course experience for $155; and The Grand Street Classic; a 10-course meal for $95. All tastings also include a sushi chef’s choice of hand roll, gourmet miso soup, tamago, and seasonal dessert. Each tier features a varied amount of seasonal and premium ingredients diligently prepared by our chef. Our goal is to be able to cater to as many customer as possible and feature different offerings with the same high quality standards.

AM: Are there additional items that you can pair with these packages?

AY: We offer a seasonal beverage pairing featuring sake breweries that are high quality and paired perfectly with our omakase. We also do a seasonal sea urchin (uni) tasting that showcases different sea urchins from around the world; and from time to time, we offer prized auction grade uni.

AM: Can you tell us about 3 cocktails that you suggest that we should have on our next visit?

AY: We only have one cocktail called Murasaki, which in Japanese means purple. The cocktail itself is a beautiful vibrant purple color made with yuzu, sake and violet extract.

AM: Can you tell us about 3 sakes, beers, or cider that we should pair with our meal?

AY: We are a big fan of Echigo Koshihikari beer, which used the same rice that most sushi restaurants use as the basis of their beer, perfectly paired with our omakase. We are also avid enthusiasts of the Masumi brewery. Masumi is one of Japan's premier sake brands, produced by Miyasaka Brewing Company in Nagano Prefecturel they have been making sake since 1662. For a more modern flavor profile, we highly recommend the uka sake series. They are made very well with a combination of Japanese and American crafts into one single bottle

AM: Are there any special events taking place this summer or fall that you would like us to know about?

AY: We will be participating in the NYC Restaurant Week with the NYC Tourism Board. Our goal is to promote the craft of omakase from now to September 1st. We will be taking a short break after September 1st and will re-open on September 12th. Then, we will be transitioning into our fall menu, which to all edomae style sushi lovers, it is the best season where all the fish are fragrant, fatty, and simply delicious. We highly recommend all patrons to book ahead of time to make sure that they can save a seat.

For those that want to try Kintsugi Omakase, Restaurant Week kicked off Jul 22nd and goes through Aug 18th with participating restaurants. The below is available until Sep 1st. Kintsugi will offer a 12-course prix fixe menu for $60 per person with an optional seasonal sake flight for an additional $30 per person. Guests can add-on a premium seasonal uni handroll for $30 per person. The menu is subject to change due to availability and seasonality, highlights include their Housemade Japanese Potato Salad with Arctic Sweet Shrimp, Orata/Seabream from Greece, and Hotate/Scallop from Hokkaido Japan - to name a few.

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PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT | Mr. Grant Hao-Wei Lin/Kintsugi

Read the JUL ISSUE #103 of Athleisure Mag and see THE ART OF THE SNACK Kintsugi Omakase in mag.

PROSCIUTTO DI CARPEGNA PDO, THE EU GEM HAM

We enjoyed a gala dinner at Manhatta to discover, learn, and enjoy.

Prosciutto Di Carpegna PDO, the EU Gem Ham. We discussed the careful selection and aging process they have, which translated into highly delicate, delicious prosciuitto.

The prosciutto was quite versatile, which we tasted as a stand-alone ingrediant, as well as an element incorporated into other courses, such as the halibut.

If was interesting to hear about their high standards in selection, salting and aging process. We enjoyed the aged prosciutto as a stand-alone appetizer and as part of dishes, both were delicious. The evening ended with a most striking sunset through the window-paneled event room at Manhatta, and like that all of our senses were certainly ignited.

IG @consorzio_carpegna

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | The EU Gem Ham Prosciutto di Carpegna PDO

Read the JUL ISSUE #103 of Athleisure Mag and see PROSCIUTTO DI CARPEGNA PDO, THE EU GEM HAM in mag.

THE ART OF THE SNACK | HERITAGE GRAND BAKERY, HERITAGE GRAND RESTAURANT AND PIZZA BAR

Bryant Park has also been a neighborhood that we have enjoyed having power lunches and dinners as well as having amazing views of library and the large greenspace! In this month's The Art of the Snack, we head over to this storied area to pop into Heritage Grand Bakery, Heritage Grand Restaurant and Pizza Bar!

We love that whether you're looking for a bakery that allows you to get great to-go items for breakfast and lunch whether you're heading back to the office or eating in the park. In addition, there is a stunning restaurant that is perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and happy hour. We took some time to sit down to talk with Managing Partner, Lou Ramirez to find out more about these spaces, what is offered, and what we should think about ordering on our next visit!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we delve into Heritage Grand Bakery, Grand Restaurant and Pizza Bar, Please tell me about Lou Ramirez's background as he has been part of some of our favorites including Fig & Olive!

LOU RAMIREZ: My experience in the hospitality world began as a manager at BR Guest Hospitality Group. I then advanced to Director of Food and Beverage at Boutique Hotels & Resorts. Leveraging my expertise, I became Director of Operations at Le Pain Quotidien, successfully launching 18 locations in NYC and LA. This success led me to Fig & Olive, a concept I started with the founder, opening 3 locations in the city.

Subsequently, I co-founded Maison Kayser with Eric Kayser, overseeing the construction of over a dozen stores. Returning to Le Pain Quotidien as the President and Head of US Operations, I played a key role in reinventing their brand image. Drawing on my experience in hospitality and deep knowledge, I founded Nicloubella Management, an entrepreneurial consulting company created to assist established overseas companies looking to break into the US marketplace.

AM: It seems like there are 2 concepts with the bakery as well as the restaurant. Can you tell us about how the concept came about and why you wanted to have a bakery and a restaurant?

LR: I founded Heritage Grand with my partners, Luc Boulet and Alex Garese. Luc is a renowned master baker from France, coming from a lineage of 4 generations of bakers. Alex is the founder of the acclaimed Wolkonsky Bakery, making us all seasoned veterans in the world of bread and pastry. Our vision was to open a bakery and restaurant showcasing our Ancient Grains which are milled in-house.

AM: In looking at the bakery, can you speak to the decision to focus on health-conscious baking and cooking techniques, Ancient Grains and Artisanal Milling Techniques?

LR: We are very passionate about health-conscious and environmentally friendly foods and preparation techniques. We believe “you are what you eat," what you put into your body is what you get out of it. Natural, artisanal foods nourish our minds and bodies and energize our spirit, and that’s the effect we’d like to leave on our guests.

AM: What are the health benefits to cultivating the grains in this way?

LR: Our grains contain an accentuated value in lipids and carotenes, which give the bread a beautiful cream color and signature aroma, as well as making it optimal for baking and pastry making. Health benefits include ease of digestibility, high nutritional value, and low allergenic potential.

AM: Focusing on Heritage Grand Bakery, there is quite an extensive offering from coffees, teas, pressed juices etc. What are 3 coffees cold or hot that you suggest as we head into the summer months?

LR: At Heritage Grand, we use a highly dynamized water filtration system, essentially mirroring water’s natural journey through the mountains using motion, magnetism, and natural minerals. This results in energized water with improved taste and texture, as well as better hydration. We use this water as the foundation for all of our brewed beverages. 3 coffees we’d recommend as the weather warms are our signature Roast Heritage Drip Coffee, our house blend made with different coffee blends from across the globe, the Iced Red-Eye, a double shot of our specialty roast espresso poured over our signature coffee blend served on ice, and our Finca Bernina Red Honey Geisha poured over coffee from Costa Rica.

AM: What are 3 teas, hot or cold that you suggest that we should have in mind when visiting?

LR: Our Hot and Cold teas are sourced from historic tea-growing regions in dirrect collaboration with the farmers. I would recommend the Chai Latte, a spiced latte made with chai spices; Matcha Latte and Tieguanyin Oolong Tea made with oolong tea from China.

AM: On your BAKERY menu, you have a selection of Viennoiseries. What does Viennoiseries mean and what are 3 that we should try on our next visit?

LR: Viennoiseries are breakfast pastries typically modeled after the style of pastry that originated in Vienna, Austria. Executive Head Pastry Chef Damien Herrgott expertly creates the viennoiseries and pastries, and while all delicious, we’d recommend Pistachio Cruffin, muffin-shaped croissant dough filled with pistachio pastry cream; Plie au Chocolat, buttery, flaky croissant dough folded and filled with vanilla pastry cream and dark chocolate chips; Apricot Danish, croissant dough filled with a mixture of pastry cream and apricots.

AM: The Bakery menu also has Muffins/Cruffins/Baked Goods! What is a Cruffin and what are 3 that you suggest that we should have?

LR: Inspired by the French brioche pastry, a cruffin is the hybrid of a croissant and muffin. We’d suggest our Chocolate, Vanilla, and Pistachio Cruffins, muffin-shaped croissant dough filled with chocolate, vanilla, and pistachio pastry creams.

AM: What are 3 pastries that you suggest for breakfast?

LR: In our Restautant we just started weekend Brunch and have several classics but in our Bakery, Our Egg Sandwiches and vienoisseriie are really the best sellers for breakfast, like the Lemon Raspberry Danish, Croissant, and Pain au Chocolate. But for those with a particular sweet tooth, perhaps our Espresso Tart to start your day with a kick; Coffee Ganache and Coffee-Soaked Lady Fingers, topped with espresso Cremieux and white chocolate coffee glaze. Next, the Montebello, a decadent way to get your fruits in early in the day, pistachio almond hazelnut cake topped with pistachio mouse, fresh raspberries, and chopped pistachios; Ispahan, a colorful and vibrant rose-colored raspberry macaron filled with rose buttercream and chopped lychee with fresh raspberries and garnished with a rose petal.

AM: What are 3 G&G Sandwiches that you would suggest when you're heading over to Bryant Park to enjoy an outdoor lunch?

LR: A refreshing Caprese Sandwich on a savory olive roll to beat the heat, French baguette with fresh mozzarella, tomato, fresh basil pine and pesto; Tunisian Niçoise Sandwich, tuna salad mix, hard-boiled egg, red pepper, arugula, and olives on Pan Bagnat bun; our classic Pariseinne with ham gruyere butter and cornichon on a fresh baguette.

AM: What are 3 Savory options from the Restaurant that you suggest?

LR: Branzino topped with pistachio chermoula, served with a side of haricot vert and charred lemon, Ancient Grains Spaghetti—a vegetarian option— population wheat pasta with roasted mushroom and garlic, sprinkled with rich Parmigiano. Pizzas and flatbreads, Moroccan Spiced Lamb Flatbread, spiced ground lamb, pickled shallots, and a drizzle of citrus labneh on a thin, crisp flatbread made from 100% Ancient Grain population wheat

AM: You have a number of breads that you offer that people can purchase, what are 3 that are perfect to bring when you're thinking of bringing it to a dinner atsomeone's home?

LR: Our Executive Head Baker Mark Fiorentino (formerly of Daniel, Café Boulud), along with his dedicated team of bakers arrive throughout the night to mill the wheat, mix and roll the dough, and craft the fresh bread every morning. We’d recommend Hudson Valley Sourdough, naturally leavened sourdough bread made with locally grown and milled flour; Our Proprietary Population Wheat, 17 ancient grain varieties of wheat are blended to create the whole wheat; Spelt Bread, made with 100% spelt flour milled exclusively on-site.

AM: Tell us about the culinary journey of Executive Chef Steve Pereyda from where he trained and kitchens he worked in prior to coming to Heritage Restaurant and Pizza Bar.

LR: Our newly appointed Executive Chef Steve Pereyda is a distinguished graduate of Texas Culinary Academy, He began his culinary journey at Los Angeles’s Michelin-starred Hatfield, under Chef Quinn Hatfield, moving on to The Baazar by José Andrés in Beverly Hills, before relocating to to NYC and ascending to Sous Chef at Aureole Restaurant, Chef Charlie Palmer’s iconic flagship restaurant in NYC, renowned for its 13 Michelin stars and two James Beard awards. Under the guidance of Chef Palmer, Chef Pereyda honed his skills in New American cuisine, before moving on to the Michelin-starred Rouge Tomate. Once Rouge Tomate shuttered in 2018, Pereyda assisted in opening Mercado Little Spain by José Andrés, as well as AperiBar with Charlie Palmer.

AM: It truly feels that Heritage has options that take you from Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner! You also have one of our favorite meals of the week, Brunch. What are 3 brunch dishes that we can enjoy with friends and family?

LR: Polenta Soufflé Toast with mushroom; creamy polenta with fried eggs, mushroom bechamel, and parmigiano; Moroccan Lamb Burger, lamb merguez, harissa aioli, peppers and onions on a homemade brioche bun and served with za’atar fries; Thin crust Diavola pizza with spicy soppressata, fior di latte, tomato, and drizzled with chili oil.

AM: What are 3 dishes that are perfect to enjoy for lunch?

LR: Ancient Grains Salad--a vegan option--arugula, cherry tomato, apple, shallots, toasted seeds, and topped with feta, drizzled with lemon vinaigrette; Crispy Skin Salmon—a gluten-free option—salmon with fennel and piquillo pepper, served with a bed of couscous and charred lemon; Clam Pie, fresh littleneck clams with oregano, garlic, white wine, lemon, chili, pecorino, and breadcrumbs.

AM: Tell us about Happy Hour!

LR: Happy Hour is served on weekdays from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m., for dine-in customers only. Specials include $10 Neapolitan or thin crust Margherita pizza, $10 glasses of red, white, and rosé wines, as well as $10 signature craft cocktails.

AM: What are 3 dishes that we should have in mind for dinner?

LR: Grilled Hanger Steak served with a generous portion of za’atar fries, persillade, and arugula with lemon vinaigrette; Wild Mushroom Thin Crust Pizza, with oyster mushrooms, pickled shallot, caciocavallo, and pecorino; Tagliatielle Veal Ragu, braised veal, cipollini, mushroom, pecorino toscano, with population wheat breadcrumbs

AM: What are 3 cocktails that we can enjoy for the Summer?

LR: The refreshing Mezcal Paloma, a blend of union mezcal, Giffard pamplemousse, grapefruit, agave, and lime; The Raspberry Flamenco, a mix of Tanqueray Seville gin, raspberry, egg white, and lemon; the Cucumber Basil Gimlet; ALB vodka, cucumber, agave, and lime.

AM: Tell us about the ambiance and design of both spaces that are located in this historic Bryant Park neighborhood!

