Growing up, I always had an interest in cooking. I would always watch my parents, grandmother, aunts, uncles and friends' parents cook. I was always interested in what and how they were cooking and loved any bonus information from them on why they were doing what they were doing. One of my favorite shows growing up was the "Great Chefs of..." series on PBS. I started cooking after high school, living in Philadelphia and getting my first restaurant job at an independent fast food burrito joint in Center City. I moved around a bunch, to a short order line cook at a dive bar to working in a big corporate operation where I learned how to work my way from the prep kitchen up the hot line to a leadership position at expo, leading lunch service. I moved to the FOH shortly after and started understanding the tricks of the trade as a bartender and server at various restaurants and bars around the Philadelphia Metro, and eventually up to NYC. New York City is a different beast to tackle as a server and bartender, and I eventually saw that I was happiest in the kitchen, which led me to my return to the line and becoming engrossed in all things Japanese cuisine. I worked my way up to an Executive Chef position and was excited for all of the menu and product development I engaged in, like my seasonal special menus that changed quarterly, using seasonal items for dishes that entice the senses. Building reliable teams is a strong point of my work. I have mentored cooks and developed Captain positions for my senior staff, to assist management ensuring smooth service and restaurant operations. I have also empowered the Sous Chefs on my teams with tools to help manage inventory and control food cost.I have been fortunate enough for more than a few local and international filming events and articles, like being interviewed by Meghan Markle (in the "Suits" days) for a series called "Power Lunch" and was filmed by many Japanese TV Shows over the years showing the ramen style of NYC. When I am not in the Kitchen, I like to look for opportunities to volunteer a few hours of my time in a way to help the community, and am an avid runner, with the Marathon and 50K my favorite race distances.If you would like to chat about restaurants, cooking, menu development, volunteering, or running, let's get in touch!