Soul Full on Good Food

Syrenity Davis, Luxe Chef | the Cookout | Cuisine

It's 2020; I'm 22 years old, and I'm working at my very first fine dining restaurant in the base of a hotel here in Charlotte, N.C, the Grand Bohemian, when I began working on this dish.

At this restaurant, we had a "catch of the day," a seafood dish that rotated using whatever catch we got in. By the time I felt ready to attempt asking to create a dish for this, I had

worked my way up from the salad station to sauté and grill (in a short matter of time, might I add). So, I was feeling rather confident in my ability to create. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the sous chef who helped shape me as a chef and pushed me to try out what I saw in my mind, even if I didn't know how to put it together yet.

Francis allowed me to dream and helped me fine-tune my ideas and techniques. We worked together to create this dish. The restaurant is Peruvian-themed, so we used a classic French dish with Latin spices to pull in the influences from Peru.

It all started with me deep-diving into Latin culture and cuisine. While bouillabaisse is French in origin, a lot of the ingredients translate over to Latin culture. The soup base came first. Traditionally, it is served with white fish; I just chose to substitute that with the seafood we had on hand. I can remember feeling so accomplished that I had an idea and was able to see it through--it was coming to life.

Picking the bowl for presentation was also a new part of becoming a chef that I hadn't considered. Francis walked me through all of our options and ultimately taught me how to consider all the colors and textures of the dish, the season we were in, and the guest's first reaction when my dish would hit. The wide pale-blue bowl was perfect to me. Deep enough to hold the soup base, wide enough to showcase all of the ingredients, and just enough contrast to help the colors of the dish stand out. The dish went over well in our pre-service meeting, where it was introduced to the kitchen staff and front of the house. It ended up selling out, and I can still take myself back to that moment of me crying in the walk-in cooler, feeling soul validated.

That even though I did not attend culinary school, I had talent, drive, and the ability to learn and absorb new techniques. That moment shaped who I am today as a professional, and I am ever proud of myself for taking that leap. To try.