When we think of a live well lived, it's one where you take on opportunities that align with where you ultimately see yourself personally and professionally as well as those that are unexpected that create a full 360 experience to roads less traveled. Along the way of our travels in life, we meet others that continue to infuse and inspire us as there isn't a personalized rule book that shows us how we can get from Point A to Point B, but it's the moment of feeling that spark that can initiate an enhanced path that can take us to unimaginable destinations.
This month, our cover editorial is with Chef Nyesha Arrington. She utilizes food as a way to tell stories and brings her passion and intention to each plate that she creates. As a Co-Host and Mentor for FOX's Next Level Chef alongside Chef Gordon Ramsay and Chef Richard Blais, she inspires those in the culinary industry and provides expertise, intel and techniques that they can continue to use as they navigate the industry.
When we last talked with her in 2021 for our JUL ISSUE #67, we talked about how she got into her career and her passion for putting her soul on the plate she was in the midst of production for the first season of Next Level Chef and we talked about identity.
Since then, Nyesha continues to do what she does best, exploring the world through travel, and participating in a number of pop-ups and multi-day food events around the world, she is currently on Next Level Chef UK airing on ITV and she'll be back for the second season of Next Level Chef here in the US on FOX that starts immediately following Super Bowl LVII on Feb Sun 12th!
We talked about her recent TEDx talk where she shared her life recipe, the importance of mentorship and being in spaces that fuel your fire and allow learning about others and about yourself. Of course, we talk about the success of Next Level Chef and what makes it a perfect fit as well as Native by Nyesha Arrington which is at LAX's Delta Terminal 3!
ATHLEISURE MAG: You know we’re always cheering for you from the sidelines! It’s always fun to see what you’re up to and we’re chatting on IG off an on and we’re so excited to have you as cover for the JAN ISSUE #85!
CHEF NYESHA ARRINGTON: It’s an incredible time. I’m 22 years into this business and now that I am charting the course, I wish I could have been able to tell 10 year old Nyesha that it was going to be ok!
Oh my gosh! It’s been an exciting journey thus far and I am just grateful to be able to put back in to the field that raised me. It’s a completely different time now and stories are being told and celebrated and that’s all part of it. So you know, I’m really grateful!
AM: In the last interview we did with you, we talked about heritage, identity and many of the things that you’re involved in and I happened to watch your TEDx Berkely talk which was about Identity, Through the Lens of a Chef which I think was amazing. So in this talk, you focused on identity, being Afro-Korean, exploration of self and creating a life recipe. What was it like to be able to share this powerful message?
CHEF NA: First of all, when they reached out to me, I was like, "um what? Do you have the right person?” Because it was a pinch me moment. I don’t know, I always kind of saw myself being in my purpose being able to share the message of life. I’m living and learning simultaneously. So, the person I am today, isn’t the person I was 5 years ago, 10 years ago, 20 years ago. So to be able to kind of - honestly, it was the first time in my journey that I was able to stomp down and look at the database and collect it. You know, I do network television, I’ve done digital stuff and I meet a lot of people and have traveled the world. I would say that in true honesty, that was the most vulnerable that I have had the opportunity to share sort of my life message with. Because, it’s truly from an authentic and lived place. The first day when I go to Berkely and I did my trial talk, there was one person in the audience and after I finished, he clapped and came to back stage and had tears in his eyes. He said, “you know, that message is really going to resonate with people.” I didn’t have a lot of time to write it, maybe a month and I didn’t have any coaches. I learned after that people have all of these coaches and do all of these things. I didn’t know that.
It was hard like any creative process. You just kind of get the first draft down. I read it mostly to my family, my dad who’s my best bud and to my close friends. I was able to distill it down to the parameters set for the TED talk in terms of time and implementing the Power Point tools and things like that. It’s hard! It’s a really hard thing, but girl it was seriously so rewarding because I cried so many times through it and I think that it was just a really cathartic process. I came up in the early 2000’s when there weren’t a lot of chefs that were of color. I never really had that kind of opportunity to work next to women of color and I never really thought about it in all honesty. I was like, ok, I’m going to culinary school and this is what you have to do and this is the path. White tablecloths and fine dining is the pinnacle of excellence and I was like, bet that’s what I’m going to do. You know, and I did it! I never took inventory along the way. I was grinding head down. Lots of tears and lots of trial and error period and going along the come up. When I wrote that, I felt like ok, what’s my message for myself as a time piece? I will look at this 10 years from now and I will probably be a completely different human and also simultaneously, what is the message or life recipe that I can give to people to have that same resilience. Shit's not easy you know? So, especially when you have the opportunity to do Next Level Chef. Sure, it’s a television show, but honestly, it’s literally the best for me, because I can reach a vast audience and now globally after season 1 and like now, the DMs blow up. Not because, “oh we’re a fan of you,” but it’s, “hey can you mentor me” or they’re having this situation. By now, I’ve pretty much seen a lot of shit and so now to be able to have time piece, I thought what is the recipe? It’s sort of a macro/micro lens to look through. When I took that inventory, it was the first time that I stopped and looked at how did I get here? Because that’s what a lot of people ask. Even I say it and that’s what it was. That was seriously one of the most rewarding things that I have been able to do and to be able to share that. It’s true. It’s like this analogy of actually creating a real recipe in the kitchen, but also taking those tools and applying it to everyday life.