LR: The interior design of the restaurant and bakery, by Patricia Joseph in collaboration with Silvia Zofio of SZprojects, seamlessly flow into one another, drawing inspiration from ancient Mediterranean ruins unearthed in the heart of NYC. Anchoring the dining room are two large wood-burning ovens named Patience and Fortitude, after the marble lions that watch over the historic New York Public Library and Bryant Park, across the street from the restaurant. The walls are designed with stone shaved from a mountain to give it a grotto feel, complemented by accents of creamy white Venetian plaster and a soothing glow from soft white light, curated by award-winning lighting designer Herve Descotts L’Observatoire. The dining room is adorned with custom-made banquettes, chairs, and tables designed to evoke the restaurant's Mediterranean feel. Additionally, the private event space on the mezzanine level is ideal for hosting private gatherings, corporate meetings, celebrations, televised sports events or award shows, rehearsal dinners, baby showers, and more.

AM: Are there any special events taking place that you would like to share that are taking place this summer?

LR: Our Private event space is always buzzing with celebrations, parties, corporate power events, sports viewings, showers, and we will start creating culinary social experiences in the fall like pizza or pasta making classes.

IG @heritagegrandbakery

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Heritage Grand Bakery, Restaurant and Pizza Bar

Read the MAY ISSUE #101 of Athleisure Mag and see THE ART OF THE SNACK | Heritage Grand Bakery, Heritage Grand Restaurant and Pizza Bar in mag.

IN THE KNOW | MICHELIN GUIDE

When we're thinking of where to eat and to stay, we're always looking for superb recommendations! The MICHELIN Guide is one of the most revered resources when it comes to finding a number of restaurants and hotels that you can enjoy in your desired city whether you're a local or traveling! We were honored to chat with them to know more about how this Guide from 1900 began in France; evolved; the criteria for restaurants and hotels that are included; who their Inspectors are; and the difference between being recognized versus receiving Stars and Keys!

We're so pleased that we got to find out this and more from the incredible team at MICHELIN who values the importance of focusing on your customer and seamlessly sends their teams in to evaluate the hard work that is done by restaurants and hotels that could be given honors.

ATHLEISURE MAG: The MICHELIN Guide was created in the 1900's. What is the correlation between MICHELIN Tires and the creation/purpose of this Guide?

MICHELIN: The story of the MICHELIN Guide began in 1900. At that time, before it became the international benchmark for restaurant and hotel guides, it was a 400-page guidebook containing practical information for travelers. It was given to motorists free of charge; its aim being to facilitate their travels and develop mobility. It started in Clermont-Ferrand in central France in 1889, when brothers Andre and Edourard Michelin founded their eponymous tire company, fuelled by a grand vision for the French automobile industry at a time when there were fewer than 3,000 cars in the country.

In order to help motorists develop their trips – thereby boosting car sales and in turn, tire sales – the Michelin brothers produced a small guide filled with information for travelers such as maps, information on how to change a tire, where to fill up on petrol, and for those looking for a respite from the adventures of the day, a listing of places to eat and to stay for the night!

For 2 decades, this information was available at no cost! That was until Andre Michelin arrived at a tire shop to see his beloved guides being used to prop up a workbench. Based on the principle that “man only truly respects what he pays for,” a brand new MICHELIN Guide was launched in 1920 and sold for 7 francs.

For the first time, it included a list of hotels in Paris, lists of restaurants according to specific categories, as well as the abandonment of paid-for advertisements in the guide. The brothers also recruited a team of mystery diners, now called restaurant inspectors as we know them today, to visit and review restaurants anonymously.

In 1926, the guide awarded stars for fine dining establishments and they were initially marked with a single star. In 1931, the hierarchy of zero, one, two, and three stars were introduced and in 1936, the criteria for the starred rankings were published.

The MICHELIN Guides now rate over 30,000 establishments in over 30 territories across three continents and more than 30 million MICHELIN Guides have been sold worldwide since. Due to the foresight of the founding Michelin brothers, the company maintains its mission and relevancy that it has had since 1900 to make driving, tourism, and the search for unforgettable experiences available to all.

AM: Can you tell us about the MICHELIN Guide Inspectors and what are the qualities or background that you look for in terms of finding those individuals who contribute to the Guide?

M: These former hospitality professionals all have at least 10 years of experience, which ensures that they have a precise and technical knowledge of the field. They also receive two years of training in the MICHELIN Guide’s methodology, which is based on objective and universally deployable criteria.

The team, which includes local and international inspectors, are fully capable of evolving in international gastronomic scenes and finding the best talents. MICHELIN Guide Inspectors enjoy complete independence in choosing the restaurants they visit. Only their knowledge of the local gastronomic scene – through research, monitoring and documentation – enable them to find their way around.

No one can tell the difference between a regular customer and a Guide Inspector. Their identity, when they are visiting, and where they are all kept secret. They pay their own bills, just as any other restaurant-goer.

Consistency is very important when awarding MICHELIN Stars, so we need to be sure that the customers will receive the same high standard of cooking whenever they visit. Various Inspectors will visit throughout the seasons: for lunch as well as for dinner, both at the weekend and during the week. We try to eat as many dishes as possible over the course of the year, as we do need to try as much of the chef’s food as we can. We have to be sure that all the dishes that come out of the kitchen are of a consistently high standard. Sometimes we eat alone, sometimes in pairs, and occasionally even as a group. Once several inspectors have eaten at a restaurant, they can discuss their experiences as a team in order to make a final decision.

AM: Do the Inspectors work throughout the year to visit restaurants and hotels around the world?

M: Yes, the MICHELIN Guide selection is provided annually, based on the anonymous and independent dining & travel experiences of the inspection team, and they are re-evaluated each year.

AM: In looking at the US, The MICHELIN North American Guide first launched in 2005 starting with New York, Chicago debuted in 2011, Washington DC followed in 2017, California started with San Francisco in 2008 and it was statewide in 2019, in 2022 Miami/Orlando/Tampa, FL launched, Toronto joined in 2022 along with Vancouver, and both Colorado and Atlanta launched last year! How do cities in the US that have yet to be included go about getting MICHELIN's attention for their restaurants and hotels to be considered for inclusion?

M: The MICHELIN Guide inspection team is always evaluating new destinations for the Guide, around the world. MICHELIN decides whether to have its anonymous inspectors conduct a destination assessment. Once all the conditions are present to highlight the quality of the culinary scene in a given city, region or country, the MICHELIN Guide begins its process. Only the inspectors, based on their expert research, choose destinations.

AM: We have had the pleasure of interviewing a number of chefs that have received MICHELIN stars. Can you tell us about what each star means and what the criteria is?

M: A MICHELIN Star is awarded to restaurants offering outstanding cooking.Any restaurant of any style and cuisine type can qualify for a Star. We take into account 5 universal criteria: the quality of ingredients, the harmony of flavors, the mastery of techniques, the personality of the chef as expressed through the cuisine and, just as importantly, consistency both across the entire menu and over time.

One MICHELIN Star is awarded to restaurants using top quality ingredients, where dishes with distinct flavors are prepared to a consistently high standard.

Two MICHELIN Stars are awarded when the personality and talent of the chef are evident in their expertly crafted dishes; their food is refined and inspired.

Three MICHELIN Stars is our highest award, given for the superlative cooking of chefs at the peak of their profession; their cooking is elevated to an art form and some of their dishes are destined to become classics.

If the restaurant is currently in the MICHELIN Guide then they don’t need to apply for a Star, as all restaurants in the guide are re-assessed regularly. If we feel that the cooking at a restaurant is no longer at the same level that it was, then we would not re-award the Star the following year. Any restaurant can ask us to consider them for inclusion in the MICHELIN Guide and we love receiving recommendations from our readers too.

AM: We know that the first star came in 1926 and between 1931 and 1933 there is the 3-star system. Do you think that there will be a point where an additional star may be added to the system?

M: At this time, we don’t have news to share about the star system being extended.

AM: We talked about the MICHELIN Star. What is the difference between a Green Star and a Bib Gourmands?

M: The Green Star is our newest award. It was introduced to the MICHELIN Guide France in 2020 and is now featured in every country covered by the MICHELIN Guide. It is awarded to restaurants that are role models when it comes to sustainable gastronomy.

The Bib Gourmand is our award for great value, and highlights simple yet skillful cooking at an affordable price. (But we should also say that we are looking for a high standard of cooking just for a restaurant to be recommended in the MICHELIN Guide).

AM: Why do MICHELIN Guides have different times that they are awarded in terms of destination?

M: The MICHELIN Guide distinctions are awarded annually for each destination. The selections are revealed at different times throughout the year based on event planning, which is done in partnership with MICHELIN and the destination marketing organization.

AM: What advice would you give to a young chef?

M: There are three things:

• Great cooking starts with great ingredients, so use the best produce you can find – whether that’s a tomato or a chicken.

• Take pleasure in cooking for your customers, rather than cooking to try and win awards.

• Eat out as much as you can, but also eat your own dishes – sometimes it’s not until you’re halfway through a dish that you realize it’s not quite right.

AM: The MICHELIN Key is a new distinction that is available to hotels! Can you tell us more about this and on Apr 8th the first Keys were announced for hotels in Paris, when will they be announced for other guides like those in the US?

M: The latest addition to the MICHELIN Guide accolades is the MICHELIN Keys which highlights establishments in the Guide’s hotel selection offering the most exceptional stays. The first selection of MICHELIN Keys were awarded in France with a selection team that is based on anonymous stays or visits, independent of existing labels, tourism stars, and pre-established quotas. The MICHELIN Keys are becoming a new international benchmark for travelers helping them to find accommodations that stand out for their unique hospitality concept, distinctive character, warm welcome and very high level of service. These hotels can be booked on its digital platforms.

In this very first list, 189 hotels and ac commodations, among some 600 establishments already recommended by the MICHELIN Guide France, are honored with 24 Three MICHELIN Keys, 38 Two MICHELIN Keys and 127 One MICHELIN Keys.

Just like the famous Stars, that, in the MICHELIN Guide restaurant selection, indicate establishments offering the best culinary experiences, the Keys reveal accommodations in the Guide’s hotel selection that offer the most outstanding stays. They are a new benchmark for travelers, qualifying the experiences in broad terms, rather than focusing solely on amenities.

One MICHELIN Key: A Very Special Stay – This is a true gem with its own character and personality. It may break the mold, offer something different or simply be one of the best of its type. Service always goes the extra mile and it provides so much more than similarly priced establishments.

Two MICHELIN Keys: An Excellent Stay – Somewhere truly unique and exceptional in every way, where a memorable experience is always guaranteed. A hotel of character, personality and charm that’s run with obvious pride and considerable care. Eye-catching design or architecture, and a real sense of the locale make this an exceptional place to stay.

Three MICHELIN Keys: An Extraordinary Stay – It’s all about astonishment and indulgence here – this is the ultimate in comfort and service, style and elegance. It is one of the world’s most remarkable and extraordinary hotels and a destination in itself for that trip of a lifetime. All the elements of truly great hospitality are here to ensure any stay will stay long in the memory and hearts.

France is the first country to unveil its honorees of 189 establishments. After France, the MICHELIN Keys were announced on Apr 24th for the United States (Atlanta, California, Chicago, Colorado, Florida, New York, and Washington DC.) Spain followed on Apr 29th, following with Italy on May 7th, and Japan on Jul 4th.

AM: You can also book hotels through the MICHELIN Guide, why should we do this here when we are organizing our next trip?

M: All of the MICHELIN Guide hotel recommendations can be found free of charge on the MICHELIN Guide website and app. On these digital platforms, all of the recommended hotels can be booked at the best available rate. To assist travelers throughout their stay, the MICHELIN Guide also provides a concierge service offered by a team of travel experts, employed by the MICHELIN Guide.

AM: Last fall, there was a MICHELIN Guide Ceremony that took place in Tribeca for New York, Chicago, and Washington DC to celebrate restaurants and professionals on one night! Chefs were invited to see if they received a Star. Will there be a ceremony this year that is like this?

M: The MICHELIN Guide selections are awarded annually for each destination. We don’t have news to share on the the format of the ceremonies for New York, DC or Chicago at this time for 2024.

AM: The MICHELIN Guide App is really informative in terms of seeing those restaurants that have varying distinctions or simply being recognized/listed, having access to articles, being able to book hotels/connect to restaurants etc. As we continue to navigate 2024, will there be additional offerings on the app for users to be able to enjoy or utilize?

M: You can stay tuned to our website guide.michelin.com for information about any new features regarding the apps. Updates will also periodically be available via the app store as they are released.

IG @michelinguide

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 114 One White Street/Gary He | PG 116 MICHELIN

Read the APR ISUE #100 of Athleisure Mag and see IN THE KNOW | MICHELIN GUIDE in mag.

THE 9LIST 9M3NU

Read the APR ISSUE #100 of Athleisure Mag and see THE 9LIST 9M3NU in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | MUSIC FOR A WHILE

Located at the Selina Chelsea Hotel, Music For A While: Listening Bar & Lounge recently opened! Full Life Hospitality is behind the city's sought after venues which includes Virgo, Make Believe, Creatures at Selina Rooftop, and MFAW. They're looking to push the boundaries with their concepts for people to have incredible experiences.

This lounge is an escape for every music lover, a place where time stands still and memories are made. The venue not only offers music but stories, cultures, and connections.

When James Pfautz conceptualized the lighting design and consulted on the interior design, he wanted to compliment the concrete and wood tones as the negative space. This created an opportunity to highlight textured wood grains, industrial curved concrete, and warm-toned plush fabrics. The inspiration is the balance between blending analog movement with modern tech inputs.

The Vinyl Room redefines the way music is experienced. Billed as the venue's listening bar, featuring high-quality audio equipment set in an acoustically optimized environment, partons will experience high-fidelity sounds in an intimate setting. An ideal scene for audiophiles and casual listeners alike. The space pays homage to the art of listening, providing a meticulously crafted audio environment where every note, beat, and harmony is felt deeply.

The Lounge is ideal for those who like to pair movement and music and features the energy of live performances, DJ sets, and more. The Lounge invites guests to dance and mingle.

We suggest 3 cocktails to enjoy: HI-FI Collins - Mezcal, cocchi americano, lemon, muddled cucumbers; Martinez Martini - Angostura bitters, sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur, gin, orange peer; and One Hit Wonder - Cocolopez, giffard abricot, plantation dark, diplomatico rum.

They are currently working on a light bites menu with Chef Neil Strauber. Guests can enjoy a special family-style dinner with the added benefit of guaranteed entry into our MFAW or a reserved table downstairs, along with a complimentary bottle of liquor.

Packages include: Tier 1: At $75 per person, this package offers dinner and drink pitchers, with guaranteed entry to our MFAW experience and Tier 2: For $125 per person, guests get dinner with bottle service, including drink pitchers at dinner and a bottle post-dinner, available for groups of 6+.

Guests can come on Fridays and Saturdays from 9pm-2am. 9-11pm they will offer a happy hour menu. $10 Martinis, $12 Cocktails, $6 Beers. They will have lineups featuring a dynamic range of genres including Afrobeats, House, Techno, and nostalgic 80s/Disco tunes.

