Chef's Interviews

Live, Laugh, Love--You have one life so enjoy it!

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CHEF INTERVIEWS

The Chefs are fascinating people. They are well traveled, and

have many interests and other talents besides culinary arts.

Kathleen Meymarian and Efren Bugarin Have Been Partners for 28 years.

At
Kathleen’s Restaurant
595 N. Lake Ave., Pasadena
(626) 578-0722

Efren Bugarin and Kathleen Meymarian have been partners at the popular restaurant, Kathleen’s since it opened in 1982. Bugarin is the head chef, running the kitchen operations and Meymarian oversee the front of the restaurant actively welcoming guests with a warm friendly smile. The two worked together at the Salt Shaker Restaurant on Arroyo Ave in Pasadena where Maymarian was waitressing and Bugarin was cooking. Then they went to The Bakery (which is now Wild Thyme). Maymarian was attending dental hygienist school at USC and working part-time as a hostess/waitress and Bugarin had become the manager. The two friends decided to open their own place and Kathleen’s became a reality. Bugarin was no stranger to the restaurant business. His brother, Bernie, was the original owner of the La Canada favorite, Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant that is now relocated in Montrose. Bugarin was raised on a farm in Mexico. His brother Bernie came to the United States in 1963 and Efren followed in 1965. He started working as a dishwasher at the Acapulco Restaurant and worked his way up to cook. “I loved food magazines and read everything I could get my hands on. I studied recipes and the different food and that is how I basically learned. I love baking and it is probably my only real hobby. Making the desserts and the pumpkin and zucchini bread for Kathleen’s gives me a sense of pride and accomplishment. I make all of our pies and even our cheesecake. We have a big menu so it is important that the kitchen operate smoothly so that is my territory and I keep it running smoothly and efficiently. I want our food to be enjoyed by our guests so I insist on top quality ingredients and only the freshest fish, poultry and meats. All the Mexican food we offer is made from scratch and in house so it is authentic. Our soups are also house made daily and very popular. Kathleen’s is a very important part of my life. In fact, my two daughters work here but my son works for the Pasadena Water and Power. He wasn’t into the restaurant business,” laughed Bugarin. “I am a Pasadena girl. I was born and raised here. I attended John Muir High School and then went on to study at University of Southern California dental hygienist school. I kept working as a hygienist two days a week even after opening Kathleen’s. The restaurant is closely tied to my family as they own the building and my father did most of the construction for the restaurant. I am married to the business and want our loyal patrons to feel they are our friends whenever they come in to eat. Some of our patrons have been coming since we opened and over the years they have truly become close friends. I like to recognize them and call them by name and celebrate the important things in their lives with them. For example, when a special couple got engaged, we put the engagement ring in the onion and soup and them we all waited for the fiancée to discover it. It was great fun and very exciting. Those are the kind of moments that make my job most enjoyable. At this tough economic time, people are seeking security, friendliness and a safe haven with reassurance and comfort. At Kathleen’s we want to offer our guests this kind of hospitality,” said Maymarian. “Both Efren and myself are dedicated to Kathleen’s and are willing to do whatever it takes to please our guests. We want people to come and enjoy our cuisine and feel welcome and comfortable with good food, good service and a clean and friendly atmosphere. We are proud of our restaurant and want everyone to come and enjoy it too.”

Ara and Sofi Kalfayan Create Gourmet Lebanese Cuisine At Phoenicia

343 N. Central Ave. Glendale

(818) 956-7800.

