Chef’s Table is a series of Interviews with some of the top chefs in North America.
Darren Brown is the Corporate Chef for Glowbal Group Restaurants based in Vancouver, BC. I have known Darren since summer 2010 and have had the pleasure to chat with him about his passion for food, travel and all things culinary.
Chef Darren Brown
How do you create a new dish for any of your restaurants?
First off I would ask the chef to create 8 dishes, then I look at each of them with Emad, we then work with the chef and the restaurant team and on the dish individually on the technique, refinement and how the dish fits Emad`s concept then that sets the bar for adding the dish.
How long does this process take?
Adding a new dish can take 3-4 months to add any of our menus, however we try to do it in 1-2 months on quarterly seasonal menus. For features we let our chefs come up with their own dishes.
What have you done during the past year in your role as Executive Corporate Chef at Glowbal Group?
I opened the new Coast Restaurant on Alberni (June`09) after spending a few months preparing the chefs team for opening, two and half months later I opened Society in Yaletown, then I redid Glowbal in Yaletown and turned it into a steakhouse. Then we put in a Mozzarella bar in Trattoria in Kitsilano and then redid the menu at Sanafir and added Tapas & Ceviche bar.
What are you working on currently?
We are putting in a Mozzarella bar at Italian Kitchen and then we are going to redo the menu at Society, then I believe there will be some new projects coming on.
What is your favourite food city in the world?
Barcelona
Are you opening any new restaurants in Glowbal Group anytime soon?
Maintaining continuity is very important in growing the company and the restaurant culture, this comes first and foremost before we can open our next restaurant.
If you were hiring a chef from outside of your company how would you do it?
Anyone who approaches me to work at our restaurants must have the technical skills as well as understanding the food and having a scope of experience in food, they should also have an interest in administration and finance.
Are chefs approaching you for jobs all the time?
In my roll I do receive applications from chefs and staff day in and day out.
What is your favourite style of cooking?
Spanish, Basque cooking and basically anything that is coastal Mediterranean
What are your 5 favourite ingredients to cook with?
Espiette chilli, duck, chorizo sausage, any part of a pig and musovada sugar
What is your favourite restaurant outside of the company?
Chambar
Follow Chef Darren Brown and his cooking adventures on Twitter @chefdarrenbrown
Stay tuned for the next Interview at the Chef’s Table.