MUSIC FOR A WHILE:

LISTENING BAR & LOUNGE

518 W 27th ST

NY, NY 10001

musicforawhile.nyc

IG @musicforawhile.nyc

PHOTOGRAPHY | MFAW

Read the MAR ISSUE #99 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | Music For A While in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | NOBU BARBUDA

Nobu Barbuda is a bar and lounge on the island of Barbuda, it is only accessible by yacht or private boat charter, private helicopter charter, ferry and twice daily flights from Antigua.

This season, a new addition to Nobu Barbuda is the enchanting Tree Bar, a rustic yet charming hidden gem nestled amidst the lush tropical foliage and pink sandy beaches of Barbuda. Guests can sip on handcrafted cocktails, savor delicious Nobu cuisine, and enjoy the stunning sea views.

Nobu Barbuda invites guests to experience a day-trip on its private charter boat, starting with a snorkeling experience in the Caribbean Sea. Guests can enjoy a lunch of Nobu's world-renowned cuisine.

This beach club is an all-day Nobu experience unlike any other, with sun beds and private cabanas stretched across the pristine beaches of the island with personal hosts for the day.

Couples can enjoy cabanas for two outfitted with a hanging bed, and groups will love the larger VIP cabana featuring private dining, chairs, and a full living room for seclusion. Exclusive cabana menu items like a selection of sushi and light bento box, and beach-front massages are available upon request. Additional beach club amenities include beverage service from 10:00am to 6:00pm; dry snacks, chips and dried fruits; bottled water; chaise lounges with plush matresses and towel service; and showers and changing rooms. The beach club also offers a Caribbean style lounge bar, where guests can enjoy Nobu style dishes, caught fresh from the sea surrounding the island.

As the sun sets on the Caribbean Sea, guests can experience an exclusive six-course Omakase and beverage pairing experience on Princess Diana Beach for Sunset Omakase.

Set as an exclusive reception style event, Nobu Barbuda combines island and Japanese elements with the launch of its first Beach Barbecue. Guests will be treated to Robata yaki grilled fish and skewers, Nobu style local seafood Paella, passed canapes, sushi, ceviche's and salads. Entertainment will be provided by local DJs for this Nobu-style festive event.

Snorkel to the chef's lobster craw trap and select a fresh Barbuda spiny lobster. Guests will bring back their fresh catch and have it prepared by the Nobu chef for their Lobster Cookoff.

Nobu Barbuda invites guests to learn the craft of the perfect sushi roll under the expert guidance of the Executive Sushi Chef, for this immersive experience. Guests will be seated at the new sushi bar overlooking the stunning ocean views for a hands-on workshop to learn the art of sushi-making, including techniques on sushi maki and nigiri and incorporating local items such as conch, snapper, spiny lobster and the famous Barbuda roll.

NOBU BARBUDA

Prince Diana Beach,

Codrington, Antigua & Barbuda

noburestaurants.com/barbuda

IG @nobubarbuda

PHOTO CREDITS | Nobu Barbuda

Read the MAR ISSUE #99 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | Nobu Barbuda in mag.

IN GOOD TASTE | CHEF TOM COLICCHIO, CHEF KRISTEN KISH, AND GAIL SIMMONS

We're excited this month's cover of Athleisure Mag is graced by Chef Kristen Kish (S10 winner of Top Chef, Fast Foodies, Restaurants at the End of the World), Chef Tom Colicchio (A Place at the Table, The Simpsons, Billions), and Gail Simmons (Royal Pains, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, The Food That Built America). We sat down with them ahead of the S21 premiere of Bravo's Top Chef Wisconsin. We talked with Kristen who is on the other side of the judging table as a host as well as her fellow judges Tom and Gail! In our interview, we spoke about the impact of this iconic food competition show, their approach to judging the dishes, what they hope viewers and fans enjoy when watching this show, and why filming is a bit like Summer Camp!

ATHLEISURE MAG: We are so excited to be able to talk to you guys as we have been fans of the show ever since the beginning! We have interviewed each of you individually over the years on various projects that you have been involved in, but to be able to have you guys as our cover for this month and to have you all together as S21 premieres on March 20th is amazing!

What was the dish that you fell in love with that made you realize that you wanted to be in the culinary industry?

CHEF KRISTEN KISH: Oh wow! Well I can tell you the first thing that I ever made when I was 5!

AM: Yeah!

CHEF KK: It was a chocolate pudding, but there was no chocolate or pudding. I saw my mom make Thanksgiving gravy and she would thicken it with cornstarch slurry and she would refrigerate it. It comes out and it looks gelatinized and so when I started watching cooking shows before I had any concept of food, flavor, or actual technique, I was like, “I could make a chocolate pudding.” So I had soy sauce, thickener, and cornstarch. I did that and it sat in the refrigerator and my dad came home from work and gave it a try and he said it was great and off I went!

AM: Oh my goodness, I love that!

GAIL SIMMONS: That’s a good dad!

AM: That was sweet. And Tom!

CHEF TOM COLICCHIO: It was no particular dish. I’m actually writing a book called Why I Cook.

AM: Nice!

CHEF TC: During the pandemic I was doing a lot of these Zoom cooking classes and I kept coming back to certain themes. There were 2 things in particular, both around my grandfather that I think led me to food. One, at a young age, I used to fish with my grandfather and I was responsible for 2 things – one cleaning all of the fish and crabs and clams before my mother and grandmother cooked them and my second job was keeping my grandfather awake on the ride home. So that was always fun! That meal, because it was a larger meal, it was 20 people around the table and I think that somehow I took away from that was that’s what food does, it brings people around the table. That was probably more important than the food itself.

Then I struggled as a kid with ADHD. I wasn’t diagnosed back then and my children are all clinically diagnosed and I found that cooking was something that I could figure out very easily. It came very easily to me. Once I started working in the kitchen, all that chaos just cut through the clutter in my brain and I was able to hyper focus on my cooking.

So it’s not a particular dish, but those are the 2 sort of memories that led me to a career of cooking.

AM: I love that. Gail?

GS: Again, I also don’t think that it was one particular dish, it wasn’t that one moment. My mother was an amazing cook when I was growing up and she had a cooking school that was run out of our house and wrote a column for our national newspaper of Canada as a way to be able to stay home and also work while her children were small. I had 2 older brothers and there was a lot of noise in our house. I think that it was just watching her do this all the time! She ran these classes in our house so there were always people in our home, she was always entertaining and I just saw how much pleasure it gave her and everyone and how fulfilling it was for her to nourish people and to feed people.

I remember that this wasn’t a real dish, but my favorite thing to do as a child while my mom was in the kitchen cooking was to put my little wooden stool at the sink and she would put a big pot in the sink and let me just invade her spice cabinets and I would squirt a bit of this and drizzle a little bit of that and take a big wooden spoon and I would make soup. It allowed us to be together and it gave me such purpose in doing that with her and it was just this imaginary game where I could be a chef and I think that that was sort of that feeling where this was just something that could sustain others and make me feel great and I just sort of loved that feeling of being in the kitchen.

AM: Wow that’s such a memory.

Well, Gail and Tom, you guys have been on Top Chef for 21 seasons and just seeing everything through this food competition, what initially drew you to being part of it and what do you hope that fans are getting out of it when they are watching you guys?

GS: Drew us to be a part of it. I don’t think that either of us were drawn to being part of it because when we started, it wasn’t a thing. There was no food competition reality shows. There was Iron Chef Japan, but obviously that was a very different kind of competition. So this was a real trailblazer at the time and when they came to both of us, neither of us knew what they were talking about, nor were we that interested necessarily because it didn’t seem like a rational thing to do with your career at that moment. I was working at Food & Wine Magazine and actually Bravo came to Food & Wine to partner with them, to teach them about the restaurant and food world and to help them with sort of part of the prize and to learn about the industry. They said, well in exchange, if we like one of your editors, we’ll put them on the judging table to represent the magazine as this partnership. I was chosen to be that person, but I very clearly remember that when my publisher gave me that news, I was sort of terrified!

AM: Gulp!

GS: But I was doing it for my job and I knew that I would still have a job after even if no one liked the show. I had this totally different job with the magazine and this became a side thing to try out to sort of – as a lark. But I knew that Tom was doing it and I had known Tom for many years. But more importantly, the magazine really trusted him. He was a Food & Wine Best Chef, James Beard Award Winner, and I knew that there was going to be a moral compass to the show because of that. So we headed out to San Francisco with very little expectations and I think that that has been the greatest surprise that it exceeded anything that I could have imagined!

CHEF TC: For me, I said no 3 times before finally being coerced into saying yes. I got a call from the producer who said they were doing a show and we think that you would be great. There was a show around that time that featured a chef and it wasn’t a competition and I was like, I don’t want to do that. Then they sent me some DVDs of Project Greenlight and I loved that show.

AM: Same!

CHEF TC: So they sent someone to get me on camera and they asked if I could come in for a screen test and I said no I’m not going in for that. There was a documentary done by a producer from ABC News on the opening of Craft so I sent them that and they said, they wanted to make an offer.

Part of the reason that I said yes and my wife always says that I shouldn’t tell that story, but I will! I got tired of going to food festivals and I’m sitting next to Bobby Flay and he signs 300 books and I signed 20 and I didn’t think that it was because he had a better book, it was because he was on TV!

GS: That’s a great piece of the story! Like if you were living in NY at that moment, everybody knew Tom Colicchio!

AM: Absolutely.

GS: He was the NY chefiest chef! He was the chef-y-chef and still is to the end! But he was such a NY icon, and there wasn’t like a history or a precedent yet where there were chefs that had huge national followings except for the few that were on Food Network. You had Bobby, Emeril, Wolfgang, and that was sort of it. So I think that that sort of recalibrated things.

CHEF TC: What I hope that the viewing audience gets from what we do is that – one thing that just drives me crazy is when people think that there is some kind of game that we are playing. That we are trying to promote one person over another. We don’t care who wins. I’m not a fan.

AM: We can see that when you’re talking on the show.

CHEF TC: Right. I’m not a fan, I’m there to do a job and to be as honest as possible. I hope that that comes across. We’re not playing favorites, we’re not saying that a woman won last season so a man needs to be in this one. No, we don’t care. We judge on the food and that’s it. The only thing that I asked the producers from day one is that judges make decisions. So far, we have made every single decision.

GS: And we have never regretted one either!

CHEF TC: Right! There is that little disclaimer that they say that they help us. If we’re stuck, they’ll say, “well you said this or you said that – what do you think about this?” But they don’t make the decision.

AM: It’s more like running the tape.

GS: Yeah!

CHEF TC: Exactly! It’s kind reminding us of things that we’ve said and trying to get us to discuss. But that happens so infrequently! It happened in a few finales where we were really stuck and because also I think in the finales we pay more attention to it because there is so much on the line and some of them were so close that it would just come down to –

GS: Tiny nitpicking things.

CHEF TC: But, yeah, that’s it.

AM: Kristen, we love that you won Season 10 and it has been great to see you come back for various guest judging, but now you’re on the other side as a host! How do you feel about that and what does it feel like to know how it is on both sides of the table?

CHEF KK: I mean – it’s still a wild thing to know that this is happening! But you know, I will say that having competed, guest judging and obviously when I was done with my season, developing a relationship with these two that went far beyond then the actual show itself, like coming back into it already felt like you were coming back into a family setting. You see producers that have been there since my season and long before, these 2 obviously, I’m very familiar with and so as new as the position was, me coming in and being with these people wasn’t a new thing. So that brought a lot of comfort. I think really the main difference between competing and judging and now hosting is that I get to be part of the whole thing! I get to experience all of the chefs and all of the different variations that they are and regardless of how long that they are there, I get to be there for the whole thing which is pretty fantastic! I also get to say that, “you’re Top Chef!”

GS: For us, where we stood, filling Padma’s (Top Chef, Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi, Waffles + Mochi's Restaurant) very high heel shoes, there were very few people that we thought would fit all of that and I think that in a way, it was a very obvious choice to us. Especially because, we knew that we didn’t need to bring in for the 21st season, someone who had never been part of the show before.

AM: Right.

GS: It only made sense because we had created this massive family of 300+ chefs over the seasons who have gone on to such success that it would only make sense to bring someone in who had already been part of it and Tom and I were not the ones that were making the decision, let’s be clear about that. We were involved in the conversations, but it was just so natural and it made such great sense, because she has become such a leader in the industry because she won a season and went on to just – I mean, we have been sitting there being so proud of her for a decade watching as a friend! So, it just felt like the most natural, possible choice.

CHEF TC: I had conversations with the producers and no other name came up!

AM: There you go! We were so happy when we heard that it was you!

CHEF KK: Me too, me too!

AM: What did you guys love about being in Wisconsin for this season and where would you like to see it go for the next one?

GS: Wisconsin was interesting. We were just talking about this. We have been to every corner of this country at this point and we have been abroad, you know our last season, our 20th season Top Chef: World All-Stars was a massive milestone by being able to shoot the entire season in London and in Paris. That was extraordinary, but coming back home to the heartland, we hadn’t explored the Midwest. We were in Chicago in 2007 and that feels like it was an eternity ago especially in the life of restaurants. So I think that it was great to be able to go back to that part of the country and to explore its foodways (Editor’s Note: In social science, foodways are the cultural, social, and economic practices relating to the production and consumption of food. Foodways often refer to the intersection of food in culture, traditions, and history.), its indigenous culture, its agriculture, its history, the immigrant populations that brought so much of its food culture, and I don’t know, we had the greatest time! We ate a lot of cheese, we drank a lot of beer.

CHEF KK: There was a lot of custard!

GS: Oh yeah, frozen custard was obviously a highlight.

CHEF KK: I mean, thinking about where to go, I have only been to Milwaukee and Madison so the possibilities on my end – I mean wow, there’s so many places that we can go far and wide. But even from their perspective, they can speak to that, but after 21 seasons, there are just countless places that we can go and there are just so many options.

CHEF TC: The best parts of the show and they don’t get enough credit, the producers do such a great job. They’re on the ground 4 months before production starts, digging through, looking at different foodways, looking for interesting locations and really sort of teasing out some of these challenges. The team spends so much time doing it and yeah, we do a little bit of research. I mean, Gail does all of the research on the restaurants. I just tag along!

GS: I know where to go for dinner afterwards!

CHEF TC: But they do such a great job of researching for us and every season, it’s just beautiful because that location becomes its own character.

AM: Yeah.

CHEF TC: It becomes a real backdrop for everything that we do. Wisconsin was so great and the people were really friendly and so easy to work with.

