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How did you start your career as a chef?
I knew shortly after high school I wanted to get into food. I had a natural passion for cooking and loved shopping for quality products; also, I found the restaurant dynamic so exciting even at a young age. I started working at a restaurant when I was 20 years old, slicing sacks of onion and cucumbers for their famous bread and butter pickles, served with bread service to each and every table in the house. It was there at the Washington Inn in Cape May that I developed my knife skills. I went to a culinary school called Academy of Culinary Arts in my home state of NJ, and then moved to New York. I started from the bottom in the kitchen, learned all the different stations, and even did stints in the front of house. I found that having experience on the floor and in the front of house, to be just as critical to my understanding of running a restaurant as my culinary training: delivering a warm experience for the guest is as much about delicious food with a visual presence as it is about a comfortable environment and personal service.
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What led you to becoming the new chef-partner at Ace Hotel Brooklyn?
After a career of opening restaurants in downtown Manhattan, I was looking to work with a hotel brand I admired. Ace has pioneered so much in the hotel experience and in community building, and I was excited to contribute to those experiences along with them. It is also a new challenge to consider the needs of a traveler when designing a menu: what are the things we hanker for when we’re on the road? What feels nourishing and comforting when we’re away from home? I’m finding it exciting to be in Brooklyn, after many years cooking in Manhattan — I’m having so much fun cooking for the local community here.
What’s your favorite part about the New York culinary community?
The diversity. How rich the variety of locally sourced products are — and how accessible they are to everyone in the city. It’s the shopping for me: the many ethnic and spice markets like SOS in the East Village, Kalustyans in Curry Hill, all of Essex Market in the Lower East Side — but especially the bodega called Luna Brothers and the Italian specialty shop Formaggio — and lastly Dimes Market for their superb curated pantry items. The sheer range of restaurant experiences: everything from tiny hole-in-the-walls that have perfected their offering, like the baked pork bun at Mei Lai Wah or Dim Sum Go-Go in Chinatown; or newer spots like Thai Diner, Hanoi House and Tacos No. 1; to the classic and authentically Kyoto-style Omen in Soho; to splurge-worthy fancy meals all over town. But I am especially proud of the environment that’s evolved, that’s allowed young chefs to pop up and showcase their diverse cuisine, and have it be a financially sustainable endeavor. Some of these people you should check out are @Eatdoshi @has_dac_biet and @chileconmiel
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What’s your favorite restaurant (besides As You Are) in NYC?
Le Rock! I’ve started the tradition of making a Christmas time reservation there with my family. I love the old New York grandeur, the elevated and modernized French cuisine. Plus the chefs are my favorite in all of NYC.
Is there a dish that is inspiring you right now?
New on the menu at As You Are: a gently poached black bass filet in tomato and lemongrass broth, with steamed pea leaf and a smattering of sesame oil, served with coconut rice. I finish it with tamarind: it gives it a lovely extended brightness.
Follow Along:
@camillebecerra