The Club at the Dunes’ Executive Chef says others would be surprised to learn that he enjoys it when others do this for him.
Chef’s Thoughts is sponsored by barillafs.com.
Yakov Koyenov is the Executive Chef of The Club at the Dunes in Naples, Fla. Originally from New York, Koyenov enjoys being a chef because is allows him the opportunity to move the club industry forward with creative and innovative thinking.
- You’d be surprised to learn that I enjoy when others cook for me.
- If I could trade places with one chef it would be Thomas Keller.
- One of my most memorable meals was at Il Mulino New York at the Acqualina Resort in Miami.
- My go-to drink is sweet tea.
- My last meal would be grilled bone-in ribeye with potato gratin and creamed spinach.
- My worst culinary creation was poached turbot with apricot chutney and cilantro foam.
- If I could change one thing about my club it would be to have more storage areas.
- My favorite junk food is pizza.
- If I wasn’t a chef, I’d love to be an astronaut.
- I knew I wanted to be a chef when I worked my first shift in a restaurant.
- You’ll never see escargot on the menu at my club because I think is outdated.
- The most ridiculous member or guest request I’ve ever had was a steak served sliced completely raw.
- I love being a club chef because it gives me the creativity to create new dishes from all over the world and really get to know the memberships’ wants and needs.
- When I’m not in the kitchen I’m spending time with my wife and kids.
- My biggest mistake when I first started as a chef was trying to do everything myself.
- I cook packaged ramen 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 my grandmother.
- The most valuable piece of career advice I’ve ever received was, “Always be humble, hungry, smart, simple and nice.”
- My favorite celebrity chef is Vladimir Mukhin because he brought back to life real Russian cuisine.
- The most important piece of equipment in my kitchen is chef knives and plating spoons.
- I want to learn more about nutrition and the science behind gastronomy because I find manipulating ingredients intriguing.
- My favorite ingredient is lemon zest. Truffle oil is the most overrated ingredient. Acid is the most undervalued ingredient. I detest hard-boiled eggs, and I can’t live without butter.
- I don’t like to brag, but I have four beautiful children.
My most embarrassing moment in the kitchen was back in my line cook days when my station was not up to par and the Chef flipped all my pans on the floor. - If I could have one superpower, it would be super speed.
- My favorite cookbook is Eleven Madison Park – The Next Chapter.
- My favorite kitchen hack is adding xanthan gum to purees instead of butter, which gives a better consistency and shine.
- I am motivated and inspired by my wife and kids.
- The hardest service of my career was prime rib night at my last club. We had 500+ members and all of the prime rib was overcooked.
- The most popular item on my menu based on sales is caesar salads and the grouper sandwich.
- I’d lose my job if I took the grouper sandwich off the menu.
- Loyalty and commitment are the most important qualities in a sous chef.
- My go-to breakfast is bacon, egg and cheese on an everything bagel, toasted.
- When hiring, lack of effort to update a resume kills a prospect fastest for me.
- My biggest professional pet peeve is tardiness.
- I will always purchase ketchup and mayonnaise instead of making it from scratch.
- The most important question I ask during the interview process is, “What are your goals and aspirations?”
- The best excuse I’ve ever been given for calling off work is “Chef, I’m too drunk to come into work today.” At least they were honest…
- If I had to hire a family member, I would choose my wife because she is a super organized, detail-oriented and hardworking person.
- The best culinary gift I’ve ever received was the Gray Kunz spoons collection.