AM: In listening to this, it’s only 14 minutes, but it is such a profound 14 minutes. It made me think of a quote that Muhammad Ali said, “If you’re 50 years old and you think the same way at 50 as you did at 20, you have wasted 30 years.” He encouraged people to take inventory and to tweak as you navigate life. Hearing you do it, it sent chills and I had no idea that you didn’t have a coach – I assumed you did as all of the friends that I know who have done it, told me about how they prepared for it. It was beautiful, succinct and so applicable regardless of what your vertical is that you work in.
CHEF NA: That’s the thing!
AM: I love that!
Coming off of that, I know that you believe in sustainability and eliminating food waste. Why are these so important to you in your cooking? I know that this is a huge conversation that people are having in this area.
CHEF NA: Well, oh my gosh, I love this question! It shouldn’t be seen as a fad right or an “on brand lens” to look through. I think it’s freaking really empowering. The term "sustainability" can actually mean so many things – there are so many facets to that term sustainability if you’re talking about growing your own produce, having chickens, upcycling right? Using non-single use plastics and if you are going to, know that you don’t have to throw that resealable bag away. I am not ashamed to wash a Ziplock bag. Those are the terms that I mean when I say sustainable because in a consumer driven world where we are constantly being marketed to on billboards, ads, our phones and emails and website pop-ups, we just get immersed. I will say that I have had really and truly incredible opportunities to travel. When I go to other countries, it really widens my perspective because I don’t feel as bombarded by being marketed to if you will. I want to share that message because I don’t know if everybody gets to see and have that opportunity to go to where people live in the countryside of Bali ever. It’s like, no, we grow our rice, we collect the rainwater and it gives back to us. That idea can be exercised in different ways. Like last week when it rained a lot, I put 3 buckets out, I got all the rainwater and I watered all my plants with it this week. It’s like, those are the things that I mean by sustainable. Mother Nature, without sounding to woo woo about it – it gives us all the things that we freaking need. Yes, I have a compost pile and literally, it’s so easy to get dirt, put earthworms in it and put food waste in it and grow vegetables. I have 3 little avocado trees that grew from eating the avocado. Those are regenerative practices that are also in the lens of sustainability.
Yes, there are those conversations of thngs being greenwashed and it’s on brand to be sustainable, but there are things that you can do everyday and I think that in terms of biproduct use, for me when it comes to scallions or things that have regenerative and natural capabilities, whenever I use them, I keep the bottom 2” and I throw them in dirt and in a week or two, I have brand new scallions shooting up. Those types of things are doable for people whether you live in a NY high rise or you live on lots of land in Southern
Southern California. Those practices are really important to me on the smaller scale and also on the larger scale when you’re buying for events and aligning yourself with different brands. I think that being intentional with who you are buying from is another sustainable practice for the economy. So I think it ultimately distills down to intentionality. I will say this, it has been a journey for me as well. Coming up, I was in fine dining a lot. We would legitimately fly in a particular kind of aluminum foil from Italy because it had certain qualities to it. I just feel that the 1% who gets to enjoy those $1,000 meals, it’s cool. It’s a craft, I get it. But also, after years and years of that, how can I actually take this inexpensive cut of meat and just by understanding the anatomy and the make up of and knowing what that animal ate, and what can I make that is really bomb by spending a little more intentionality and time with it. Point and case, I think there are a number of different ways to look at the term sustainability. When I was traveling through Morocco, I went to this family’s home in Marrakesh and they literally lived in a mountain range and the whole family lives there – the grandmothers, aunts and cousins. They grow all of their own stuff. They have chickens and they have cows and they built their kitchen which was like a cave and they made these hearth fires. They burnt live fire to cook that way. There was zero electricity and that is a way to be sustainable. It’s about harnessing the life tools that we already possess. I get that that’s not for everyone and it’s not practical in some ways, but those ideas can definitely carry over in other ways.
