Street food has been an undemanding starting point for some of the world’s most celebrated culinary talent. Behind the glamor of Michelin-starred restaurants and global fame lie the origins of visionary chefs who honed their skills amid the bustling energy of street kitchens. We at New York Street Food love these stories of great chefs who started out in our favorite food stalls. In this post, our team delves into these culinary virtuosos who come from different parts of the world, and their stories are different but no less interesting. Through innovation, passion, and a deep connection to their culinary roots, these chefs have evolved from street food masters to global gastronomic icons.
Let’s get to know their stories better.
1. Bobby Flay
He started his culinary career at 17, working in an American bar in New York (Wikipedia1). He has said his first jobs in the restaurant industry were at a pizza parlor and Baskin-Robbins. He then took a position making salads at Joe Allen Restaurant in Manhattan’s Theater District, where his father was a partner.
Watch this video about Bobby Flay:
2. Heston Blumenthal
His interest in cooking began at the age of sixteen on a family holiday to Provence, France, when he was taken to the 3-Michelin-starred restaurant L’Oustau de Baumanière (Wikipedia2). He was inspired by the quality of the food and “the whole multi-sensory experience: the sound of fountains and cicadas, the heady smell of lavender, the sight of the waiters carving lamb at the table”.
When he left school at eighteen, Blumenthal began an apprenticeship at Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons but left after a week’s probation.
Watch this video to learn more:
3. Gastón Acurio
Gastón Acurio is a highly recognized chef from Peru known for creating food classics from street food like grilled cow heart skewers or Andean stable cuy (guinea pig). In the majority of his restaurants, they focus on dishes from various regions in Peru.
Watch this video about Acurio:
4. Cho Yonsoon
Cho Yonsoon is a chef who opened a food stall serving traditional kalguksu (Korean knife cut noodles) to support her family when they came on hard times.
Watch this video to learn more:
5. Alexis Soyer
Alexis Soyer was a French chef who served in the Irish Potato Famine and is known for inventing the idea of the soup kitchen. He also wrote a cookbook specifically for commoners.
Watch this video to get a glimpse:
As we can see from these stories of different people, unique chefs can be unnoticed at first, like a pearl in the desert. But over time, this “pearl” (person) becomes known all over the world. And these are really talented people.
It’s hard work to find such “pearls” and sort them out from the usual “jewelry”. Sometimes finding a good chef, sous chef, or even a restaurant manager is not a feasible task for businessmen who are thinking of starting their own restaurant business. And in this case, specialized recruitment companies come to the rescue, offering their hospitality staffing solutions. Years spent searching for really decent staff for your restaurant can be reduced to a few months, and sometimes even days, depending on the level of requirements and needs.
There are also examples of well-known chefs switching their interests to street food. And here are a few such examples below.
Famous Chefs Who Switched to Street Food
1. Anthony Bourdain
Bourdain was a fervent supporter of street food culture. He was very vocal about his love for the modest street stalls serving unpretentious, no-nonsense dishes that could easily get a five-star rating. He took the viewers with him as he relentlessly navigated through the streets and markets in search of the next best street-side meal.
Watch this video which is just one example of his love to street food:
2. Josh Scherer, Nicole Hendizadeh, and Trevor Evarts
They started a TikTok channel together based on their YouTube cooking show called Mythical Kitchen.
3. Gordon Ramsay
While there isn’t a direct reference to Ramsay starting with street food, he has shown a keen interest in it. He has created a series of stunningly simple street food-inspired recipes, and he is set to open the Gordon Ramsay Food Market in early 2022 at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort, which will have food of all types available, with seven different styles.
Watch this video to get a glimpse:
As addition to the stories of famous chefs, here are some street food recipes from them.
Street Food Recipes by Famous Chefs
1. Samosa Chaat by Maunika Gowardhan
Ingredients:
– For the samosas: 500g potatoes, 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp fennel seeds, 1/2 tsp hing or asafoetida, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala powder, 1/2 tsp amchur or dried mango powder, Salt to taste, 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander, 10-12 samosa patti or spring roll wrappers, Flour and water paste.
– For the chaat: 6 samosas, 100g plain yogurt, 1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder, 1/2 tsp chaat masala, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, Tamarind chutney, Green chutney, Sev, Fresh pomegranate seeds, Chopped fresh coriander.
Instructions:
– Boil the potatoes until tender. Peel and chop them into small pieces.
– Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, fennel seeds, and hing. Fry for a few seconds.
– Add the potatoes to the pan
. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala powder, amchur, and salt. Mix well.
– Remove from heat and add chopped coriander. Let it cool.
– Take a samosa patti and place a spoonful of the potato mixture at one end. Fold the patti into a triangle, sealing the edges with the flour and water paste.
– Deep fry the samosas until golden brown.
– To assemble the chaat, place the samosas on a plate. Whisk the yogurt with the cumin powder, chaat masala, and red chilli powder. Drizzle this over the samosas.
– Top with tamarind chutney, green chutney, sev, pomegranate seeds, and coriander.
2. Spinach and Paneer Kati Roll by Nadiya Hussain
Ingredients:
– For the filling: 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 onion, finely sliced, 200g paneer, cut into small cubes, 200g baby spinach, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp cumin powder.
– For the wraps: 250g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting, 1/2 tsp salt, 250g full-fat Greek yogurt.
Instructions:
– Heat the oil in a pan. Add the onion and fry until soft.
– Add the paneer to the pan and fry until golden brown.
– Add the spinach, salt, turmeric, and cumin powder. Cook until the spinach has wilted.
– To make the wraps, mix the flour, salt, and yogurt in a bowl. Knead until smooth.
– Divide the dough into balls. Roll each ball out on a floured surface.
– Cook each wrap in a dry frying pan until puffed up and golden brown.
– To assemble, place some of the filling in the center of each wrap. Roll up and serve.
To Conclude…
The culinary world’s journey from street food to haute cuisine is a testament to the transformative power of passion, innovation, and a deep connection to one’s culinary roots. These top chefs, who once navigated the bustling streets and markets, have evolved into global icons, leaving an indelible mark on the gastronomic landscape. Their stories serve as inspiration, illustrating that the path to culinary greatness can begin on the streets, where authenticity and flavor reign supreme.
As we celebrate these chefs and their extraordinary trajectories, let us not forget the vibrant tapestry of street food that continues to captivate taste buds around the world. From the sizzling street-side grills to the aromatic stalls, these humble beginnings not only nurture culinary talents but also bring people together through the universal language of food. The legacy of these chefs reaffirms that greatness can emerge from the simplest of origins, and it encourages aspiring culinary talents to embrace their roots, experiment fearlessly, and savor the journey from street food stalls to culinary stardom.
Sources:
(1) Bobby Flay – Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Flay
(2) Heston Blumenthal – Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heston_Blumenthal
