Today we’d like to introduce you to Richard Jimenez.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started my restaurant career at 14 years old. As a busboy at a 1950s dinner in Boise, Idaho. I grew up in Southern California and Idaho as my parents were divorced and would enjoy both states. I enjoyed the tips but decided to apply a seafood and steak house where I could make more money. My stepfather was a chef who specialized in Italian cuisine but was versed in French cooking as well and went on to be his cook later on in my 20s. The chef was Austrian and classically trained. He saw how hard I worked and encouraged me to work in the garde manger. I learned the basics and watched the grill sand saute station with great interest. The owner did not want me to be in those stations as I was so young. I kept pressing the chef until one night by default, we were short-staffed and he let me cook grill. He showed me by hand how to feel for the doneness of the steak. I cooked that night and only made a couple of mistakes. It was my way to the hot side and although I would go back to garde manger many times in my career as it’s the entry station for most restaurants. It was exhilarating to handle a rush by myself amongst grown men. I was fascinated by the kitchen culture.
My stepfather was a chef and my mom was a waitress so cooking was a part of life and food in general. I was working 40 hours a week in high school and on weekends when my friends were being kids, I was honing a skill set. By 19, I had a kitchen manager job. It was basic food but taught me responsibility. My stepfather’s old sous chef was opening a distillery/restaurant and had a sous chef position available, I had a shoe-in and got the job but worked my a*s off. I was able to learn flavors more and we were busy! Here I was 20 years old managing older guys were like a motley crew. This was right around the time of kitchen confidential by Anthony Bourdain. So cooking was not a very glamorous profession. I loved it and wanted to cook better food, I was offered a job by a customer who liked my food an executive chef job. I was 23 and full of energy,it was a lodge and resort. I moved for the position. I was driving back to see my family and fell asleep and wrecked my truck causing a major injury in my back which called for a surgery. I got back to work and came to work for my stepfather as he was running a french style restaurant as a sous chef, so I cooked for him and it was a great experience. This is where I first tasted foie gras and I knew that cooking was my true my calling I wanted to really level up but there were not many places to learn high-end food, so I moved back to Southern California to grow.
I got a job in LA and was cooking french and Mediterranean-style food. I was early every day, taking notes and doing everything I could do to learn. I went from executive chef wage to 12 dollars an hour in the pantry/garde manger but was worked my was up fast. I would work off the clock to learn my skillet in a classical French kitchen. It’s was a lot of sacrifices financially I made to attain my techniques. I moved to San Diego as it is close to family and worked as a sous chef in a Italian restaurant but had my eye on Scott Lebfried who was Gordon Ramsay’s sous on hells kitchen and applied for a job with him. I got a stage and ran into someone I had gone to school within Idaho in the same kitchen. It was another shoe in and I learned a lot. I ended up having a daughter on the way with my ex-girlfriend from the first sous chef job I had in Boise so we moved back to be around family. I worked as a sous chef at a Thai restaurant under a very talented chef who had a Michelin background. I could not understand him very well at first, thanks to google translate I learned very bold Asian flavors. I took a lot from that job and wanted to prove myself more on my own menu. I ended up working for my dad’s old sous chef in a farm-to-table gastropub as a sous chef but worked my way up to head chef. My food was progressing at this time but my heart was in fine dining. I was offered a job in Seattle and planning on moving, but heard of a chateau in the countryside which had huge gardens on-site and produced a variety of house wines. I decided to apply the chef had quit so I made my way in the door. It was a true farm-to-table concept. I was running an event center at the chateau simultaneously as a fine dining farm-to-table restaurant. I made my menu based of what I planted, it was like nothing else. I worked for two years doing high-end wine dinners multi-course and weddings. This experience was life-changing for me a chef I learned wine as well as really understanding the seasons for vegetables I was tired of not having the owners happy with my style of cooking although guests were amazed so I tried my own business venture. It Italian, Asian catering /food truck. I could not bear putting my food on paper plates. I had a job offer come on from Seattle to open a French restaurant.
My family knew my options were limited and encouraged me to go. It was working with someone I began my career with, he worked as the GM and sommelier. I brought my sous chef from Idaho along and we opened up Feast only to shut down a month later due to covid. We reopened but never was the same. I became friends with a celebrity chef who really liked my food named Fabio Viviani so I decided to move to Fort Lauderdale to open an Italian Restaurant for him. I felt lost in my own identity as the menu was not mine I could not do it any longer. I wanted to express myself completely. I met the owners of Balans Johnathon and Keva in Brickel and immediately got along. They have very refined palettes and understand my work. I interviewed with them and cooked for 9 hours to show them my passion and it worked out for both of us as they love what I do and are extremely supportive of my cuisine. We are opening another restaurant now in Miami beach called Issabellas on Lincoln Road which ironically is my daughter’s name is Bella and did not know that was the name they planned on using. I’ve brought my sous chef of five years Jardian Davidson on he moved from Seattle three months ago to help me execute the menu at Balans. I have my form of expression through food and now I’m very happy to be so well received in Brickell. I am doing all my desserts and full menu from my own mind, all original recipes and it’s my life’s work. I do not just feed my customers; I’m telling my story. I’ve lived in a lot of states and city’s and been blessed to study food and wine in Europe, as well as work in French, Italian, Mediterranean, Asian restaurants so my flavors are global and it’s such an amazing feeling to not be held back…My food is my story and I can’t wait to share it to more of Miami. My family has had me involved at an early age. Mom is a baker and stepfather a chef really gave me my work ethic so now I can share my passion to all.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’ve had some challenges along the way, but those have molded me into who I am today. I got into a car accident which caused a major surgery in my early twenties and had to work through some serious pain in my career.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an executive chef. I specialize in global cuisine. I’m known for my unorthodox approach to flavor combinations. My style is hard to define as I cook a mix from all my training. I have a background in Classical/modern french, Italian, and Asian. I would describe it as progressive modern European with A mixture of bold Asian influence. I do all my own desserts as well. I want my guests to have a full experience from me start to finish so having a pastry chef is not an option for me. All my recipes are original and pride myself on using bold flavor combinations to confuse, provoke emotions and feelings to my guests. I am proud to do all my desserts as most chefs rely on help in that department. I use a mix of modern and classical techniques to express myself through my food.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I grew up very competitive. I played sports and was the class clown. I had an interest in cooking at an early age as my stepfather was a chef and mom was and is a baker. I enjoyed fishing and have kept doing it since I was young. I would describe myself as sarcastic and intense. I don’t have a middle gear, if I do something I’m all in.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Chef_richard_jimenez