GS: Coming from London, London was extraordinary for all the reasons that it was extraordinary, but London –

CHEF TC: Britain didn’t care about us!

GS: The UK doesn’t have Top Chef!

AM: Right.

GS: Their culture is all MasterChef all of the time.

CHEF TC: And the Queen died.

GS: Then the queen died in the middle of our season.

AM: Yes, that’s right!

GS: So then they really didn’t care about us. It was sort of refreshing, I liked that, but we were completely anonymous, no one cared, no one made a fuss over us, but sometimes you want a little fuss. I mean, you just want people to care that you’re there – just a little bit. Although I think it made us work harder and it challenged us in the best way, but coming back to Milwaukee – they were like – I mean, they were ready to welcome us with open arms! And that felt really nice.

AM: Love that!

And what about the 15 cheftestants this this season? Is there anything that we should keep an eye out for or what you were excited about or whatever you can share?

GS: I think that it’s really interesting that they’re fun, they’re all really good people, and they have great stories. Again, our casting team does the most amazing job because you think it’s just about casting the 15 best cooks that you can cast, but there are so many factors beyond that and our industry has changed so much and I think that it’s sort of a chicken and egg situation. Did we help mold the industry trends or did the industry trends help mold the show? I think that there is such an interesting interplay there, but you know, the diversity of our cast now versus 12 seasons ago in all senses right? Obviously people of color, we have always had a 50/50 women to men ratio which let me assure you is not the ratio in the real industry

CHEF TC: That’s right.

GS: It is such a massive undertaking casting people who are not only at the top of their game, but all have stories to tell and all can cook and talk at the same time, have perspectives and points of view that will carry over to our audience. It’s just an amazing thing the cast every season and the people that we meet and what we learn about them. I think that this year you will see a few really interesting things. Obviously stories from parts of the world from where they come from, their origins that we have never seen before which definitely is played out on their dishes and also, we’re talking a lot more about what it is like to cook with a disability in the kitchen. Which, this isn’t something that we have faced in a big way on this show. The chef who is actually from Wisconsin, Chef Dan Jacobs, the local chef and he has an amazing story to tell and I just think that it ups the level of appreciation for the craft.

CHEF TC: I think that this season, the chefs were somewhat a little inconsistent. One challenge, a chef would do amazing and then the next challenge it was – what happened? It was just hard to figure out –

GS: It kept us on our toes!

CHEF TC: It could have been nerves.

AM: Just looking at your face, we can see how you didn’t understand how that could happen.

CHEF TC: It was just so hard to understand because there were these ups and downs. But it was a great season and it was a lot of fun.

CHEF KK: It means that the challenges were very good though.

CHEF TC: Yeah, yeah.

CHEF KK: Because it challenged different parts of you and you couldn’t consistently be great at everything.

GS: And the same person wasn’t always on top.

CHEF TC: Yeah, it was an interesting season and there’s some fun stuff! We had a Sausage Race!

AM: When I saw that, I was like yes! Because I’m from the Midwest originally – I’m from Indiana!

GS: Oh!

AM: I was like what? They’re sharing the Sausage Race from the Milwaukee Brewers?

GS: It was the best! It was low hanging fruit. That kind of sounded dirty, but you know what I mean!

AM: Yes!

This season each episode is supersized for 75 mins. There wasn’t a Quick Fire in the first episode, the way immunity is handled – so what are the different twists that we can expect from this season?

CHEF KK: You know, I think that I’m really the most excited that I think midseason that’s after Restaurant Wars or something like that – that Tom and Gail are also part of the Quick Fire. So all 3 of us get to have the same conversation.

AM: Oh wow!

CHEF KK: Include it into the deliberation if you need it. It’s also nice to have the company and to have a little bit more time with them. So for me, that was one of the more fun changes that happened to do it with them.

AM: With the Elimination Challenge on the first episode, each of you had a task that the 15 cheftestants were divided to create 1 of 3 dishes. What was the thought behind the soup (Kristen’s Challenge), the roasted chicken (Tom’s Challenge), and the stuffed pasta (Gail’s Challenge)? Which we loved all of those.

GS: I think that we see patterns over the years right? We have been sitting in these chairs for a really long time Tom and I, longer than we want to admit and we see patterns in cooking. We see trends come and go, but even in the foundations of cooking, I feel that we and our producers have seen things that recur in good ways and bad, over and over again. There are certain foundations and techniques that every chef should have mastered long ago when they get to this stage, but amazingly, they get to the Top Chef Kitchen and it’s not that they don’t know how to make a roast chicken –

CHEF TC: Mmm

GS: And we know that they do it beautifully in their own kitchens.

CHEF TC: Mmm

GS: Or not.

CHEF TC: Mmm

GS: Some of them not.

ALL: Hahaha

GS: But it trips them up and they freeze and so we just wanted to first of all, put them in check and also, make sure that they understand that they shouldn’t be calling it in because something that seems really simple that we see so often on the show can be problematic and also for Kristen, I think that it was a great introduction for the first challenge because she had such a vivid memory in her season.

CHEF KK: We had to make a soup in order to make it to Seattle in the first place. So I cooked for Emeril in Vegas and there were 5 or 6 of us. You had to get his stamp of approval on the soup before you went on. So that was an easy choice for me!

CHEF TC: Roast chicken – if you’re a chef of this caliber and you can’t make a great roast chicken, maybe you need to rethink what you’re doing!

GS: Yeah!

CHEF TC: But also, there’s a certain maturity that you attain when you’re cooking for years, when you’re comfortable enough to leave something alone. I wanted to see who was going to over chef it.

AM: Right!

CHEF TC: Right? Versus having the confidence to just leave the roast chicken alone. I thought that it was a good way to start.

AM: Love that!

We all have our favorites whether it’s Restaurant Wars or certain guest judges that come in. What were your exciting moments of this season?

CHEF KK: Restaurant Wars was awesome! Restaurant Wars is fantastic and I love it so much. If I could ever go back in my life and redo one thing, it would be Restaurant Wars. I let it go.

GS: It ended up ok!

CHEF TC: I think you did alright!

CHEF KK: I just want to prove that I can do it! But it was nice to be part of it from the other side and now to be able to watch it when I see that episode – to see the thought process and the strategy that was played because I didn’t think about it in that way. So, throughout the season, I’m learning a lot about how to compete on Top Chef and I’m never going to do it again in terms of competing on Top Chef. But to also learn a thing or two with different perspectives and great chefs around the country who have something to teach us as well.

GS: I love all the challenges that take them out of the kitchen to cook in weird and wonderful places – on a farm, on a beach, in a baseball stadium. I think that it just changes everything and it gives us energy and it inspires us. But I also think that learning – everywhere we go as we obviously say – there are foodways, there are local traditions that we get to learn about and over the last several seasons gratefully, we have incorporated the indigenous foodways of everywhere we are – in Portland (S18), in Houston (S19), and certainly in this season in Milwaukee and I think that it really helps you take a step back from the way you think of food in the modern kitchen and in that sort of modernist way and we think that the way that we think of produce and agriculture gives us so much perspective as cooks.

CHEF TC: One of my favorite challenges was the Door County Fish Fry.

GS: Oh my God, wild!

CHEF TC: And the reason being was that there was this guy that does fish fry’s, probably 300 a year and he had a very specific way of doing it. We were all in the parking lot actually watching this happen and if you watch it with chef eyes, you’re like, “this is ridiculous. Why are you doing this?” You’re going against everything that you are taught. But the guy has been doing this a long time and it blew my mind that the chefs weren’t really paying attention to what he was doing. They were just like, I’m going to do it my way.

GS: Or I can make it better!

CHEF TC: Right, I can make it better. Yeah and it was interesting to watch.

AM: Oh wow!

CHEF TC: We also at some point, they were all calm and then you saw them all come to this realization that they really should have listened. Should have paid attention.

GS: They definitely should have paid attention in math class that day!

CHEF TC: Yeah.

AM: What can you tell us if anything about the finale that we should be looking forward to?

GS: I don’t know what we can tell you about the finale – there is a finale!

AM: There you go! There’s going to be people there.

CHEF TC: There’s people there.

GS: It’s not in Wisconsin. Every year it’s always a little different.

AM: So Tom, you always say that shooting this show is like Summer Camp.

CHEF TC: Yeah!

AM: What do you mean by that?

CHEF TC: Well I didn’t go to Summer Camp, but if I had –

AM: Neither have I.

CHEF TC: You go to Summer Camp, you have those friends. You see them for 6 weeks in the summer and you go back every summer and you see them. When we do this show, there’s probably 150 people on a crew these days. There has probably been about a quarter or 50 that have been doing this for 10+ years and so you see your summer friends. These are our summer friends and you hang out with them. You go out to dinner and a bunch of us play instruments and we get together and play so it’s fun!

GS: There are a lot of campfires!

CHEF TC: Yeah and it’s a fun get together and you fall right back into relationships as soon as you get there. It’s just immediately you’re right back into Summer Camp.

AM: What instrument are you playing?

CHEF TC: I play guitar!

AM: That’s what we thought!

CHEF KK: He’s very good!

GS: I play the cowbell! I’m joking!

AM: Kristen, what are you playing?

CHEF KK: If there was a keyboard, I would be playing.

CHEF TC: We’re going to get you a little accordion!

GS: Oh yeah!

CHEF KK: I will learn to play the accordion!

CHEF TC: Absolutely, we’re going to get you one so you can play.

AM: When we’re in the kitchen, we always love our favorite playlists while we’re making our dishes. What are 3 songs that you like listening to when you’re cooking?

CHEF KK: I don’t know if there is a particular song. But in my restaurant kitchen, there’s certain kinds of music that we go with the Beyonce, Whitney Houston vibe.

GS: Wow.

CHEF KK: Everyone loves it – it’s not politically drawn any which way.

AM: It’s just good sounds.

CHEF KK: It’s solid music. A lot of Earth, Wind, & Fire as well. At home, I listen to Van Morrison because I have great memories of my dad. My mom in the summertime in Michigan, all the windows in the house open and spring cleaning starts and my dad has like a CD player in the kitchen and it would blast through the house – Van Morrison – so for me, I always like to listen to Van Morrison.

AM: Tom?

CHEF TC: God, It all depends on what I am in the mood for.

GS: Yeah.

CHEF TC: I often cook with reggae and Grateful Dead - Anthony Bourdain just rolled over one time in his grave because he hates them, but it all depends. I do like cooking with music especially when I’m home.

We do have music in the kitchen here in NY at Craft, I stay out of it! I walk down there sometimes and I’m like, what the heck? But it’s like, do whatever you want.

AM: Gail?

GS: I would say the same. I love when I can be in my zone in my kitchen. I don’t like talking to people when I’m cooking, it's my quiet happy place. Everyone in my house knows that it’s my space. It’s not to say that I don’t speak to my family. I can also get them involved. But when I am in a rhythm with music, it really is my meditation in so many ways that that zone that you get into – but I listen to all kinds of things depending on my travels, where I have been, what’s happening in the moment. My husband actually works in the music industry. He creates playlists so there’s always playlists on my Spotify made from him. It also depends on my kids. My daughter has very strong opinions about the music so when she comes home she’ll often change it, but I just love a rhythm when I am cooking for sure.

AM: My last question has 3 parts, and is part of our feature, THE 9LIST 9M3NU, this month, it looks at: a) why you enjoy cooking in the Spring; b) what are spices that you enjoy cooking; and c) for Tom and Kristen, what are 3 dishes that we can enjoy are your restaurants and Gail, what are 3 dishes that we could enjoy if we were at your home?

GS: That’s a big 3 part question!

AM: We did this recently with Alton Brown and he got such a kick out of it!

So what do you love about the Spring when you are creating your dishes?

CHEF KK: I’m just excited to be out of fall! Because growing up in a 4 season kind of place, Austin is very different. I had to learn what food seasons there were. You had two tomato seasons – there’s a long story behind that. But you have 2 tomato seasons, 2 strawberry seasons. But I mean, for any season change that happens, by the time fall is nearing an end, I can’t do any more with squashes. I’m ready for the green fresh and the vibrancy! Now that my wife has started gardening, she has a whole Spring list that she is excited about. I’m excited about the fresh stuff at home and to be out of the fall vegetables!

CHEF TC: This time of year, morels, peas, and asparagus, fava beans, and rhubarb. I just shot photos of a book that I’m working on yesterday and it was Spring. There’s nothing happening in Spring right now although we had some great weather, but nothing is coming out of the ground yet. But in California, it’s already Spring and we had a bunch of stuff there that we shipped in. You know, it’s my favorite time to cook. I think that part of it is that it is Spring Renewal and you’re coming out of the winter, food becomes lighter, fresher, greener. The flavors are something that I really enjoy!

GS: I think that there is a reason that if you think about the rhythms of the world, like even in religion – Passover, Easter, or Eid, they all happen in the exact same time of year for a reason because it’s renewal, it’s celebration of the Earth and all of the waking up of the world again and so Spring is absolutely the best time of year to cook. All of the early berries and the rhubarb. All of the peas – I could eat peas all of the time, every moment of the year! But I don’t because they are so much sweeter and I like to eat them in the Spring and asparagus. All the fresh herbs, everything comes to life and I just feel like there is so much flavor there and you don’t realize until you get to cook with them, how much you have missed them through the cold winter months!

AM: Very true!

What are 3 spices that you like cooking with?

CHEF KK: Ooo someone else take this first so I can think about this one!

GS: Not together, but right now that I have been leading on a lot, sumac, smoked paprika, and cardamom. Again, not together!

AM: Right.

GS: But they are 3 spices that I find really add dimension to whatever I’m cooking.

CHEF TC: I love sumac! I always forget about sumac.

GS: I’m going to bring you some! I’m going to bring you some! I just received this giant pint container of the most beautiful sumac that I have ever tasted.

CHEF TC: Spice wise, pepper, black pepper, and long pepper which you don’t see a lot of. Fennel seed, I just can’t get enough of that!

GS: Oh me too!

CHEF TC: I absolutely love it, it’s one of my favorites. Gail and I are lovers of licorice, right here. The black ones, not the red stuff that’s candy. Actual licorice is my favorite.

GS: Ooo White Taragon is my favorite!

CHEF TC: Fennel – wild fennel fronds woo!

GS: Delicious!

CHEF TC: It’s the best!

CHEF KK: I agree on the black pepper! However, I like to toast my black pepper. So I toast my peppercorns before they go into the grinder. It just adds a whole other dimension of flavor. One of my favorite spice blends is Montreal Steak Seasoning.

GS: I love you for that answer!

CHEF KK: It’s so good!

GS: If I didn’t love you before, I love you now!

