Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaye

Hi Kaye , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?

My story is quite the tale, and I’ll do my best to share as much as possible without overstepping any boundaries.

Greetings everyone, my name is Kaye and I’m a self-taught Private Chef. I’m not originally from the United States either but I’ll cover more on that briefly. When it came to cooking I’ve always found myself surrounded by those who did it for a living or professionally. My father was a patissier and my grandfather was a Chef who went to Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.
As I’ve stated previously my father was a Chef but my mother is also a registered Nurse and former Detective. I use the past tense for my father since he is no longer with us in the physical realm.

I was born in Kyoto and lived there for a year. Eventually, we moved to the United States. Prior to me being born my parents would travel a lot for work. My father was also in the Air Force. When we came to the States I would go to the events my father would be curating. These would range from private celebrations to mass corporate ones. I remember being allowed into a professional kitchen when I was only three. I have my father’s good connections with the kitchen brigade and staff to thank for these opportunities.

After his passing, I began my self-indulgence in the culinary world. Growing up, I wasn’t the biggest fan of cartoons but I watched them occasionally. Most of my time was spent on Food Network. Soaking up all the information I could. Visiting my grandparents was something I did quite often as well. Anywhere I could learn more about the kitchen and cooking as a whole is where I’d find myself. I didn’t start cooking for myself until I was about twelve. Family on my father’s side would always tell me I’d be a Chef when I got older but I never paid them attention regarding this. I was quite shy growing up until a few encounters with certain individuals taught me to stand up for myself. A time-skip into the future of when I was around age sixteen or seventeen is when I truly decided to take cooking seriously. I was already in college at sixteen after graduating high school a year early. I went to school for Audio/Video Production, Engineering, and Sound Design/Foley for Film. Music is a big part of my life and I assumed that would be the route I chose to walk down. Once COVID began I bunkered down on honing my skills and personal knowledge of cooking. Eventually, at some point, I truly learned what my passion was. I wouldn’t mind doing this even if I was not being paid in every scenario, Especially at the beginning of my career.

One of my friends in 2019 told me that if I enjoyed doing it so much I might as well make a profit from my skillset. After that, the rest is just history as most would say. I started with selling plates and sales weren’t the best during my first few weeks. Eventually after a solid month, however, I would be sold out of items on my menus. Before I knew it, I sold over one thousand individual plates in less than a year. This was a major milestone for me, one I set up subconsciously. I stopped selling plates as much and would do occasional pop-ups throughout the city until I stopped selling them altogether. I knew I had the skill to cook but I wanted to branch myself off from everyone else and offer something entirely different with my cuisine. I did not want to be known as a “plate” Chef. I wanted someone to look at my portfolio or Instagram and be astonished by my work. So I secluded myself for nearly two years honing my craft even further and pursuing the cuisines I truly enjoyed making as an individual.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

The road has had its ups and downs but I wouldn’t have changed anything. Certain circumstances helped me develop my character even further than what it was previously. The biggest obstacle I would deal with was the elitist look I would receive from some Chefs or people who considered themselves better cooks than me. My cooking wouldn’t be taken as seriously as I preferred. So, I bunkered down even further and increased my consumption of culinary knowledge from all facets. Reading books, and articles, watching segments in languages I didn’t fully understand. It made no difference to me where the knowledge came from. As long as I grew mentally and intellectually. At some point, I realized one of the cuisines I enjoyed the most was French. It’s the technical approach and demand of the Chef. The accuracy needed to execute certain dishes intrigued me and I began putting all my focus into this.

I was still accepting clientele during this time as well, but any free time I had would be used to master my craft as much as I could. After three years of non-stop practicing, reading and trial runs I noticed my cooking quality improved drastically. I didn’t fully grasp the difference until I posted a picture for the first time in some months. I think it was more of a shock to other’s than myself at first. From that moment on, however, I knew that I was taking the steps needed to pursue the career I wanted and live my dreams to their fullest. I also stopped receiving daunting looks from others in the culinary industry. From that moment on, I haven’t had anyone question my cooking prowess or skillset.

I believe one of the few things I deal with now is the pronunciation of my name. Most people just call me Kaye as if they’re saying the letter “K” but it’s actually pronounced /”ˈkaï-ɐɨ”/.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?

Currently, I’m a Private Chef and practice every day as much as possible to continue honing my craft to absolute perfection. I’m still offering my services to the public but with some minor changes. I don’t do as much catering as others. I prefer the intimate and smaller settings that allow me more creative range and closer connection with the client. After a while I’ve developed a good following and support system from well-established Chefs who appreciate my work ethic and dedication to my craft. Most of them are in Europe but a few are in the States as well. I believe I’m known for being one of the very, VERY few people in America who offers and specializes in proper French cuisine and technique. I’m speaking from an individual standpoint. When people see an individual with a darker skin tone it’s usually associated with only being able to offer Soul Food or something similar. Even though I am not fully Black I would still receive these same presumptions solely based off my appearance. This only added fuel to my fire and furthered my desire to pursue French cuisine.

I’ve yet to meet another individual in America who is cooking the technical things I offer. Even some of the most simplistic things are the most difficult to execute. I let my cuisson do the talking while the properly chosen ingredients resonate in harmony. Cuisson is French for cooking for those who are curious about the context.

Currently, I’m working on a book and expanding my culinary portfolio. I’m enjoying the process of evolving until I reach my absolute zenith. The book is nowhere near finished. I’m making sure everything hits the standard that I hold myself to.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?

The best advice I can give anyone is to be yourself, regardless of circumstances or environment. Let people know what it is that you do. Start a conversation with a stranger and go from there. I’m far from the biggest talker but I’ve learned that developing this skill will open many doors for you. If an individual is fond of your work or at, they’ll pass on this knowledge to the next person and the cycle continues.

Never stop advertising yourself. Don’t worry about getting on someone else’s nerves or spamming. If you never announce your arrival how will the audience know when to applaud? Put yourself first in everything you do while also respecting others.

You don’t need to worry about how much monopolization something can bring you. Enjoy your craft and the journey that accompanies it. Learn to appreciate the times that are desolate so you can properly enjoy the benefits of when it rains down with blessings :)

Pricing:

• Chef Consultation (Individual/Personal) $50/HR
• Chef Consultation (Commercial/Professional) $80/HR
• In-Home Services (Cooking in Another Kitchen or Specific Location) $200+

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/chefkayei
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/chefkayei

Image Credits

All images were taken by me with my iPhone :)