Lebanese born Ara and Sofi Kalfayan have raised the level of Lebanese cuisine to a new height at their restaurant, Phoenicia, located at 343 N. Central Ave. Glendale.
Ara has been one of greater L.A’s most innovative and exciting restaurateurs for over two decades and now, his talented wife, Sofi, heads the kitchen at their lovely restaurant. Ara Kalfayan arrived in San Francisco from Beirut as a young man and graduated from
San Francisco State University. His life-long passion for food motivated him to work in the finer Bay Area restaurants and enroll at the Napa Valley campus of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America. His profound interest in wine—reflected in his award-winning wine lists—was enhance through his advanced training at the University of California at Davis. In 1978, Kalfayan moved to Southern California and opened Phoenicia in Glendale. With refined French-Continental fare, extraordinary wine list, and sophisticated décor, the restaurant drew patrons from all over the metropolitan Los Angeles area. Phoenicia was closed in 1991 and Kalayan astutely created a dramatically different concept—a cozy café, Kix, which instantly became one of Glendale’s favorite eateries. At Kix, Kalfayan introduced an eclectic California cuisine accommodating guests in a delightfully comfortable setting. In 2006, Kalfayan, created a new restaurant on the corner of Central and Lexington and renamed it Phoenicia. His frequent trips to a revitalized Beirut—one of the truly great resort cities of the world, despite its hardships—inspired him to introduce his passion of Lebanese food and hospitality to his home community of Glendale. “I wanted to open a restaurant that showed Southern California the way people eat and celebrate in Beirut,” said Kalfayan who take great pleasure in seeing large families and groups gather at Phoenica to enjoy a meal together. Kalfayan is highly respected for his abilities to manage a large dining room and make his guests feel at home and welcome. Kalfayan met his wife, Sofi, in the restaurant business in Southern California. She attended culinary school in Lebanon to further her passion for cooking. “My family all liked to cook and always prepared wonderful meals. I always loved being in the kitchen and decided to further my passion and take it one step beyond making it my career. I enjoy preparing the Lebanese dishes and enjoy adding my own special touches that make my cuisine unique. I am extremely particular and supervise every dish that leaves my kitchen. All my food must measure up to my high standards as everything prepared in the kitchen at Phoenicia is a reflection of my abilities. I want the guests to savor every bite and recognize my perfection. Lebanese food is the epitome of the Mediterranean diet. Basically the cuisine includes an abundance of starches, fruits, vegetables, fresh fish and seafood. Poultry is eaten more often than red meat, and when red meat is eaten it is usually lamb. It also includes copious amounts of garlic and olive oil, often seasoned by lemon juice. A meal seldom goes by in Lebanon that does not include these ingredients. Most often foods are either grilled, baked or sauted in olive oil.. Vegetables are often eaten raw or pickled as well as cooked. My cooking focuses on herbs, spices and the freshness of ingredients. The mezze is an assortment of little dishes that can be prepared with limitless combinations and are served at appetizers. The main meals are full of robust, earthy flavors and, like most Mediterranean countries, much of what the Lebanese eat is dictated by the seasons just like California,” Sofi said. Ara and Sofi Kalfayan live in Glendale. They have two grown daughters and both are dedicated to their restaurant and its success. “We are proud of our community and our culture and want our patrons to enjoy dining at Phoenicia with the same pleasure as if they were visiting our home. We want everyone to feel welcome here so they will want to come again and again because they feel like part of our family.” Kalfayan declared. “If you are trying Lebanese cuisine for the first time, we will help you enjoy it and find the perfect wine to accompany your meal.

Yujean Kang Prepares Excellent Gourmet Chinese Cuisine 67 North Raymond Ave., Pasadena
(626) 585-0855.