CHEF KK: It’s so good, so yes – Montreal Steak Seasoning.

GS: On everything? No matter what or just on meats?

CHEF KK: No, I do it on vegetables.

GS: Salty, smokey!

CHEF KK: I have it as a finishing salt on certain dishes. I don’t do it at my restaurant, I do it at home.

GS: I don’t know why it’s called Montreal Steak Seasoning.

CHEF KK: I don’t know either!

GS: It’s not particularly Montreal spices.

CHEF TC: It’s like why is that rice that San Francisco treat?

GS: That’s a really good question! It’s a mystery of the universe!

AM: Ha!

The last part of the question is for Kristen and Tom, what are 3 dishes that our readers should try at your restaurant that you would suggest for our readers to come and have?

CHEF KK: One of Arlo Grey's most popular dishes is this beautiful Malfaldini Pasta not that it was done intentionally, but I cooked these mushrooms several times and it just so happened to be a mushroom that got me my first win on Top Chef, but people love to come to the restaurant to try it. It’s like a 4 day sauce that you dehydrate and rehydrate it and it’s just humble white button mushrooms.

There’s this Crispy Rice dish which is my ode to crab fried rice in a lot of ways.

There are 3 dishes that will never change those two and the Lime Sorbet which has pink peppercorns, coconut, and people really love it and it’s like the dessert palette cleanser.

AM: Tom

CHEF TC: Well, it depends on the restaurant!

AM: Well choose your restaurant!

CHEF TC: So Small Batch out in Garden City, LI, I would say the Braised Chicken Thighs. We do it with semi-dried tomatoes, soppressata, lots of sherry vinegar, roasted garlic confit and really good.

Craft NY, the Braised Beef Short Ribs are the go-to there and any of the pasta dishes that we make are really good. We make them all by hand at Craft.

Then Temple Court, the Roast Chicken is really good! It’s a Spring roasted chicken with lots of garlic, ramps, and mushrooms.

AM: Gail, if we were to go home with you, what would we have for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner?

GS: Oh wait, now I have to give you a whole day? That’s a lot of things!

AM: Well, it’s 3 dishes!

GS: Alright, sure, ok! That’s fair!

Alright, I’m a big egg person so I would always make you eggs in the morning. I like just a simple, well I like eggs anyway that you give them to me, but one of my favorite ways is just a really simple soft scramble with some chives and a little parmesan. But I’m very particular, I hate when eggs are overcooked. I don’t want them undercooked.

CHEF TC: You hate the Spanish Fry.

GS: I hate – well I love them in a Spanish Tortilla but the fried egg with the crispy edges – I like it when the egg yolk is still runny.

CHEF TC: Ok.

GS: You know what I mean?

CHEF TC: Alright!

GS: There’s a delicate balance, but for a scramble or an omelet, it really drives me nuts when you get that brown crust on top! A soft scramble means cooking it slowly. People just want to pummel an egg and that’s not nice to the egg. So that’s what I would make you for breakfast.

For lunch, lunch is kind of random – it’s not like I’m making elaborate lunches! But maybe I would make a roasted chicken with some spring vegetables or make you a really big fresh salad with a beautiful piece of fish on top.

For dinner, my family, we love soups all year around. We make a lot of soup and braises as well as stews because it’s really great for families to eat and to make in big batches! But now that it is Spring, maybe I need to get out of that.

I’m trying to think of dinner because I don’t have a signature or a restaurant so I don’t have to cook anything ever more than once! I love that as a cook, I can make whatever I want.

AM: That’s right!

GS: So I think that it really depends on the time of year and where I’m coming from. Every time I’m coming back from a trip, I bring back with me these memories of a favorite thing that I was cooking then so I just got back from a trip from Quebec and all I want to eat now is Maple Syrup on everything. So, I might make you a very traditional Quebec Tourtiere which is a savory meat pie with a beautiful golden crust. It’s sort of like a chicken potpie, but it’s a little heavier. Or maybe a Tarte au Sucre which is a traditional Maple Sugar Tart – for dinner – just tart!

IG @bravotopchef

@kristenlkish

@tomcolicchio

@gailsimmonseats

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | FRONT COVER Stephanie Diani/Bravo | PG 16 - 39, BACK COVER + 9PLAYLIST COLLAB David Moir/Bravo |

Read the MAR ISSUE #99 of Athleisure Mag and see IN GOOD TASTE | Chef Tom Colicchio, Chef Kristen Kish, and Gail Simmons in mag.

SPRING STAYCATION | NOMO SOHO + CHOLA

We've navigated the fall and winter and depending where you're located, you're experiencing varying degrees of Spring! We love that during this time of year, you just want to do more things outside for longer periods! We also love that you feel the need to get a change of pace and sometimes it's not about traveling to a far off locale, but to experience your city and its neighborhoods in a different way!

For this month's location, we decided that a staycation in SoHo was the perfect way to enjoy of of our favorite neighborhoods. The ability to have an array of shopping destinations, restaurants, galleries, and more in the area is a great way to have a bit of a reset whether you do it solo, with friends, family, or your significant other!

To kick off our staycation, we stayed at the NoMo SoHo located on 9 Crosby St. We love that this area is Instagram ready, makes you feel like you're in the midst of fashionable brands from Maison Margiela, Alexis Bittar, R13 Denim, and Flying Solo to name a few, and has epic views with their floor to cieling windows where we could take in Hudson Yards and World Trade Center.

We have had the pleasure of attending a number of editor events, grabbing a bite at NoMo Kitchen, and more. We sat down and talked with NoMo SoHo's General Manager, Jeff Harvey, to find out about this hotel, amenities that it offers, the guest experience!

ATHLEISURE MAG: We've had the pleasure of attending events at this property from a number of years when it was the Mondrian and when it became the NoMo SoHo. Before we delve into the hotel, what can you tell us about what draws people to SoHo?

JEFF HARVEY: SoHo is an iconic Manhattan neighborhood - it’s infused with creativity, evocative expression, and artistic dedication - and we are lucky to call it home. Guests who stay at NoMo SoHo are truly in the epicenter of fashion, art, culture and nightlife, experiencing the best of the city.

AM: When did NoMo SoHo open?

JH: The hotel rebranded as NoMo SoHo in 2015.

AM: One of our favorite things about the hotel is the entrance. It's fun to see the graffiti, the arced trees and the lights. What is the overall aesthetic of this hotel that you want guests to feel when they enter?

JH: We’re very focused on art, and are proud to showcase both local artists and world-renowned talent. The archway at the entrance called the Tunnel of Love, along with the surrounding pieces, prepare guests for what they’ll see once inside: a graffiti-style heart mural in NoMo Kitchen from J. Goldcrown and rotating exhibitions throughout the hotel. Most recently, we showed art from local artist Robert Malmberg’s collection “The Sum of our Parts,” and we have exciting art and cultural activations planned for the remainder of the year.

AM: We love that this hotel has a number spaces that are IG worthy, including NoMo Kitchen. Can you tell us about the ambiance and when it is open?

JH: NoMo Kitchen is situated on the ground floor in a bright, vibrant greenhouse setting, offering a true SoHo dining experience. The restaurant is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and serves brunch Friday through Sunday. The restaurant extends onto the patio with the Rose Garden, an outdoor dining option open any time the weather permits. This floral oasis in the middle of the city is a picture-perfect spot to enjoy a meal with friends.

AM: In terms of the perfect Spring cocktail, what are 3 that you suggest for lunch?

JH: We suggest the “Spring Fizz,” made with a gin base, bergamot liqueur, raspberry notes, lemon & a splash of grapefruit. This cocktail is refreshing and light, making it perfect for sipping on a warm spring day. We also recommend the “Rose Spritz,” made with sparkling rose and St. Germain, perfect for outdoor gatherings and pairs wonderfully with springtime fare. For guests looking to enjoy a cocktail sans-alcohol, we recommend the “Immuniti” mocktail with hibiscus, fresh thyme and lime.

AM: When we're popping by for lunch, what are 3 appetizers that we can share?

JH: When enjoying lunch at NoMo Kitchen, we’d recommend sharing the roasted tomato burrata, the crab coquettes, and endive bites. These simple but classic options are the perfect tasty portions to start a lunch rendezvous.

AM: What are 3 dishes that you suggest for lunch that should be on our radar?

JH: For lunch, our flatbreads are always a hit. The heirloom tomato and garlic or the vodka sauce and burrata are not to be missed.

AM: As we move into dinner, what are 3 appetizers that you suggest that are on this portion of the menu?

JH: For dinner, we recommend the beef tartare, garlic shrimp, and the king oyster mushrooms to start.

AM: What are 3 entrees that we should consider for dinner when sharing with friends and family?

JH: When sharing at dinner, we recommend sharing the seafood paella or the whole baked rainbow trout. Both entrees have generous portions and are ideal when sharing.

AM: What are 3 cocktails that we should have for dinner?

JH: For dinner, we recommend guests order a classic martini, a timeless cocktail that's simple yet sophisticated, making it an excellent choice to accompany dinner. From our menu of signature cocktails at NoMo, “The Fix” is made with bourbon, campari, white peach & chipotle, perfect for sipping on its own or pairing with a variety of dishes. For guests looking for a lighter drink, we recommend the “Sun Kissed” featuring citrus and ginger flavors. These dinner cocktails offer a range of flavors and styles to complement various meals and occasions, from light and refreshing to bold and aromatic.

AM: What are 3 entrees that we can have for brunch when sharing with friends and family?

JH: Some of our most popular brunch offerings include the NoMo lemon ricotta pancakes, the avocado toast, and the NoMo burger. These options provide the perfect variety of savory and sweet to satisfy any craving.

AM: What are 3 brunch approved cocktails that we should enjoy?

JH: NoMo Kitchen recently launched its spring menu, featuring a great variety of seasonal, internationally-inspired dishes. It includes some year-round favorites, like our lemon ricotta pancakes and NoMo burger, alongside new items like a baked whole rainbow trout, ricotta flatbread with sundried tomatoes and artichokes, and a strawberry rhubarb tart. Combined with our mixologists’ expertly crafted cocktails, the new menus ensure guests can find the perfect option for their ideal meal in SoHo.

AM: We love a good Happy Hour - what do you offer during this time of day?

JH: Our happy hour is from 4-5pm every weeknight, and we offer discounted drinks and bites for those looking for an afternoon snack or a quick stop after work. During happy hour, beers start at $8, wines and spirits start at $10, and select appetizers such as grilled fish tacos, sriracha honey chicken wings and angus beef sliders start at $10.

AM: We love Taco Tuesday and in the month of March, you have some amazing themes. What are some themes that you have for this for the rest of the Spring and as we head into the Summer?

JH: Our chefs have been flexing their creativity with our Taco Tuesday menus. Past dishes have included octopus tacos with purple potatoes for National Octopus Day and Kahlua-marinated carnitas for National Kahlua Day. Upcoming menus will celebrate National peanut butter & jelly day with a first-time dessert taco and National German beer day for example where the taco protein will be battered. Taco Tuesday at NoMo Kitchen is served as a combo paired with a Margarita that follows the theme.

AM: We really enjoyed seeing the views from our room as those floor to ceiling windows were great! For guests who are staying at NoMo SoHo, tell us about the rooms as well as suites that you offer and what are the amenities that you have available?

JH: We’re proud to be in the tallest building in SoHo, and our floor-to-ceiling windows show off the incredible views that come with that distinction. Depending on which way the room is facing, travelers can get truly panoramic views of the beautiful city skyline, seeing the bridges into Brooklyn and overlooking the Empire State Building. The hotel’s spacious rooms feature full-size work desks, C.O. Bigelow bath amenities, luxurious bathrooms and more.

AM: You offer a #YourPlace package that allows people to use a room during the day. This is such a great concept - can you tell us about what day guests can enjoy when purchasing this package and if there are discounts for those who want to book a series of days?

JH: YourPlace allows guests to rent rooms for four or eight hours, providing premium day-use rooms that are popular with remote workers looking for a quiet, distraction-free place to boost productivity. These rooms come with complimentary snacks, access to our fitness center, and contactless room service.

AM: Tell us about your fitness center and what you offer here.

JH: Our 24-hour fitness center is equipped with cardio machines, free weights and weight machines. NoMo SoHo also frequently hosts public workout classes in our Penthouse or outdoor terrace (seasonally), open to guests looking to break a sweat and take in some of the best views of the city.

AM: There are many reasons why people are at your hotel and there is something about being in historic SoHo! For those that live in the neighborhood and are not staying at the hotel, but swing by NoMo SoHo for a Taco Tuesday, what are 2 additional things that you suggest that they should do in the neighborhood?

JH: SoHo has incredible shopping and a wide variety of art galleries. We always recommend that guests take in all of the art they can find nearby, and frequently see guests toting shopping bags into the hotel.

AM: For those that are enjoying a vacation or staycation, what are 3 things that you suggest that they should do in SoHo or in a nearby neighborhood?

JH: In addition to art and fashion, New York City is filled with opportunities to see live performances. Whether it’s a comedy show or a concert, it’s highly recommended.

AM: For our business traveler, who has the pleasure of staying at the hotel. What are meeting options you have for their gathering needs on property and what are 3 things that you suggest that they can enjoy in terms of bonding with their fellow colleagues that are off property and are in SoHo?

JH: Our event venues offer incredible variety. For a traditional meeting, groups can book our ground floor gallery or terrace, or groups can opt to book the Penthouse & terrace for a meeting with a view. The Penthouse has 360-degree views of the city, ample outdoor space, and can be configured to fit groups large and small. Business dinners in NoMo Kitchen are always a hit, and there’s no shortage of entertainment just outside of our doors for business travelers looking to take in more of the city.

AM: With the Spring and the Summer around the corner, are there events coming up that NoMo SoHo will be part of that you would like for us to know about?

JH: We just launched a series of wellness classes with Sound of Om, a local partner leading yoga, sound baths, meditation and more in our Penthouse. It’s a great way for guests and locals to relax atop the city. The Rose Garden is also open this spring and summer for diners looking to take in the weather during the warmer months.

AM: Are there any packages that you would like to highlight that we should keep on our radar?

JH: Our Pride offer will be available for stays throughout the month of June and will give guests a Pride welcome amenity, credit to dine at NoMo Kitchen, and two complimentary Pride cocktails at the restaurant’s bar.

IG @thenomosoho

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | NoMo SoHo

We love that a staycation allows you to really enjoy a neighborhood at a granular level whether it's trying a new coffee spot, walking into a lounge for a few drinks, or taking in the architecture in the area! But when you're in a city like NYC, you are only an Uber or subway ride away from changing up the vibe!