AM: You’ve said that food is energy transfer. What do you mean by that as I love that phrase.
CHEF NA: Oh my gosh, I love that too!
AM: You know we ask great questions!
CHEF NA: You really do! You’re really speaking to me!
It is. For an example, there was this woman and she was sitting and eating my food. I had never met her before and I walked right by her and she kind of looked despondent – a little in her feelings you know. I walked by and then I circled back around and said, “how are you miss? Everything good? Thanks for joining.” She said, “Chef Nyesha, I flew here to have this meal and I have not been able to escape the intention in this.” She recognized and felt everything from the plate that the food was on – which was handmade by a friend of mine who made the plates for me. The food was sourced from local farmers who I don’t think could care more as it’s their livelihood and they generational legacy and they tend to the soil, they pull up the crop and they share this with me being the conduit who gets to apply my creative process to it through my culinary journey onto the cooks who prep it – the chefs who get to create this dish and ultimately the servers that get to tell that story that I shared with them. All for that person to enjoy a work of art in that moment, right? It gets to live in the soul and it becomes food data for that person to reflect on for years and years and it lives there. When I say it’s an energy transfer, it’s like a kinetic energy that’s almost like a static buildup that lives in that and it’s a life force. It’s something that for me, I’m grateful that I am able to travel based on that sort of mindset to go to a new land if you will and to understand that terroir and celebrate that and then apply my culinary knowledge. I feel like I am living in my purpose on why I am on this planet. It means that much to me!
AM: What is the best bite that you have ever had?
CHEF NA: Wow, wonderful question. I will say this and all I can go with is the most memorable. I would say that when I was working with a Chef Monsieur Joël Robuchon, he was dubbed the Chef of the Century and he has this dish which was called, the Caille or quail in English. That dish, I didn’t understand how such a simple, elegant dish could have so much phenomenal flavor. Then I learned how to make it and I was basically visiting a friend and then I ended up working at that restaurant. The whole entire plate, the way that the herbs were picked, they were so fresh and so lightly dressed with this sort of mild vinegar sort of flavor on the greens that didn’t over power it, but just accentuated it. The quail was cooked so perfectly and the jus – I’m such a sauce person.
AM: Same!
CHEF NA: The jus from the natural reduction of the bones and the trim and that’s another sustainable practice – nothing is going to waste. It was stuffed with duck liver and the truffles. He has this dish where picture a potato purée, and it’s making my mouth water as I talk about it.
AM: Same, because I love potatoes.
CHEF NA: Girl, I mastered that technique to learn how to make them. I think that ultimately, to be honest to sidebar for just a second, I think that that’s what got me on the show to be able to mentor on Next Level Chef, because I actually made those potatoes for Gordon Ramsay on Master Chef and that’s when they called me a couple of weeks later. They said, “hey, we have this concept that we’re working on.” Because I didn’t even know that Gordon and I had worked for the same chef. That probably was one of the most memorable dishes that I have ever had, the Robuchon Quail dish with the Potato Purée – incredible – truly!
AM: If we were at your home, what are foods or spices that you tend to always have on hand in your kitchen?
CHEF NA: Wow, I love this question, I’m such a spice girl!
AM: Same!
CHEF NA: Same! Yeah, right? It’s a really easy way to add lots of depth of flavor. Well, I would say that the spices that I always have on hand – I love cumin. I always have cumin, paprika, coriander, fennel seed and also cardamon!
AM: Ooo I love that too!
CHEF NA: Girl, I love it! I feel like it is such an under used spice!
AM: With the Big Game coming up, people get to hangout with one another and they’re watching the game. There is always an array of food and beverages. If we were hanging out with you, what would we have on football’s biggest night, especially since season 2 of Next Level Chef will be premiering immediately after!
CHEF NA: So football was my dad and I’s thing! We used to watch the Super Bowl a lot – like every year before I started traveling more. So snacks was always the thing. I actually love these little things called Pigs in a Blanket.
AM: Oh yes, I’m from the Midwest so that’s the thing.
CHEF NA: Yes! So it’s like how do I add veggies to these things? So get this and it’s a really incredible dish actually. It’s kind of like – you don’t have to sweat it! I feel like, football snacks don’t always have to be these opulent you’re in the kitchen cooking Thanksgiving kind of things. It just has to hit, so basically, these Pigs in a Blanket, I like to dip them in mustard.
