The next generation of culinary artisans are changing up the industry. These artisans have a whole new approach to reaching and satisfying the next generation consumer. In this podcast we will explore chefs and artisans from around the world diving into their story and passion.

In this episode of Chef AF, I chat with Chef Jack Yoss, Vice President of Culinary at Hai Hospitality about his early inspiration, hands-on training, the importance of having mentors, and working overseas.

Yoss shares that his foundation for cooking came from Las Vegas and working for Wolfgang Puck restaurants for nearly eight years. He says he truly learned about people and how to work with different cultures while overseas. Yoss adds, he was in Bali, Thailand, and other countries and when working in a foreign land, managing five hundred people that all have different customs, you learn to adapt very quickly.

I asked Yoss about the culture having an impact on his culinary style, he says, “I will never say that I fully understand the fundamentals of Indonesian Cuisine. You know there's hundreds of dialects, there's hundreds of regional cuisines, there's thousands of islands right, you're never going to fully understand that as a foreigner.” He adds, “but what I did get was a good base knowledge and that's definitely inflected the way that I cook these days.”

Yoss spent time working with Hai Hospitality before going overseas, and on his return he joined the group again. Hai Hospitality is a restaurant group from Texas, their restaurants include, Uchi, Uchiko, Uchiba, and Loro an Asian smokehouse and bar by James Beard award winners Chef Tyson Cole and Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue.

Yoss is known for his in the trenches work style, he says, “you can't lead through email and you can't lead through text, first of all the very first and foremost is you have to get to know and build relationships with your teams and your team doesn't only mean your chef de cuisine or your sous chefs. You need to get to know the line cooks, you need to get to know the prep cooks and you need to be visible.” Adding, “getting out, getting on the road, and getting in the restaurants.”

To hear Yoss talk about the importance of mentors, his story behind the recipe for pork shoulder satay, his thoughts on the labor shortage, and what the future holds check out this episode of Chef AF “It’s All Food” or you can listen at Spotify!