We decided to revisit Chola, which we have previously featured in The Art of the Snack for our NOV ISSUE #49 in 2019. They have been making incredible Indian cuisine for 26 years and we wanted to try new dishes on the menu as well as take in the vibe and heartwarming way that they create each dish that leaves their kitchen. After an epic meal on the UES, we wanted to go deeper into their history, find out about the founder Shiva Natarajan as well as its owner Min Bhujel, and what guests can expect from this restaurant which is enjoyed by so many including Martha Stewart who has dishes named for her!

ATHLEISURE MAG: We had the pleasure of dining at Chola a few years ago and enjoyed the dishes that we had. Can you tell us a bit about the history of Chola as we know it opened in 1998!

CHOLA: Chola first opened its doors in February 1998, initially offering a menu centered around North Indian cuisine; however, it wasn't until founder Shiva Natarajan introduced South Indian dishes to the menu that the restaurant truly garnered attention. This pivotal move earned them a notable two-star review from The New York Times, propelling Chola to its current status as an acclaimed dining destination.

AM: Shiva Natarajan founded the restaurant and is known as a pioneer in Indian Cuisine here in NY. Can you tell us about his background and what led him to creating Chola?

C: Shiva, the founder of Chola, initially embarked on a career in finance as a young professional. However, after a few years in the financial sector, Shiva realized that his true calling lay in the culinary world. Growing up, he spent considerable time in the kitchen, learning invaluable techniques and recipes from his grandmother. This early exposure ignited his curiosity and passion for food and cooking, ultimately prompting him to transition away from finance. Inspired by his love for Indian cuisine, Shiva ventured into the restaurant industry, launching establishments like Sahib and Malai Marke. Through these ventures, he played a pivotal role in pioneering the Indian dining scene in New York City.

AM: We enjoyed meeting Min Bhujel as we dined at Chola this month and he is now its owner. Can you tell us about his journey in the culinary industry, working alongside Shiva, what it means to run the restaurant, and what the goals are for the upcoming years?

C: Min Bhujel embarked on his culinary journey in his native India, accumulating 16 years of experience in the hospitality sector. Upon moving to the U.S., he had the privilege of being mentored by Shiva, eventually becoming his protégé and right-hand man for over a decade. During this time, Min played integral roles in the operation and management of several of Shiva’s acclaimed restaurants.

Now, as the owner of Chola, Min's journey has come full circle. Running the restaurant holds profound significance for him, symbolizing the culmination of years of hard work and dedication in the culinary industry.

Looking ahead, Min, alongside Shiva, aims to uphold Chola's recognition in the Michelin Guide. Their ultimate aspiration is to earn a coveted MICHELIN star for the restaurant, reflecting their unwavering commitment to culinary excellence and innovation.

AM: What is Shiva's involvement in Chola at this point?

C: Shiva remains heavily involved in Chola's operations, particularly in menu and recipe development. He maintains a consistent on-site presence, diligently overseeing the quality and consistency of their menu items and service. Acting as a guiding force, Shiva continues to play a pivotal role in ensuring the restaurant's ongoing success.

AM: Shiva was on Martha Stewart's, Martha Cooks on Roku and is currently writing a cookbook. Can you tell us about this recent appearance as well as his cookbook?

C: During his recent appearance on Martha Cooks, Shiva teamed up with his friend and longtime patron, Martha Stewart, to showcase the preparation of some beloved traditional Indian dishes. Sharing his expertise, he provided valuable insights on spice selection and demonstrated the art of cooking Martha's favorite Indian dishes, including Butter Chicken, Okra, Lemon Rice, and Raita Yogurt.

Additionally, Shiva is currently channeling his extensive knowledge and experience of Indian cuisine into writing a cookbook. This endeavor aims to consolidate his culinary wisdom and travels across India, where he has picked up countless regional recipes to be shared with the world.

AM: When we're talking about Indian food, what are the ingredients and spices that are indicative of this cuisine?

C: When discussing Indian cuisine, several key ingredients and spices come to mind that are indicative of its rich, vibrant flavors. Some of these include curry leaves, coriander, cumin, saffron, cloves, chili, fenugreek, tamarind, and ginger.

AM: From a culinary standpoint, what regions do the dishes offered come from?

C: The dishes offered at Chola originate from diverse regions across India. These include Northern Indian regions like Kashmir and Punjab, as well as Kolkata in the northeast, and southern regions along the coast such as Bangalore and Karnataka. Shiva's extensive travels throughout India have enabled him to bring back traditional and original recipes from these regions, enriching Chola's menu for his customers to enjoy.

AM: You make your Ghee fresh at Chola - why is this such an important ingredient?

C: Freshly made Ghee holds significant importance at Chola due to its profound impact on the flavor of the cuisine. Crafted daily through the tempering technique, it enhances the taste and aroma of the dishes. One of Chola's best-kept secrets lies in the special blend of herbs used to temper the Ghee, further enriching its flavor and aroma.

AM: Before we delve into the menu, can you tell us about what guests can expect to see when they come into the restaurant. And can you tell us about the iconic vintage clock?

C: With a passion for antiquing, Shiva procured a broken antique clock from a train station three years ago. After careful restoration and customization, this clock now proudly adorns Chola's entrance, symbolizing its enduring presence in the Upper East Side neighborhood for the past 26 years.

Stepping inside, guests are greeted in the front room that features a spacious bar embellished with golden hanging pendants, exuding a warm and inviting glow. In the dining room, marbled walls complement gray banquettes lining the perimeter, while black and white photographs showcase coastal scenes from Southern India, offering a glimpse into the cuisine's origins. Throughout the restaurant, a blend of modern and traditional accents pays homage to the vibrant tapestry of Indian culture.

AM: In our recent visit, we were reminded of why we love this restaurant as you can feel the love and mindfulness in the dishes. It's also amazing to watch the faces of others that are there as you can see that they are being transported as well. Can you talk about some of the traditional culinary practices that are upheld at Chola?

C: At the heart of Chola's cuisine lies a deep-rooted passion and reverence for traditional cooking methods. Drawing inspiration from familial traditions, the kitchen meticulously upholds these practices to preserve the authenticity of each dish.

For Shiva, maintaining these culinary traditions is akin to staging a Broadway performance each night. The kitchen is expected to operate at peak performance, ensuring the consistency and excellence in every dish. This dedication guarantees that each visit to Chola promises the same high-quality experience for their patrons.

AM: You have new items on the menu which I know we had the pleasure of having. For an appetizer, what are 3 dishes that you suggest that we should share with friends and family?

C: For appetizers, here are three dishes Shiva highly recommends sharing with friends and family:

• Baghari Jhinga, creamy mustard shrimp from Kashmir

• Phuckawala Alu Dum, spiced tamarind potatoes, fresh coriander, and ginger

• Lasoni Gobi, tangy cauliflower, ginger, and garlic

AM: For the entree, what are 3 dishes that you suggest that we should enjoy?

C: For Entrees, Shiva suggests the following:

• Lata Shetty’s Lobster Ghee Roast, a family recipe from Shiva’s mother-in-law with tamarind, coconut, and onions

• Meen Polichattu, pan seared fish in a banana leaf

• Tanjavur Avial, a coconut-vegetable dish from Kerala

AM: We are huge fans of Saag Paneer and we did enjoy that when we visited, but we also had a new favorite, Gosht Saag! The lamb was lovely and that balanced with the spinach was truly a great experience! Can guests who enjoy a specific meat like goat have it paired with a curry or sauce that would make it a unique dish that may not be officially on the menu?

C: While we strive to accommodate our guests' preferences, our preparation method involves marinating and grilling meats specific to the masala or curry they will accompany. This meticulous process ensures optimal flavor but limits the flexibility to interchange meats with our sauce variety. Therefore, we cannot always accommodate the interchanging of meats and sauces, but we are confident there is something for everyone on our expansive menu.

AM: What are 3 meat based dishes that we should think about having for our next meal?

C: For Meat dishes, Shiva suggests:

• Melagu Kozhi Chettinad, a spicy pepper chicken curry dish from the house of Chettiyars

• Golbari Kosha Mangsho, a slow cooked bone-in goat curry from Kolkata

• Saag Gosht, spiced lamb, pureed spinach, ginger

AM: We love the rice and naan dishes that are offered - what are 3 that we should order for the table?

C: Must try rice and Naan items are:

• Misti Rice, a delicacy from Kolkata that features sweet rice, cashews, raisins, and ghee

• Mughlai Goat Biryani, a highly aromatic specialty with Basmati rice, whole spices, yogurt, and herbs served in a clay pot

• For Naan, the Chili Onion Naan is recommended for spice lovers

AM: To complete our meal, what are 3 desserts that we should think about having to share?

CC: To round off your meal perfectly, patrons should try the following desserts:

• Kulfi, a condensed milk and saffron ice cream

• Misti Dohi, a fermented sweetened yogurt from Kolkata

• Coconut Barfi, coconut squares with cardamom

AM: The cocktails have been curated by Allen Katz, Owner of the New York Distilling Company. Can you talk about his background and what his vision was for your beverage program?

C: The cocktails at Chola have been crafted by Allen Katz, Owner of the New York Distilling Company. With a background as one of the nation’s foremost authorities on distilled spirits and cocktails, Allen serves as the Director of Spirits Education & Mixology for Southern Wine & Spirits of New York. Renowned for his expertise, he conducts public and professional seminars on topics such as America’s food and cocktail heritage and even hosted The Cocktail Hour for Martha Stewart on SiriusXM.

For Chola's beverage program, Allen created cocktails that harmonize perfectly with the cuisine. He aimed to provide refreshing options that complement the bold flavors of our spicier dishes, ensuring a well-rounded dining experience for Chola’s guests.

AM: What are 3 cocktails that you suggest that we should order when enjoying our meal?

C: From Allen’s list, must try cocktails include:

• Himalayan Sunset, Spring 44 vodka, King’s Ginger liqueur, mango puree and fresh lime juice

• East of Manhattan, Ragtime rye, La Copa sweet vermouth and saffron syrup

• Ginger Lime Fizz, vodka, orange liqueur, ginger, fresh lime and cranberry juice

AM: In terms of beer and wine, what are 3 you suggest?

C: When it comes to beer and wine selections, Shiva recommends the following:

• Indian beers like Taj Mahal and Kingfisher offer a refreshing complement to the cuisine

• Rose from Driopi, Greece pairs nicely with a variety of dishes

• And don't miss out on Chola’s house-made Lassis, available in Mango, Sweet, and Salt variations, which are great non-alcoholic beverage options

IG @cholanyc

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Chola

Read the MAR ISSUE #99 of Athleisure Mag and see SPRING STAYCATION | NoMo SoHo + Chola in mag.

BRAIN HEALTH IS KEY | ALTON BROWN

This month, we had the pleasure to sit down and talk with Chef Alton Brown who is known as a TV Personality, super informative food scientist, author, voice actor, and cinematographer. Growing up, we enjoyed watching Food Network's Good Eats so much, which examined the origins of ingredients, and shares culinary customs and shared recipes with us. In addition, we enjoyed watching him host Iron Chef America on the network as well as Netflix's Iron Chef: Quest For An Iron Legend.

His passion behind the science of food, as well as its history, is always exciting to learn about. We took some time to find out about brain health, how he got into the industry and his partnership with Neuriva.

ATHLEISURE MAG: I have been a fan of your work ever since 1999 when I saw the first episode of Good Eats on Food Network!

ALTON BROWN: Oh wow! You were in grade school?

AM: Hmm ’99, I was in college!

AB: It’s funny, it still sounds recent. When I hear someone say 1999, I’m like that’s not too far away!

AM: Same! I was born in ’79 so I don’t feel it’s that far away!

AB: I graduated from high school in ’79!

AM: We’re always talking about health – fitness, gut, mental, and we don’t always get to brain health. But that is an important component as well. Why is it important to you?

AB: Well I really started to think about it a lot when I was thinking about the fact that I was going to turn 60 soon. I studied nutrition so much and I have read so much about it – I have probably forgotten a lot but, I hadn’t really spent a lot of time thinking about what my brain actually needed from me from a culinary standpoint, a supplemental standpoint, an exercise standpoint, or any standpoint. So I started doing a fair amount of research from a few years ago reading peer review papers and I have always enjoyed research. When I got a call from Neuriva, I was like, I already know what is in there, because I have already read papers on ashwagandha and papers on NeuroFactor and so it was very clear to me very quickly that they were very into the science, as was I. That’s how that started and that’s how I got interested in learning about what brains need and they are very complex organs. They do need things and a lot of what it is that they need, is that we need to feed them. The rest, I think supplementally helps.

For me, I break it down into exercise, quality sleep – which most of us do not get – as sleep is gigantic and really almost more important than exercise, nutrition, and what I call – brain stretching. For me, I always need to be in a state of always learning about something that I don’t know. It’s about studying and not just reading for fun. I have to have the ability to actively acquire information.

AM: Yeah, like putting the pieces together.

AB: Right, or my brain gets lazy. It does the equivalent of cracking a beer and sitting down in front of the TV if it’s not actively learning. That’s my brain – not me!

AM: Of course not you!

AB: I’m not a beer person!

And the other part is supplements. When I was studying nutrition from a brain standpoint, I thought there are a lot of things that I would like to get, but it’s just hard to get in food. You can, but not easily because you would have to eat a whole lot of something that you don’t want to. So I break it down into those 5 parts. I try to learn and now that I am in my 60’s, I need to try to learn enough so that my brain can continue to go for perhaps a little while longer.

AM: So what is Neuriva?

AB: You mean the actual supplement itself?

AM: Yes!

AB: Well, there are several of them. They have different things in them, but really, it’s a matter of adding, so the original Neuriva has this thing called NeuroFactor which is an extract from coffee berries – not the seeds, the berries. It also has Phosphatidylserine which is a phospholipid which supports cell membranes especially in the brain. So those 2 chemicals together – originally they were obtained from animal sources and then someone figured out how to get them from soybeans so it’s vegetable derived now. But those 2 things together formed a core of the two nutrients that I was interested in that I couldn’t just get.

You can get coffee berries for your beverage, but you need a lot and I’d rather take them in this supplement. On top of that I don’t really like the way that it tastes. For the Phosphatidylserine, it’s just almost impossible to get. So, those 2 things help you do maintenance for connectivity and cell membranes and then they added Neuriva Plus which brought B6 and B12 to they party. They are very symbiotic vitamins for brain health with those others. Then when Ultra came out, that added an extract from a member of the ginger family – Galangal – there are 4 different kinds of Galangals in the ginger family. They are wonderful for enhancing alertness. I like that one because it also works symbiotically with caffeine. It doesn’t have caffeine, but it works with it and I am a coffee person, so I have moved to that. It’s the same package plus the B Vitamins, plus that extract so it’s kind of like, you can get the base model or the extra! Of course when they come out with their next one, I don’t know! Because now that they have used Ultra, I told them to be careful about that as when it's out, what are you going to do? I mean what’s next, Super Ultra?