AM: Same! I’m not a ketchup girl.
CHEF NA: SAME! That’s a no no! So, ok get this, I basically braised down mustard greens and then I basically fold it into some Dijon mustard and then inside the dough, I put the little smokey and a little bit of the braised mustard greens and chop it up and then roll it up. I put egg wash on the top and then I put sautéed or popped mustard seeds on top with a little flaky sauce and then bake them. So you get these crunch elements, a bit like poppy seeds and then these flaky salt bites and then you get this bit of a dip inside so you get a bit of that moisture element to it. You kind of feel like you’re eating healthy, but you’re not really. I also do this Dijonnaise with Kewpie mayo which is this Japanese mayo!
AM: Love Kewpie!
CHEF NA: I love a Kewpie moment! So that with Dijon mustard and fresh chives. You dip that in there and it’s like the best bite ever!
AM: Oh my God. Between what you just told me and I interviewed Chef Kristin Kish a few months ago and she had a kimchi Pigs in a Blanket version – so this Super Bowl, I need to do something different to incorporate these things.
CHEF NA: Mmm, yes!
AM: You were talking about Morocco earlier and I saw it on your IG and I remember when you were doing it that I thought it was so amazing. You’re known for storytelling through food. Why did you want to go to Morocco and what was that like for you?
CHEF NA: Oh my gosh! Well first of all, I just wanted to be able to get to the continent of Africa and that was my first taste at it and I can’t wait to get back! I want to travel to Ghana and Nigeria next.
I just have had some amazing opportunities to storytell through food. It started the first year in Belize and that was in 2019 and then I did Morocco, I did Bali and I did Hong Kong.
I think for me, it was an opportunity to connect. I traveled with 12 people and basically, led them on a culinary journey where I took them through the markets! Oh my God, the most beautiful thing is that we traveled through Marrakesh, Fez and the Ourika Valley and I was collecting ingredients along the way and then we cooked an amazing huge dinner. I think that for me, to have perspective on other places from where I was born, I think it really just adds to my repertoire. I have a very unique perspective on cooking because I don’t want to just know one style. I learned French fine dining because I feel that the technique – right, which is different from the ingredients and the cultural influence is the mother of cooking right? How to braise, how to make a sauce, how to chiffonade, how to cut a brunoise – all those things are applicable to the ingredients or the terroir of where I am. So if I can go to a new place in the world and learn about a particular thread of saffron or a way to cook couscous which is such an art to learn those things. Like, bread making first hand from the matriarchs – I get to weave that through my tapestry which becomes a personal approach to cooking, right? I did it in my TED talk, I believe that we as human beings are simply the bridge and gateway from the past to the future. So, it is something that I wear with a badge of honor, so that’s really why I try to travel as much as possible and I’ll actually be doing another pop-up in Q2 of 2023 in Hong Kong.
AM: Oh wow!
CHEF NA: I know! People are so excited! They don’t want me to cook food and give them my take on Chinese food, they want to feel who am I on a plate. That’s what I feel what my super power is – to storytell through my food.
AM: You participated in Kwame Onwuachi’s The Family Reunion at the inaugural launch in 2021. You moderated Stories From the Matriarchs: Then vs. Now which included Virginia Ali of the iconic Ben’s Chili Bowl, Chef Tiffany Derry and Chef Mashama Bailey as panelists. The Family Reunion was held at the beautiful Salamander Resort & Spa which we’d love to check out later this year. Can you tell me a bit about this multi-day event and why did you want to do it?
CHEF NA: Well, I’ll see you there! He reached out. Kwame’s a long time friend and colleague and we came up together. When he asked me to do one of the closing ceremonies which was to pay respects to the founder of Ben’s Chili Bowl.
AM: Which is insane!
CHEF NA: I mean, I was like, what? I moderated this panel which focused on matriarchs past, present and future. It was just a vibe. I don’t even know how to articulate it – it was truly a vibe. I did that the first year and then the second year, I cooked and I’m not trying to talk big headed, but people said it was probably the dish of the whole event and it was so bomb! It was braised short rib but I had this Afro-Korean influence with it and this sweet potato grits. People lost their shit and you know, you make dishes and you’re like this hits, this is great, but this was one of those dishes where I was like, “dang, I put my whole foot in this dish.” Seriously, for weeks, people were hitting me up on IG and even at the event saying dang! It was just one of those things. That’s that love transfer from conception to the menu articulation to people making the dish. You have to inspire constantly, and you have to inspire to be inspired truly. It’s a full circle of like!
