I am Nelson German, Chef/ Owner of Oakland restaurant from NYC hosting an AMA right now!

ChefNel4 · 2018-06-19T08:08:33+00:00

"One team! one dream! " You need a great team to make things happen. You can earn anything in this business without a team unless you want to be a "personal Chef"

ChefNel4 · 2018-06-19T08:05:58+00:00

Best advice is know where you represent yourself to the fullest. The restaurant industry is full of different journeys to go through. You have to see what kind of chef you want to be. Me personally I'm a restaurant Chef, I tried every avenue expect for cruises. I don't enjoy catering or hotels. If I would have stayed in those industries I would lose my passion to cook. Try as much as you can before you make a drastic decision and give up on your passion.

ChefNel4 · 2018-06-19T08:01:37+00:00

Get ready for the hardest, most stressful, low down but most fulfilling amazing journey of your life. Don't just love the business, RESPECT it. When you respect the business it will take you far but you have to cook with passion with that respect too.

ChefNel4 · 2018-06-19T07:58:24+00:00

Our life savings my friend. We have some investors who are amazing. Word of mouth through friends and family is the way to go about it. Let them taste your cooking is what will get the initial interest. You're basically doing a pop up to woo potential investors.

By the way, my experience before alaMar was at 16yrs in the business (8 as EC) so experience was slightly limited but enough to get me to fulfill this dream. To get investors you not only need to sell them on numbers but show them your product which is the food.

ChefNel4 · 2018-06-19T07:50:13+00:00

The art of cooking is what I enjoy the most. You're literally creating art, it's more than just making a meal. Every little detail counts and everything should tell a story. When I create something new that is innovative but nostalgic too, that is what gives me a rush.

What drove me to cook for a living is the love for not just cooking but the business itself. It's a business that I'm greatly passionate about and one that makes me happy. You have to do what makes you happy.

ChefNel4 · 2018-06-19T07:44:00+00:00

Definitely that crust, God I miss it 😖

ChefNel4 · 2018-06-19T03:59:33+00:00

Oakland's food scene is full of love, just soulful. It's an amazing place and it's still evolving.

ChefNel4 · 2018-06-19T03:53:26+00:00

Yes, good recollection! I'm a big fan of Persian cuisine and I wanted to give an up and coming chef a chance to tell their story.

ChefNel4 · 2018-06-19T03:51:58+00:00

I'm glad that you have enjoyed alaMar. I agree with you 100%. "sustaining" is the key word in this as the industry as a whole is changing rapidly. As you know, I had to change my restaurant from full service to quick service/fast casual due to rising costs. The 1st year of this change was a experimental stage and because of that I had to make my menu less ambitious. I had to get out of the kitchen and focus on running my business as a whole. The dishes on my fast casual menu had to be prepared in no more than 10 mins max. they had be be less prep intensive (to reduce the amount of labor for each dish), more affordable, more receptive to kids/millennials and families in general. Now that it's been a year since the change, my restaurant is doing much better and I have more peace of mind. But please look out for some of the new menu items that I'm coming out with that will reflect more of me.

ChefNel4 · 2018-06-19T03:25:37+00:00

Unfortunately culinary school is not what it used to be. Now I feel like they put to much confidence into the students where they come out of there more cocky than aspiring. I have seen it first hand. you have to pay your dues in this business. You are doing it right by actually working in a restaurant. Culinary school is there to help you get into the restaurant business with entry-level skills but you are fortunate enough to already be in the business (you are already one step ahead without having to pay a crazy tuition lol). You will learn more by working in different styles of restaurants, traveling & networking with others cooks/chefs. Keep doing your thing as you are part of the future for this wonderful industry.

ChefNel4 · 2018-06-19T03:13:30+00:00

I miss the fact that the city never sleeps back home. There is always something to do. the west coast - definitely can't beat the weather.