AM: Just hearing you talk about how you delve into the base parts of how things come together, how did you come to the culinary industry?

AB: I was a filmmaker, cinematographer, and director for TV commercials. I watched food shows and back in the late 80’s and the 90’s, I thought that they were boring and I knew that I wasn’t really learning anything. It was like, I have another recipe, great. But I don’t know why and I don’t know why any of this works?

I wanted shows that were more exciting and more visual. I wanted to know more on why that was going on and no one wanted to make that show.

So I quit and I went to culinary school. When I went to culinary school, I realized that they weren’t going to show me why either. Luckily, there was another college in this little town I went to for culinary school in Vermont and they had a library that we could use. So they would publish their chemistry reading list and I just went and started studying it because unfortunately, science is the answer to just about everything. There’s a science play everywhere, not necessarily for matters of the heart, but everything else.

So I think that I got addicted in a way that was chemical to telling those stories and to get people excited and to get people to be curious. It sparked in me a curiosity engine that I wouldn’t want to turn off.

AM: We love hearing about people's routines! What are 3 things that they enjoy doing, having, enjoying/being in the Morning, Afternoon, and at Night. We call this 63MIX ROUTIN3S.

AB: This has very much come out of my brain studies.

AM: I assumed!

AB: As a matter of fact, I'm not naturally a routine person. The only routine that I used to have was that I will stumble out somewhere and I will find coffee. When I went to bed, where I got to bed – at that time, everything was about work. I would work until 4 in the morning and then when I got up, I did it all over again.

So now with this routine that I have, it's about sleep and I have a bed time! I have a bed time. I have a bed hour that I have to get to bed during. Somewhere between 10:30 and 11:30, I must be in bed.

I can’t look at a screen at least 2 hours before then. It screws up everything. I can read, but it has to be a book. I have to get that sleep!

I also have a time that I get up and it’s no later than 6:30 in the morning. Because the morning to me is like stolen time it’s before you have to do things for other people. I’m working on my first collection of essays and memoirs stuff right know which has been a very challenging thing right now. I write better in the morning and I edit what I wrote at night better at this time. So that's a very big one.

My wife and I, Elizabeth, do not eat after 8pm at night. If that’s not enforced, you automatically set a clock where it forces at least a 15 hour break for the next day which puts me off my schedule for breakfast!

And then the other thing that I won't call a routine is that I used to say, ok, I'm going to workout. It's like, I have to put on clothes that I don't like.

AM: No 3-piece suits!

AB: It depends! I knew that it would be an hour and a half and that I would hate it. So instead, I have learned to break it up into chunks. I do micro workouts! I try to do 3 of them everyday. One of them has to be weight related. It doesn’t have to be a lot of weight.

One of them has to be 100% cardio. It can be fast - or when we're in NY, we have an apartment here and we live in Atlanta. If there is a coffeeshop that I want to go to like when we have our apartment here in NY, as opposed to picking the one on our block, I’ll pick one that is 3 miles away. So I earn -

AM: You earn that coffee!

AB: Yes! So there's always a cardio, there's always a weightlifting and this is going to sound so stupid, but my wife read this book called Breathe and convinced me that the entirety of my life, I had been breathing wrong. I don’t meditate because it makes me fall asleep, but I literally stop and work on nothing but breathing for half an hour.

AM: Breathwork is so important!

AB: Well I never knew that! I just thought that is was eh?

AM: I started doing it about a year ago and it really is effective!

AB: I was like, I'm already breathing! But the truth is, I'm a scuba diver and when I got the scuba diving training when I was much much younger, breath control was such a huge huge part of making your air last and not sinking all of the time, so it reminded me of that training that I went through and it's incredibly effective both mentally and physically! Two years ago, I wouldn't have been into it!

AM: It has been such a pleasure to chat with you and to be able to meet you and being such a fan of Good Eats as well as other shows that you have been on!

We enjoyed interviewing Alton and in addition to having time to talk with him, we enjoyed an intimate dinner party with him and the Neuriva team that would fuel our brain health.

Over our four course dinner at Hearth, Chef Marco Canora's (founder of Bone Broth brand, Brodo) Tuscan-American farm-to-table restaurant in the East Village of NYC, Alton walked us through each of the dishes! Of course, he provided the science behind them and why they are effective. Our first course was the Ribollita. It's an honor to share some select notes highlighted by Chef Alton from this special dinner.

AB: I’m so excited that we’re sharing this intimate dinner party together and as we enjoy our various courses, I’m going to tell you a bit about the brain nutrients that are involved in the dishes that we’re going to enjoy! The brain needs a number of nutrients for its health and you can get those outside of a supplementary way. One of the ingredients is coffee berries – I like coffee but I don’t like the berries and I’m not a fan of the taste and another one is Phosphatidylserine which is a lipid, a phospholipid that we used to get from brains in animals and now we get them from soybeans. It helps to build and maintain cell membranes and I want this stuff, I need to get this, and I can’t get enough of it in food. Then, all of a sudden there was the original Neuriva formula which I believe only contained those two things. So I knew it was the supplement for me as I wouldn’t be able to get enough of it in food.

So not too long after that, I was called up by them and I thought yes, get your scientists on the phone because I want to talk about white papers and everything. So it happened very naturally to partner with Neuriva and it’s been a couple of great years. I have been taking the product for awhile now and Ultra happens to be my favorite because it works really nicely when the caffeine hits.

We have a very stimulating evening ahead and we also have what I like to call instead of a Tasting Menu, a Thinking Menu as we talk about food. Everybody knows what the Mediterranean Diet (Editor’s Note: The Mediterranean Diet is a diet inspired by the eating habits and traditional food typical of southern Spain, southern Italy, and Crete, and formulated in the early 1960s.) is as it can be a bit loosey goosey and sexy and cool. It has had some great effects. From that is another diet that emerged from it known as the DASH Diet (Editor’s Note: Known as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, it is a flexible and balanced eating plan that helps create a heart-healthy eating style for life) that some of you may not have heard of that is a version of the Mediterranean Diet that was designed specifically for people that were fighting hypertension problems. So if anyone with us was in the 80s we used to have these things called Graphic Equalizer Stereos that turned things up and down on different parts of the soundwave and that’s what that diet did. It went for the hypertension part and removed salt and then it did some other things. Then in the 2015, Martha Clare Morris came up with the MIND Diet (Editor’s Note: Known as The Mediterranean – DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay Diet combines portions of the DASH Diet and the Mediterranean Diet which have been shown to improve cognition) and it takes the same componentry of the Mediterranean Diet and changing it up for our brains. What would our brains want out of that diet? It’s a little bit different as it emphasizes some other components that might not have been as focused as much. For instance, all the diets have fruit! No one is going to talk bad about fruit. The MIND Diet says, you know what? The brain really wants dark berries. Blueberries - eat your blueberries. Have more olive oil, eat more leafy greens. No one is going to say anything bad about these things either. The MIND Diet has more poultry, even more than fish! There is a substance in poultry called choline (Editor’s Note: Found in poultry, this prevents abnormal storage of fat in the liver, which ensures proper body metabolism and efficient utilization of nutrients. It also supports the proper functioning of the nervous system and ensures its harmony.) which is really hard to get anywhere else, but in good lean, protein meat. Choline has a lot to do with enhancing the way that phospholipids work in the brain and our membranes as well. The good news is that unlike other diets, red wine is on the MIND Diet currently. There is some research for that. Tonight, we’re going to eat 4 courses. We’ll try to enhance and bring to the party, some of those foods that are incorporated into the MIND Diet and we’ll talk about it course by course as we go through it.

We are very fortunate to be at this restaurant! Hearth is one of the best restaurants in NY and I have known Chef Marco Canora for many years. There are brilliant, brilliant cooks here. Chef Michael Keough is here tonight and I hope he will come in and say something to us in a bit. I had some questions for him this morning and he was so gracious about answering about things that are on tonight’s menu.

Our first course is going to be a soup called Ribollita. If anybody has spent time in Tuscany, this is a soup that you would have seen there. It's a basic - I hate to say the word the word but here it comes – rustic soup. What this one does is it’s going to hit one of the major notes and chords of the MIND Diet – beans! When we talk about green beans, we’re also talking about dry beans. This is a bean soup in vegetable stock and we will be enjoying those vegetables tonight! There will be carrots, there are some onions, and I believe there is some cabbage in there. This also has some sage and garlic infusion. The cool thing about this in its traditional form, is that is bread based. It is thickened usually with moistened bread and always served with crisp, giant croutons on top. There is also a dusting of parmesan cheese. But most of the flavor will be coming from those beans. That’s going to guarantee that we are getting those beans that we want. Of course you can enjoy the bread as well as the olive oil which is also perfect for this diet as well.

We enjoyed this hearty soup which was flavorful and nourishing. It really set the stage for the next portion of our meal which was a Pizzocheri, a ribbon pasta.

AB: As we continue on in the MIND Diet, the next course is a Pizzocheri. We don’t talk much about mushrooms in brain health and brain support, but there’s a lot of research that suggests that we should be focusing on them a lot more. They’re good for our bodies, our planet, and our brains. This Pizzocheri is topped with a little bit of fontina cheese and what we’re getting is some great vegetation with the cabbage and some brain healthy mushrooms that are not currently listed on the MIND Diet, but I think that they will be in the next few years and a whole grain pasta which is a perfectly acceptable way to get your grains.

This was yet another dish from the night that was filling an full of nutrients that are beneficial to our health. We all agreed that this was something that we would enjoy eating throughout the winter! Where the first, second and the fourth course are dishes that are currently on Hearth's menu, but were adjusted to have the brain health specific ingredients that are part of the MIND Diet, our third course is a recipe from Alton Brown that we were excited to try as we know his love for chicken!

AB: We are at the Main Course event for tonight! This is my recipe and it is actually a conglomeration of two of my spatchcock recipes. I like to cut the back of my chickens – some people call it butterflying, I think that spatchcock is far more sexy! So this features a couple of Middle Eastern spices that I am a big fan of, Aleppo pepper and Za’atar that I know that you all are very very familiar with. So we’re getting our poultry in which is definitely on this diet. But also, we’re taking in our greens from another chicken dish of mine, a Sesame Glazed Dark Greens which it is being served with it tonight. I believe we’re going to have a Black Kale and 2 other greens, I’m not sure what they ended up with tonight, but it is 3 very different organic greens. They have been sauteed and it’s whatever they got from the market today. The sauce is a straight forward pan sauce that are the drippings from the chicken with a little bit of butter and poured right over the chicken. This is something that I like to do once I got into the MIND set of the MIND Diet which is combining various things that were in the diet to support each other. I love chicken, it’s my favorite meat. There are days where I don’t want to eat my greens and I try to hide them – I will tell you that! But because they are brought together by the lemon glaze with sesame, it unites the dish in a really handy way! So I hope you enjoy it and smell it!

Without a doubt, this is a chicken that we could have again and again! The greens were also something that we want to put in our rotation as well! We have the recipe for both of these dishes that you can make for yourself for Alton's Butterflied Chicken with Aleppo and Za’atar as well as his Lemon Sesame Glazed Greens!

Of course, we ended this amazing meal with dessert and enjoyed a Tangerine Almond Cake.

AB: Dessert! Believe it or not, on the MIND Diet, desserts can be had especially when they contain nuts! Nuts are a big part of this diet because nuts have a lot of fantastic fats that are not only good for your body, but also for your brain. It’s the phytochemicals that are still being studied as we speak. This is an almond with most of the cream off to the side and kumquats. Of course, they are a great source of Vitamin C and so this is a dessert in the Italian style where the accent is really on the flavor of the ingredients rather than an added sweetness. Enjoy!

We enjoyed being able to chat with Alton as well as to be invited to his dinner party to enjoy a great meal as well as one that benefits our brain health!

We also learned about the brand's 30-Day Brain Health Challenge, an easy and fun way to redefine cognitive potential and establish a brain-healthy routine. This allows consumers to choose their Neuriva of choice and taking it for 30 days to help support up to 7 indicators of brain health, including memory. You can also download the Neuriva Brain Gym app, to play stimulating Brain Games daily and see the results for yourself.

IG @altonbrown

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 60, 65 + 67 Discovery+/Good Eats: The Return | PG 62 Neuriva | PG 69 - 73 Netflix/Patrick Wymore |

Read the FEB ISSUE #98 of Athleisure Mag and see BRAIN HEALTH IS KEY | Alton Brown in mag.

ATHLEISURE LIST | YAO

YAO opened on Jan. 29th of 2024. Executive Chef-Owner, Kenny Leung, immersed himself in a government culinary program in Canton, China. After graduating, Chef Kenny flourished at Canton’s prestigious White Swan Hotel and Restaurant; it was the only restaurant to earn a Michelin Star. In 1988, he moved to NYC to join the culinary landscape. In 2015, he co-founded August Gatherings with Thomas Tang.

Thomas is an Owner-Operator, who grew up as the son of one of China’s top chefs who catered for regal events. As an adult, he moved to New York City. He met Chef Kenny while working together in the original location of August Gatherings. They decided to purchase the Canal Street location and have been partners since.

Every detail of YAO’s interior reflects the harmonious blend of Chef Kenny’s culinary art and meticulous eye for design.

YAO is a modern Cantonese cuisine located in the Financial District. Center to the YAO’s ethos are the crown jewels of Cantonese cuisine, abalone, sea cucumber, and fish maw.

The six-course tasting menu, named “Jia Yan”, a Chinese word loosely translating to “a celebratory family gathering” or “banquet begins with an amuse bouche followed by Shikoku Bamboo Shrimp Dumpling. The banquet continues with Gold Leaf wrapped Fried Abalone, sustainably sourced grade-6 wild abalone from South Africa that is deep-fried, sitting atop a house made sauce on a crispy wonton skin, wrapped in edible gold leaf. This creates several layers of texture, notable in Cantonese cuisine.

One of the main stars of the progression is the Alaskan King Crab Wensi Tofu Soup. The broth is a two-day production, made from the shell of the crab with ham and chicken, not boiled, then placed in a water bath. Grilled Angus Short Rib is tenderized with kiwi, drizzled tableside in a pear and oyster sauce. Longevity Noodles with Fish Maw is a jewel in Cantonese cuisine as it's rich in collagen. The final course of the progression is their seasonal signature dessert, a warm Deep Fried Mochi Sesame Ball filled with Red Bean Paste served on top of a homemade seasonal fuji apple sorbet.