The Family Reunion, I’m always grateful to be invited to it and every time I leave that event, I just feel that my cup is full.
AM: It looks amazing!
CHEF NA: It is a vibe. I don’t even know what else to say! From the playlist that’s playing throughout the Salamander to the conversations. We’re all out here pushing and then you get this moment to kind of stop and connect. You can share ideas, it’s really cool.
AM: So will you be at this year’s?
CHEF NA: I will!
AM: Amazing! I was talking to my Co-Founder who is also my boyfriend and we happened to catch Kwame at StarChefs International Chefs Congress back in 2019 and talk about rice and the impact of the diaspora as it went from West Africa to the US and I was like, we definitely need to check out The Family Reunion, see the resort and be able to hang with you as well as other chefs and to enjoy the culinary experience!
CHEF NA: Love it!
AM: You’re also going to be at the Mohegan Sun the last weekend of Jan for the Sun Wine and Food Fest. Why did you want to be at this food festival, what is happening and what will you be doing there?
CHEF NA: So, I’ll start with my dish. I’m going to be doing a Toasted Rise Porridge with a Chicken Ai-Soon Meatball which is my grandmother’s name on my mom’s side. It has this crispy garlic and scallions. I’ve been playing with this idea of Afro-Korean cuisine and this is kind of a dish that will reflect that. I chose this because it is an opportunity for me to connect with my peers, to connect with a part of the states that I don’t really get access to. I like to do these events, because I don’t necessarily have a restaurant where people can come patron so it’s important for me to take my food out on the road and to be on tour if you will! So, I do a lot of private events in LA, but this is my way to do public dinners. It’s kind of amazing and hits all the touchpoints for me because I get to connect with my colleagues and then I get to share the message of food. I’ll be able to do the dine around where people will get to meet all of the chefs and then also I'll get to demo a dish.
The demos are my favorite part. For me, I get to demystify cooking because I am up there and I am showing it. Anyone can find a recipe, but if I am showing you how to do it, it makes people feel more empowered and maybe they can make the recipe at home. So this year, it may sound simple, but these are the kinds of things that people should know how to make to really up their game. A freaking salad dressing! Last year, I showed people how to make ramen noodles. I like showing people about things that they generally go out and buy so this year, I’m going to show people how to make a signature thing that I make which is called a Shatter Batter. This batter stays crispy for forever and really it’s a game to see how you can capture the most amount of bubbles in the batter as possible. So I show people the techniques, but also the science behind it. When to fold in your egg whites, when to use baking powder, baking soda and what do these do scientifically? Once you have those elements of chemistry, people can take that and apply it to their cooking. I’m basically going to show people how to make this Shatter Batter, I’m going to be deep frying things and generally, everyone has these ingredients at home. I’ll be demoing that and then doing the dine around event with the Chicken Meatball and it should be a fun time!
AM: I love that you’re always doing different types of events that show different types of facets. I know that you have the one that’s coming up with the St Louis Community College – Falling in Love ... In the 5 Courses Gala at the Four Seasons and the fact that students who are culinary artists will be able to get to work with you as well, it’s really cool to see how you’re always giving of yourself and doing things in a different way. Why did you want to be included in that event?
CHEF NA: Oh my God, I love it – you know all of the things!
AM: I love you as a person, but I also think it's important that when a person has a signature and they have a throughline, I love seeing how true it is – which yours obviously is. But you’re always doing different things and infusing mentorship through food and you’re raising people up that are making their way and I think that’s cool that you do that consistently.
CHEF NA: I agree because it feeds my soul as much as I hope that it feeds theirs. This one, I’m really excited about it because I didn’t have the bandwidth in my schedule to do it last year. This year, having time to circle back around, it’s going to be exciting because I was talking with the chefs and these culinary students, I always have to say that the first day that I sat in culinary school, I knew that I never wanted to do anything else. I was going to see it through to the end and now to have the opportunity to give back to these young minds and nurture - is a part of me in creating that legacy in our field. It’s a vertical – it’s either going to grow or not and it takes tilling the land to make it grow and be fruitful and this is my way of doing that! It’s also really cool because I came up literally in the best kitchens that you could work in in the world. To be able to wear that hat for a day without having to tend to it every single day if I had a fine dining restaurant, selfishly, it’s kind of a way for me to be able to wear that hat for a minute. It’s what I’m good at. I really love that part of it. 5 courses for 500 people is no small feat. The amount of pre-production that goes into such an amazing gala like that is very challenging. It’s very rewarding and I don’t ever want to be like, “oh, I’m a celebrity chef and I’m too big to do the things.” I’m a worker first and foremost and that’s how I got to where I am today. To be able to do that, I want to make sure that I am actually doing the things.
