After living in Alaska for four years, Jay Mendoza, Executive Chef of The Club at Barefoot Beach, will only menu this wild-caught fish.
Chef’s Thoughts is sponsored by barillafs.com.
Jay Mendoza is the Executive Chef of The Club at Barefoot Beach in Bonita Springs, Fla., where he oversees all aspect of the club’s culinary program including menu development, bi-weekly menu changes, wine dinners, the chef’s table, cooking classes, the pizza program and more. Prior to this post, he led the day-to-day operations of the culinary program at One Ocean Resort & Spa and Azurea in Atlantic Beach, Fla.
- You’d be surprised to learn that I am a good bowler, an avid horse racing fan.
- If I could trade places with one chef it would be Wolfgang Puck.
- One of my most memorable meals was this hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurant in Fairbanks Alaska. It was called Nina’s Thai and the food was amazing. The flavor was very authentic! Who knew you could find amazing Thai food in such a small city?
- My go-to drink is coconut water. I need to keep my figure somehow.
- My last meal would be a braised short rib.
- My worst culinary creation was serving ankimo liver, which is a monkfish liver. It is usually called Foie Gras of the Sea, but none of my members liked it. In Japan, it is considered a delicacy.
- If I could change one thing about my club it would be having more space for the kitchen, which we will have next year when we do our renovation.
- My favorite junk food is ramen, specially after a long day’s work.
- If I wasn’t a chef, I’d love to be a nurse. I want to be able to help others.
- I knew I wanted to be a chef when I was 12 years old. I started working in a Chinese restaurant and was put on the WOK station. The flames intrigued me and got me curious about what else can be done in a kitchen.
- You’ll never see salmon when its offseason on the menu at my club because I lived in Alaska for almost four years and I fell in love with Alaskan Salmon. I love to use only wild-caught salmon especially during summertime.
- The most ridiculous member or guest request I’ve ever had was pureeing seafood for a customer that included scallops, shrimp, and fish altogether. Another crazy request was when I was asked to do a 17-course tasting for someone.
- I love being a club chef because it lets me take something raw and pure and turn it into a great dish. Seeing members/guests smile and exceed their expectation is very rewarding.
- When I’m not in the kitchen, I’m usually spending time with my two kids and my wife.
- My biggest mistake when I first started as a chef was doubting myself.
- I cook chicken feet at home, but I’d never cook it at the club.
- If I could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, it would be Kobe Bryant.
- The most valuable piece of career advice I’ve ever received was, “Focus on yourself. Be confident and trust your instinct.”
- My favorite celebrity chef is Thomas Keller because he is at the epicenter of the culinary world, especially in the US. I look up to him. I also worked with him when I was younger.
- The most important thing in my kitchen is my culinary team. They are pillars of support.
- I want to learn more about Japanese cuisine because it is perfectly balanced, harmonized and simple. It elevates ingredients if beautiful ways.
- My favorite ingredient is fig. Gold leaf is the most overrated ingredient. Fish sauce or Worcestershire are the most undervalued ingredients. I can’t live without salt and bacon.
- I don’t like to brag, but my general manager is awesome and my culinary team is one of the best out there. Three years of working in the club and we still have the same core group. We are doing something right.
- My most embarrassing moment in the kitchen was when I was younger and one of my co-workers at the restaurant accidentally made the mistake of putting salt instead of sugar in our simple syrup. The syrup was mixed into some of our drinks and as soon the customer took a sip, she gagged and spit the whole thing out.
- I’d like to see more club chefs do chef’s tables at their club.
- My favorite cookbook is The French Laundry.
- My favorite kitchen hack is giving butter an upgrade to enhance a dish. I love foie gras butter and fig butter, for example.
- I am motivated and inspired by creating memorable meals for my members and guests.
- The hardest service of my career was cooking for 10 different parties at my old hotel. They were all coming out at the same time. This was a boutique hotel with 1 kitchen and the banquet sales that night were over $200k.
- The most popular item on my menu based on sales is Florida Grouper with lobster sauce.
- I’d lose my job if I took the wiener schnitzel off the menu.
- Attention to detail, caring for products and equipment, ability to take criticism, able to handle pressure, and most importantly enjoying everyday in this industry are the most important qualities in a sous chef.