The six-course tasting menu is available for both lunch and dinner, Monday through Sunday from 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.

In addition, you can order from the a la carte menu as well. For appetizers, we suggest Brown Sugar Duck Thigh, Shumai Abalone and Pork as well as Fried Crab Meat with Shrimp dim sum. For entrees, we suggest Oven Roasted Black Angus Short Rib, Wensi Tofu Soup and Assorted Organic Mushrooms in Hot Stone Pot.

YAO

213 Pearl St

NY, NY 10038

yaonyc.com

IG @yaorestaurant

PHOTO CREDITS | YAO

Read the FEB ISSUE #98 of Athleisure Mag and see ATHLEISURE LIST | YAO in mag.

THE ART OF THE SNACK | CHEF GUO

We're always looking for our next best bite and the decadent meal that Chef Guo Wenjun has for those who dine at Chef Guo is one not to be missed. We wanted to find out more about this chef and owner on how he got into the food industry, where he trained, and he shares information about their 10-course meal and walks us through the dishes that we can enjoy when we come in for our next visit.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Chef Guo Wenjun, when did you first fall in love with food?

CHEF GUO WENJUN: My father was a well-known local chef in the village, specializing in catering for various events such as baby showers, housewarmings, birthdays, weddings, and funerals. This led me to understand the significance of food at different stages of people's lives. It was during this time that I first developed a deep love for food.

AM: Tell us about your culinary journey from where you trained to restaurants that you worked in.

CHEF GW: At the age of 14, my journey into the captivating realm of culinary arts commenced under the guidance of esteemed Royal Chef Ding Guangzhou (7th generation disciple in the ancient lineage of royal chefs). It was during those early years that my profound love for food took root. Mentorship under Chef Ding was more than a culinary education; it was a transformative experience that ignited a passion for the diverse flavors, techniques, and traditions characterizing Chinese cuisine.

My culinary voyage has been a rich tapestry woven with threads of dedication and expertise. Beginning as Chef Ding's disciple, my training unfolded at prestigious academies, spanning decades and encompassing experiences from the National Youth Chef instructional program to immersive training in Hong Kong at the International Haute program. Each step marked a chapter in mastering the culinary arts, with every academy and mentor contributing significantly to shaping my approach and philosophy. This journey culminated in the creation of my own culinary system in 2008 – the Healthy Royal Cuisine Culinary System. I am the only chef in China with his own culinary system.

AM: Can you tell us more about your honorable and esteemed mentorship?

CHEF GW: The mentorship under Chinese Master Chef Ding Guangzhou served as a sacred passage into the realm of culinary excellence. As a seventh-generation disciple in the lineage of royal chefs, Chef Ding not only instilled the discipline of Chinese Imperial Cuisine, but also shared ancient culinary secrets employed in serving emperors with me. This profound connection with the philosophy of imperial cooking became the cornerstone of my culinary identity.

Chinese Imperial Cuisine, originating from various cooking styles across China, formed the foundation during my training under my Shi-Fu (meaning mentor). This foundation enabled me to seamlessly integrate diverse culinary styles from across China. With hundreds of cooking methods in Chinese cuisine, including pan-frying, stewing, braising, decoction, gradual simmering, stir-frying, baking, grilling, flash frying, jellifying, velveting, and many more, I gained an understanding of each food processing procedure tailored to different ingredients.

AM: You are known as a Chinese Master Chef. What does this distinction mean?

CHEF GW: The recognition as a Chinese Master Chef represents the pinnacle of a lifelong quest for excellence. It signifies not only mastery in diverse culinary disciplines, but also a profound understanding of the intricacies of Chinese cuisine. This distinction serves as a testament to relentless dedication and the capacity to harmonize tradition and innovation on a grand culinary stage.

AM: How do you define Chinese Fine Dining?

CHEF GW: Chinese Fine Dining, in my view, represents a symphony of culinary elements that surpass mere sustenance. It's an immersive experience that blends the essence of tradition with the avant-garde, presenting dishes not just as meals but as artistic expressions. This revolutionizes the global perception of Chinese cuisine.

AM: When did you realize that you wanted to open Chef Guo, which is located on the ground floor of the luxury residences of Randolph House?

CHEF GW: Amidst the pandemic, witnessing life's vulnerability and the global transformations, I made the decision to open Chef Guo in New York City - a place where people converge from all corners of the world. This provides me with the opportunity to share authentic Chinese cuisine with them.

The decision to establish Chef Guo on the ground floor of the luxury residences of Randolph House was an epiphany rooted in the aspiration to convey the genuine essence of Chinese cuisine. More than just a restaurant, it is a cultural haven where culinary excellence converges with immersive dining experiences.

AM: When you initially launched, back in Aug 2022, you had a 19-course tasting menu and you now have a 10-course menu which you launched last fall in 2023 - why did you want to present your dishes of Chinese Fine Dining in this way?

CHEF GW: The 19-course menu is a fusion of East and West. We initially introduced the 19-course menu to facilitate better acceptance of our concept. The 10-course menu, on the other hand, is more traditional, drawing inspiration from an ancient recipe from the Ming Dynasty.

The transition from a 19-course to also offering a curated 10-course format in 2023 was a deliberate decision. It was aimed at making Chinese Fine Dining more accessible while retaining the refined essence of the culinary journey. This shift enables guests to enjoy the intricate flavors and culinary innovations in a more approachable format.

AM: Before we delve into the menu, the restaurant truly allows guests who attend with 1 of the 2 seatings to be immersed into Chinese culture. Can you tell us about the restaurant's interiors and some of the artifacts that are 200-years-old from your own personal collection?

CHEF GW: The Chinese character represents "banquet." Breaking it down, signifies a house, and translates to "comfortable, leisure." I designed the dining room with this concept in this mind.

The interior is designed to transport diners to an imperial courtyard. The ornate, Zen dining room features a faux gingko tree, Chinese like the Chinese Bian Zhong (Bronze Chime Bell), an ancient instrument from 2500 years ago, stone horse pillars standing the entrance to welcome guests, and white glove service to complete the experience. The dimly lit intimate dining room softly plays Chinese classical music allowing diners to focus on the intricate dishes before them without distraction.

Diners arrive at their table to find an elegant hand painted charger plates covered by 24-karat gold accented porcelain serving cloches. The carefully selected music, thoughtfully designed lighting, servers adorned in traditional Long Pao (Dragon Robe) representing each dish to our guests - all of these elements come together to create a unique ambiance for our dining experience.

AM: How are guests able to access the restaurant and how many people can enjoy this meal for each seating?

CHEF GW: The restaurant can be accessed on street level on 50th street between 3rd Avenue and Lexington Avenue. Upon arrival, guests ring the doorbell and are greeted by a server dress in a traditional red robe. The dining room accommodates 10 people for each seating, with an exclusive two seatings a night (6 pm and 8:30 pm), creating an atmosphere of a private dinner party.

AM: In many respects, this feels due to its intimate nature, like a private dinner party. How much is the tasting menu per person?

CHEF GW: The 10-course menu is priced at $298 (per person) and the 19-course menu is priced at $518 (per person).

AM: Why was it important to you to have healthy, organic, seasonal, royal Chinese cuisine that utilizes traditional dishes and also incorporates Western ingredients?

CHEF GW: The importance of presenting healthy, organic, seasonal, royal Chinese cuisine infused with Western innovation is ingrained in my culinary philosophy. It involves preserving traditional dishes while embracing global influences, crafting a culinary narrative that transcends borders and time. The Healthy Royal Cuisine Culinary System extends beyond Chinese ingredients to include Western ingredients, as long as they enhance bodily health and align with my culinary concept.

AM: As we continue to navigate through Winter, are there seasonings and ingredients that you especially enjoy using during these months and as we look forward to the Spring, what are seasonings and ingredients that you like to use during that portion of the year?

CHEF GW: Winter fosters an appreciation for warm and comforting seasonings, inspiring the creation of dishes that evoke a sense of coziness. Anticipating Spring, the focus transitions to lighter ingredients that embody the vibrancy and renewal of the season, ensuring a dynamic and ever-evolving menu. For instance, the QianKun pot is an ideal dish for winter. When spring arrives, we will incorporate leaves, available only for a few weeks during the peak season in spring.

AM: You create the 10-course menu based on seasonality so it is subject to change. What is the creative process in putting this menu together and what are you inspired by?

CHEF GW: One of the fundamental concepts in my culinary system is balance, encompassing not only the balance of taste but also of color, aroma, nutrition, and more. I wanted to create a dish that encompassed all of these features. After about two years, while sorting through my Master Ding Guangzhou documents following his passing, I stumbled upon an ancient recipe from the Ming Dynasty, during the reign of Ming Cheng Zu (The Yongle Emperor) – Zhu Di.

He moved the capital to Beijing, considering it the Land of Dragon Rising and the center of the world. The Emperor tasked the Imperial Chef with celebrating a grand event using a dish. The concept of Qian Kun, vital in Feng Shui, caught my attention. It symbolizes the harmony of Heaven & Earth, Yang & Ying, Sun & Moon, Male & Female—in essence, the balance of nature. This discovery brought me immense joy as it aligned perfectly with what I had been seeking. After numerous experiments and refinements, it eventually evolved into the Eternal Bliss of QianKun Pot, serving as the signature course in the new 10-course experience.

AM: As each dish is presented, guests are told about the dish and its ingredients, but are they also given a backstory on how it fits in Chinese Culture as well?

CHEF GW: The servers at Chef Guo provide the background and story behind each dish. Each course is presented as more than just a combination of ingredients; it's a narrative that connects diners to Chinese culture. The shared backstories enhance the dining experience, adding layers of meaning to the exquisite flavors on the plate.

AM: Can you tell us generally what the Four Appetizer Platter is that begins this meal?

CHEF GW: A Chinese banquet typically commences with cold appetizers, meticulously crafted with a combination of meat, seafood, and vegetables. This ensures that guests experience a comprehensive array of tastes and nutrition from various ingredients.

The Four Appetizer Platter, serving as the meal's opening, is thoughtfully curated to present a variety of flavors and textures. It acts as a prologue, introducing diners to the culinary symphony that will unfold throughout the evening.

AM: Can you tell us about the dishes that follow that are savory?

CHEF GW: After the appetizers, the savory dishes venture into a distinctive fusion of Cantonese, Hong Kong, and Western cuisine. This culinary exploration pushes the boundaries of tradition, presenting innovative interpretations of classic dishes and delivering a sensory experience that surpasses expectations.

AM: Is there a signature or show stopping dish that you can share with us?

CHEF GW: Among the constellation of dishes, a true showstopper emerges in the form of the "Golden Tadpole Pasta." This culinary innovation is not just a dish; it's a testament to pushing the boundaries of Chinese cuisine, marrying tradition with a contemporary flair.

AM: Dessert is always the best way to end our meal, tell us what you end the meal with.

CHEF GW: As the culinary journey approaches its conclusion, dessert takes on the role as the pièce de résistance. Crafted to harmonize sweetness and elegance, it leaves an indelible mark on the palate - a sublime conclusion to the gastronomic adventure.

The 10-course experience concludes with the "Honey Glazed Golden Nest BaBao Sweet Rice Pudding." This dish is a must-have during the Chinese Spring festival, not an everyday treat due to its complex preparation process (requiring hours of preparation) and the use of multiple ingredients. "BaBao" translates to "Eight Treasures," encompassing sticky sweet rice with dried longan, raisin, lotus seed, red date, sweet cherry, walnut, goji berry, and sunflower seed, with a sprinkle of dry osmanthus on top. It symbolizes a sweet and happy life.

AM: In terms of beverages, tell us about what you pair with it and is there a wine or cocktail pairing that is offered?

CHEF GW: To complement the menu’s diverse flavors there is a concise list of Champagne and wine that leans French and is accented by New World selections from California. We also provide a 7-course wine pairing, featuring sparkling, Riesling, white, red, and concluding with sweet wine.

A sommelier has meticulously curated a wine pairing option for each course, enhancing the dining experience by harmonizing carefully selected combinations that elevate the overall culinary journey.

IG @chefguorestaurant

PHOTOS COURTESY | Chef Guo

Read the JAN ISSUE #97 of Athleisure Mag and see THE ART OF THE SNACK | Chef Guo in mag.

NEW YEAR, N3W YOU

Read the JAN ISSUE #97 of Athleisure Mag and see NEW YEAR, N3W YOU in mag.

BINGELY BOOKS

BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS: THE ULTIMATE ILLUSTRATED HISTORY

Motor Books

Richie Unterberger

We always enjoy a stunning coffeetable book that blends music, culture, and iconic artists together. In Bob Marley and The Wailers: The Ultimate Illustrated History dropped this month to dig into the life and legacy of this man and his band. Even after 40 years of Marley's death, he and his band continue to be the most famous reggae artists of all time!

Throughout the book are stunning images from various points of their career which allows you to see their life as well as the times that they lived in. We see how they went from a Jamaican ska act to international superstars while navigating being in their country that was going through its own awakening at that time.

The book illustrates how they popularized their genre, the influence of the Rastafari movement, Marley's socially conscious lyrics and how he became a symbol of pride and justice.

You'll learn about the history of the band up to Marley's death in 1981 and how his influence continues today. Images of performances, off-stage photography, rare memorabilia and commentary from noted music jounalists. This book also talks about the 2024 Bob Marley biopic, One Love which is in theaters on Valentine's Day.

THE HEIRESS

St Martin's Press

Rachel Hawkins

When North Carolina's richest woman dies in The Heiress, she is also the most notorious woman! Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore, as a child was kidnapped as well as becoming a widower four times over!

She lorded over her tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family’s estate high in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Upon her death, her adopted son, Camden, wants nothing to do with the house, money or remaining relatives. He lives his own life as an English teacher in Colorado with his wife Jules. When his uncle dies, he is pulled back to his mess life. He begins to question the rumors of his mother's kidnapping when she was a girl as well as what happened to the husbands. A bigger question is why she chose to adopt him as well! Finding out about this information means more to him than a will and understanding the long reaching arms of what family means and how everyone is connected to one another is essential.

THE HEIRLOOMED KITCHEN: MADE FROM SCRATCH RECIPES TO GATHER AROUND FOR GENERATIONS

Gibbs Smith

Ashley Schoenith

In The Heirloomed Kitchen: Made-from-Scratch Recipes to Gather Around for Generations we are privy to a curated cookbook of nostalgic-style photography that shows heirloom cookware, vessels, and utensils and recipes that are passed down from mother to child and grandchild.

With over 100 recipes there are a number of family recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

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