AM: Looping back to Next Level Chef and looking at the first season, when I interviewed you last time, you weren’t able to tell me all the things, but after watching the first season I was so hooked. I loved the fact that you had these different levels that had these different resources. You don’t always get to be at the tip top and you have to do a lot with less and still make it look amazing. Being able to figure things out individually as well as being able to do so as a team – what did you walk away from as someone who was a mentor, having a person who won from your team and working alongside Gordon and Richard?
CHEF NA: That’s a great question! Truly, I don’t think that I could be more grateful to be on this type of program because ultimately, I’m a blip on these chefs life radar. Yes, it’s cool that I’m on a show blah blah blah, but it’s not about me, it’s about them! For me, not being that far from cooking competitions myself, I can completely relate to how they feel. To be tasked with putting a dish together in 45 minutes, you haven’t seen all the ingredients, you don’t know what level you will be on – it’s a gauntlet. You really start to see after the 3rd cook that they may have had the opportunity to be on all 3 levels. So they’ve kind of had the opportunity to take inventory and they can strategize and game plan. But it’s really hard! To be able to be a voice of reason sometimes, I get it. Once that light turns green, you’re like go and your mind is on a bullet train to be like, “ok, I need to grab all of these different ingredients, not freaking cut myself, but I’m also on TV so maybe I should smile!” It’s a lot and I get it! I feel like I’m that ghost teammate. Yes, I’m their mentor, but I’m part of their brand and part of their hands. I don’t feel like there is this hierarchy where I’m on top of you, I’m with you! Just to be able to be that voice of reason for those chefs – that may need less salt or that needs a pop of acid and then they win, those are the most rewarding moments. You can see the gratitude that they have for the entire journey, win or lose. Pyet DeSpain took it home last year and she put the work in, but it’s like – a lot of the magic actually happens outside of the program because these chefs get 4 months of mentorship between myself, Richard and Gordon outside of the show plus that $250,000 to seed their dreams. I mean, you have got to really freaking hand it to Gordon. In 2006, I remember working in this 2-star Michelin restaurant and feeling like dang, I was just 5 years into the game and for me, I was like, I want to work in harvest kitchens and that’s what I did. So I was like, ok and the more that I started to peel back the layers, I was like, “dang, I don’t know anything."
But what I did know was that I had work ethic and I was ready to take it on. But, I knew I needed to look at who was killing it and it was Gordon. He had the most Michelin stars, he was killing it in media to the point of watering the soil. To have a show like this where I get to dedicate this year's and years of ups and downs and the journey lived to these young minds, there is no other show like it. Yes, there is this competitive component but it’s rewarding for the mentors also.
To be able to work next to him every day, I can’t even tell you girl. I go to bed excited and I’m excited to wake up! No moment am I like, “Oh my God it’s hard waking up at 4am in the morning every day.” I go and I wake up, I go to the gym and I sit in the makeup chair for 2 hours and I’m ready to crush it every single freaking day. I love it! I would say that it is the most professional set that I have ever been on and it’s the most inspiring because he leads his sets like you’re in a kitchen. To be on a set led by a chef’s mind, is different then being on a set led by a production person. He has a production mind, so it’s like for me, it’s the best of both worlds. I’ve had the opportunity to do a good amount of TV by now, but most of my life lived has been in kitchens. So, I feel like I’m grateful because I’m in the best place for me.
AM: What was your favorite challenge from season 1?
CHEF NA: Ooo my favorite challenge from season 1 was the cultural mash-up challenge. The chefs were tasked to take two
different countries and create a synonymous dish and that’s not easy! It’s not just like this term that people loved using in the 90’s – fusion. For me, it’s a mild trigger work. It’s not fusing 2 continents together, it’s like what we spoke about earlier. For me, the best way to articulate storytelling in a dish is to use techniques from one part of the world and ingredients from another.
The elements that make up a dish – so if you say this is a protein an Ibérico ham from Spain and I want to do it with some sort of a citrus element. Maybe you’re not using a particular orange from that region, but you’re using a lemon from a different part of the world, but it’s still an acid. It makes sense. It’s not just about shoving a square peg into a round hole to put two different parts together. That’s part of the journey to get those chefs to understand how to build and storytell through a dish. I would say that that was definitely one of the most memorable!
AM: I remember when I watched that episode and I thought, “ooo that could go really well or it could be really bad!”
