Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamil Shakoor.
Jamil, before we jump into specific questions about your company, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
When I was young, I always knew I wanted to cook. I grew up watching cooking shows such as Jaques Pepin and Julia Child on PBS because we didn’t have cable. Every chance I got I was in the kitchen with my mother cooking and learning different things. At 16, I started taking culinary classes in high school and got the chance to participate in my first culinary competition where I placed third. After high school, I went to Johnson and Wales University in North Miami. In my second year at Johnson and Wales, I got the opportunity to do my internship at the Ritz Carlton in South Beach where I gained even more experience.
After I graduated, I got the chance to officially start my professional culinary career at Fontainebleau Miami Beach and was there for three years. Within that time, I’ve worked in their large grossing banquet department as well as the many different restaurants where I fell in love with the fine dining restaurant lifestyle. From there I’ve worked at a few other fine dining restaurants such as Beach craft by Tom Colicchio and The Strand on Miami Beach. From there, my passion for the French style of service and five and ten-course tasting dinners bloomed to where it is today. So now, I do a lot of private five and ten-course tasting dinners with seasonal local ingredients and I love every minute of it. What I like to provide is more than food it’s the overall experience ambiance, wine pairings, etc.
Has it been a smooth road?
In the beginning, I struggled because when I was working at my internship at the Ritz they thought I wasn’t good enough to make it in the industry, but all that did was fuel me to make it even more. Now I’m a sous chef at Oceanic in pompano beach while still doing my private dinners.
Please tell us about your company.
Our five and ten-course private tasting dinners provide a greatly enjoyable experience with our ambiance, wine pairings and seasonal ingredients. It’s always great watching people divulging themselves into things they never experienced before and loving every minute of it.
The company name is S.A.W. which stands for Shakoor Artistry Workshop because what I eventually intend to do is more than tasting dinners, but I also have a design team to make chef clothes and have photographers/videographers things along those lines. The reason for this is to be equipped for private intimate dinners as well as large events such as birthdays, weddings, etc.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love the diversity and the fact that it’s becoming such a large foodie destination. I say that because you can find any type of cuisine here from Korean to the Mediterranean. What I like least is the traffic.
Contact Info:
- Email: jshakoor13@gmail.com
- Instagram: @Chefshakoor_workshop
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