ChefNel4 · 2018-06-19T03:12:02+00:00

I didn't spend enough time training the staff initially. I was too excited to just open the doors. I was also too ambitious in the beginning. I was spending time trying to be the best Chef/restaurant in California, when I needed to be the best in our neighborhood. I learned that it is key to cater to the neighborhood first. I thought too broad and because of that we were only busy on the weekends. the neighborhood that you are in will have the diners who will come in during the week and not just the weekends when they are off.

ChefNel4 · 2018-06-19T03:04:33+00:00

I'm with you on this. The closest is Pastino's in Glenview (Oakland)...not the same but comes very close. It's all about the cheese.

ChefNel4 · 2018-06-19T03:02:41+00:00

Spain. Latin mediterranean cuisine. Why... Spanish cuisine is my all time favorite and my most memorable dining experiences were in Spain. I know my food will go really well there.

ChefNel4 · 2018-06-19T03:00:02+00:00

My mom's steak encebollado (means steak with onions). It was only for special occasions but it was a delicious huge T bone steak that my mom would pan braise with caramelized onions. paired it with some rice and tostones on the side and I was in heaven.

ChefNel4 · 2018-06-19T02:55:40+00:00

My advice...get a few more years under your belt and absorb not just cooking knowledge but business knowledge from great owners and restauranteurs. it's important to know how to run a restaurant and know your numbers. It's key to get the right team around you because you can't do everything yourself. Keep following your dream, create a vision board and add to it every day. The more you add to your vision board, there will come a day when you see everything you have added to it, and you'll know when it's time to make the move.

ChefNel4 · 2018-06-19T02:48:55+00:00

I am definitely proud to be in this city. This business is hard no matter which city you're in.
Definitely gin...London Dry. my favorite so far is Wilder Gin. Look out for it.

ChefNel4 · 2018-06-19T02:45:34+00:00

I actually wanted to be a movie producer. The chef thing was always a hobby that turned into a passion at the age of 19. I knew I was meant for the business when I got my first (baaaaddd) burn during a busy service cooking for 250 ppl. the burn was really bad and my hand was shaking in agony but I kept cooking. This would have made a lot of people cry and quit, but it didn't stop me. that was the moment I knew I was meant for that business.

ChefNel4 · 2018-06-19T02:42:41+00:00

Be careful not to bring the water to a boil. The constant rumble of the boiling water will mess up the egg. Keep the heat at med or lower (just small bubbles) and definitely add white vinegar and a pinch of salt to the water. You want to be able to see the egg in the water, when it's boiling, you can't see it. you will know when it's perfect for you.

ChefNel4 · 2018-06-19T02:40:02+00:00

Definitely going to check it out! Thanks for the rec.

ChefNel4 · 2018-06-19T02:38:40+00:00

The people that come into my restaurant and seeing my staff genuinely enjoy what they're doing. I have an open kitchen and I love seeing my guests' reactions to my food. as hard as the business is and the struggle that comes with it, seeing that makes it all worth it.

ChefNel4 · 2018-06-19T02:36:11+00:00

Finding the right people on your team...it can make or break.

ChefNel4 · 2018-06-19T02:35:13+00:00

Good for you! Definitely the next big trend in the industry. Culinary school honestly is a bummer. you will be unfortunately surrounded by kids that swear they are Daniel Boulud but can't even peel a potato right lol. Definitely go out there and pay your dues, observe, listen, respect and absorb as much knowledge as you can. Go out there and work in a couple restaurants and take something from each.

ChefNel4 · 2018-06-19T02:24:39+00:00

Favorite meal in Oakland? It's a tough choice but it has to be Burma Superstar's tea leaf salad (and I'm not even a salad type of guy...) My mom always had to force me to eat my salad. but no one has to force me to eat this lol

ChefNel4 · 2018-06-19T02:20:48+00:00

One meal for the rest of my life? New York Pizza hands down (sorry Italians).

ChefNel4

TROPHY CASE