CHEF NA: 100%! You really have to be able to understand ingredients.
AM: So how did you get onto Next Level Chef UK which is currently running right now, right?
CHEF NA: Yes ma’am! How did I get onto Next Level Chef UK, I just tried really hard during season 1 and I think that that is something that you just can’t fake. I genuinely in full transparency, some sleepless nights thinking about how I can be the best mentor to these chefs. When they don’t win, I take it personally. How could you not? I think that that resonated with the antithesis of the show. The ethos of the show is rooted in mentorship and it is something that I don’t take lightly, win or lose. It’s not even about losing, it’s about the opportunity for growth. I think that that really resonated with the team and they asked me if I wanted to be part of the team for the UK version and without question, I was honored. That was something that was unexpected, I didn’t anticipate that at all. It’s currently running and it was really cool for me. To be able to see how different people cook, especially, the most surprising thing for me was the range. They’re all British, so seeing the range, I was like, “what am I going to get?” I got a pretty wide range from Indian, Asian, Jamaican and traditional British cuisine. For me, I was a little nervous to see how an American chef would be received.
AM: That’s what I wondered!
CHEF NA: Girl, like learning the verbiage, but it was actually all second nature because in fine dining, a lot of French brigade style kitchens use those terms anyways. It’s just part of the European culture, like rocket for arugula or aubergine for eggplant and coriander for cilantro, so it came natural to me. I think that part of it is just the ability to communicate. At the end of the day, 2 human beings from 2 different parts of the world, we were able to connect over food and it was just some of the most enjoyable experiences that I have had being over there.
AM: To know that in a few days, we have the 2nd season that will be here. Last fall we were talking with Richard and he was like, “oh yeah the 2nd season starts right after Super Bowl Sunday!” I was so excited! How excited are you to be back here again and what are you looking forward to?
CHEF NA: Wow! Well, I can’t believe it. What am I looking forward to? You know what I love? We spent a lot of time vetting our teams prior to the launch of the show which makes sense for the progression of the show. This season, instead of episode 1 with us picking our teams, we’re just going to get straight into it!
AM: Oh wow!
CHEF NA: I know! I love that because we have now built the base and people know the concept of the show. There’s a lot more opportunity for people to follow along with the actual competition and they really love that part of it. I’m really excited to have more episodes. We’re actually coming back with more episodes this season. I don’t know if there is a better opportunity of a slot to be airing right after the Super Bowl, it’s kind of a big deal!
AM: For sure, I was talking with Richard about chili and he just slipped it in there and I was like, “wait, right after the Super Bowl?” I was like, “oh crap!”
CHEF NA: Girl, the fact that Rhianna is playing at halftime, I’m so here for it!
AM: Coming from the Midwest, I love the Super Bowl. I like to get up and watch all of the pre-coverage and hear the stories etc early in the day!
CHEF NA: Me too!
AM: By the time it’s the actual game, I’ve been up for hours and so ready for it! This is so exciting. So to be able to end all of that by watching another form of competition, with their grit and know how, that’s so cool and I’m happy to hear it.
Do you think that you will be attached to additional seasons whether here or other global versions?
NA: I don’t know! When I first met Gordon and was a guest chef on Master Chef for his finale, my parting words to those chefs were to look at the kitchen like a playing field. You have to have an athlete mindset to win. It’s not just one component or the other to excel in it. It’s a team sport and you have to approach it every day with a competitive mindset to not also ask but to demand excellence from yourself. I think that that is 1 super cool thing that will be a synonymous dialogue through all of the parts and wherever this show goes. There are so many layers to it, so many facets and to have that spot after the Super Bowl is incredible. I’m excited to be on the UK version. I’m not sure about what the future holds, but we’ll see. I’m just excited that in this moment, I can’t express enough gratitude to the FOX people, the Studio Ramsey people – it’s incredible. Words can’t explain actually how incredible it is to be on that show. If it ended tomorrow, I will feel glad about what I had to offer and if it went on for 10 years and I was part of it, that would be amazing too.
Regardless I will say that when I was looking at who was killing it in the game and it was Gordon, for me to be able to have so much time to spend time with him so far, has been a dream! I couldn’t ask for more actually.
AM: As a viewer, it looks so natural. Sometimes when you have certain kinds of pairings regardless of the show or the vertical, you can see that someone was pulling to make that happen or that an advertiser got their way and there is no connection. But when I see the 2 of you, it feels natural, and it’s a blessing because sometimes you have to make a mountain out of a mole hill and this, it’s just what it is.
CHEF NA: Girl, I’m saying! When we had the launch party in the UK, a couple of weeks ago. I wasn’t ready for it. They brought us up on stage. We were in front of the producers, culinary, press, culinary students, friends and all of these people in the building. He thanked everyone for coming and passed me the microphone and told me to say some words.
I started speaking and I was so overwhelmed with so much emotion and gratitude and started to tear up. I pushed on through my words, I said my things tearfully and after people kept coming up to me and said that they were balling their eyes out listening to me speak. To your point, it comes from a very authentic place. Point being, after I spoke, Gordon spoke and he said he was so grateful to work next to me also and said that the thing about it and the thing about this show is that it always comes back to the food. No matter what, good days or bad days. We will never not have that part. That’s what makes it the most authentic. That will never falter. Every day, we have team meetings and we think about the concept of the day. These challenges – we think about it. What would we make with this? We really treat it like it’s a kitchen and that’s where all of that comes from and it’s a root system. It’s not just produced by these freelancers and producers that come in just to try and build a storyline. It is a true chef show. So it’s cool!
AM: Since you’re always on the go, what do you do for your own self-care so that you can reset and be ready for your next adventure? You literally could be anywhere.
CHEF NA: Yeah, it’s very true. I look at it like a very big grid system and I think about it like that. I have been conditioned and I grew up playing team sports and I look at it the same way. I grew up working those 10 and 12 hours days. If I know that I am in London next week, the few days leading up, you know I might do a juice cleanse, I might workout a little extra harder so that I can sleep a little better. I might negate sleeping a little the night before so I can sleep on the plane. It’s all about managing time ultimately and being intentional about how it is being spent in terms of your time lived. I think that that is the most important thing.
I will say that 2019 was a huge growth year for me. I think before I was managing my stress differently whether it was a few glasses of wine, over indulging in food – I have turned that around drastically, where I have put that same energy into my gym routine. That for me, was a life game changer, not just for my career, but also my regular life. I sauna a lot, I ice bath, I do a lot of CrossFit – those things - functional fitness, it makes me function in my regular life. I have way more bandwidth to take on these larger feats you know! I will say that that is my main thing and how I am able to maneuver. I will be honest, I would not be able to do it alone. I have a team that keeps me on track and manages my calendar and helps me! I don’t like to come from a reactionary state, I’m a very proactive person. So that is the only way that I am able to manage such a demanding schedule. I would say that it’s a lot of self-care girl, it’s a lot of meditating and I wear my Oura ring and it tells me when I am not doing things properly and I adjust. I do IV's - I do the IV game and we talked about this last time. I do redlight therapy.
AM: Same!
CHEF NA: I get my B vitamins, I’m very very intentional with my body.
AM: Philanthropically, how do you give back to your community and those in the culinary arts?
CHEF NA: Well, I think that things like this Gala event, we’re raising a lot of funds to go towards this culinary school. I mentor outside of these hosted events as much as possible. I do a ton of private dinners all over LA and I always make it my business to hire the team - the next generation coming up and specifically, women of color if I can because it’s just good to be intentional with where the dollars are going. Knowledge is power and we know that. The more that I can show the next generation, the better. I think that it’s ultimately through mentorship as much as possible.
AM: Are there other projects that you have coming up that you are able to share?
CHEF NA: I just opened a restaurant, Native, a couple of months ago in the Delta Terminal in LAX.
AM: Nice, that I didn’t know!
CHEF NA: Really? I’m working on that project with potentially more to come! I would say that definitely if people are interested to check me out in my Hong Kong pop-up, that’s a really cool time to connect! Yeah, the restaurant in LAX at Delta Terminal is killing it right now! It is very exciting! Those are the things that I can talk about now, there are other things swirling around, but I think that it is too early to tell.
AM: What do you want your legacy to be?
CHEF NA: Wow! I love these questions! What do I want my legacy to be? You know what I want it to be? I want people to feel that they can be more vulnerable and open to conversation. I think that for me to be able to storytell through my food is a way to connect with people and to break down these walls that have been so systemically ingrained within us especially in culture and in race. I want my legacy to be the glue that bonds humanity.
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PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | FRONT COVER, PG 16, 20 - 23, 26 FOX | PG 19 + 9LIST STORI3S PG 48, 51 Brian Parillo | PG 25 Michael Becker/FOX | PG 29 Nyesha Arrington | PG 30 Pedro Cardoso | 9LIST STORI3S PG |
Read the JAN ISSUE #85 of Athleisure Mag and see STORYTELLING EXPLORED | Nyesha Arrington in mag.