There is no culture in the world that is more obsessed with food than the Chinese. The sense of anticipation that centers around the table is like nothing seen in other parts of the world. The sharing of a meal is what seems to hold the culture together and even the common greeting to one another, “Chi fan le mei you?” translates as “Have you eaten yet?” The Chinese see themselves in a very communal way and enjoy eating “family style” with common plates in the center of a round table so that each person may always see the other’s faces. Highly acclaimed chef and restaurant owner, Yujean Kang has taken the art of Chinese cooking and eating enjoyment to new heights with his gourmet Chinese cuisine. Born in Taiwan, Kang came to the United States in 1975 and opened his restaurant in Pasadena nineteen years ago. He received his training at the San Francisco College of Hotel Management and Culinary Arts and started his culinary career operating his parent’s restaurant in Albany, California where he was both the manager and chef. Kang’s cooking is fresh and he never uses MSG but he incorporates unique ingredients and flavors into his dishes. Often, he will use a non-traditional ingredient in a traditional dish to create a distinctive creation successfully commingling the Chinese and Western flavors to create a truly gourmet cuisine. “Food all over the world is much different today than when I came to the United States. What people considered Chinese food in the 1970’s is a far cry than what I consider good Chinese cooking in 2009. The world today has become so close, a chef can find whatever ingredient or information he would want on the Internet and in many of the markets here in Los Angeles. What is happening in Asia has certainly had an impact on this country as well,” Kang said. “In the past when the Chinese immigrated to the United States they had to survive. They knew basic Chinese cooking so they opened Chinese restaurants that served what they knew how to prepare, peasant food with inexpensive ingredients because they had to watch their budgets. Most of the early restaurants were Cantonese, but when Nixon opened up China, the basic cuisine moved toward some of the hot and spicy dishes from the Hunan area where Mao Tse-Tung was from. Also in the1980’s, Hong Kong influenced the cuisine by introducing real Cantonese food that was very different. If you look through old Chinese cooking magazines, you will see how drastically Chinese cooking has changed. Cuisine reflects the welfare of the society. If the economy is in good shape, people want high end cuisine with good quality ingredients,” Kang continued. “Americans are very open-minded and like to explore cuisines. The Bejing Olympics have definitely created more curiosity about the Chinese cuisine and Americans have became more interested in delving into a wider variety of culinary experiences. They want food that is different from what they can make at home and they like to enjoy special ethnic food that tastes good and meets their expectations. I try to keep an understanding of the Chinese culture and cuisine and use original flavors but then add my own individual touches,” Kang explained. “For example, I often use ingredients that are not associated with Chinese cuisine such as lamb and I still the dish Chinese style to make it a cultural distinction. I do not like covering over one food with the sharp or overwhelming flavor of another. I believe that a sauce must support the ingredients not mask them. I guess my style of cuisine has been largely influenced by Hong Kong, Shanghai and Schezwan. I think that the best Chinese food is not found on the mainland but in Hong Kong, one of the great cities of the world with some of the best restaurants anywhere. However, the food in China is getting better as the country becomes more prosperous,” Kang noted. Before coming to Pasadena in 1991, Kang had a restaurant in Berkeley. At that time, the idea of a Chinese restaurateur with an interest in wine was most unusual but while living in the San Francisco area, Kang developed an interest and love of wines and made frequent visits to the wonderful Napa Valley wineries. Winemakers and wine aficionados hung out at his restaurant and brought in eclectic wines from all over the world to enjoy with the Chinese cuisine. Kang served on the tasting panel for Bon Appetit magazine along with such recognized connoisseurs as Anthony Dias Blue and Hank Rubin from 1986-1988. When he came to Pasadena and opened his restaurant, Kang created a wonderful wine list as he regards wine as an important aspect of the whole food experience. He believes that wines pair well with Chinese food because the cuisine is complex with many different flavors that are readily enhanced by a nice well-paired wine. His wine list has many unusual wines such as Alsace, German, white Burgundy, and white Bordeaux that compliment his fare. For red wines, he suggests pinot noir, Spanish rioja, and even an Italian chianti. The list is very complete with good descriptions of the different wines and is easy to read. Kang and his wife, Yvonne have three sons and live in the Pasadena area. His oldest son is currently attending the Culinary Institute. Kang is grateful for his long time kitchen staff and thanks his many, many loyal customers who come to enjoy his very special cuisine.

Robin Salzer Brings Authentic Wood Smoked BBQ to Pasadena

Robin’s Woodfire BBQ and Grill
395 N. Rosemead Blvd., Pasadena
(626) 351-8885

BBQ has long been an American favorite and Robins Woodfire BBQ and Grill is the epitome of what good BBQ should be. Here you do not get the over rated oven roasted version which Tony Roma's panders, but the real deal—barbeque that is made low and slow with low heat and slowly cooked. This is a real authentic BBQ here in the San Gabriel Valley. Owner and head politician, Robin Salzer has perfected the BBQ at his name sake and he readily admits that it took a few months to perfect the BBQ to achieve the flavor that he wanted. Salzer took a one-man road trip to Texas to find “the best BBQ.” “I flew into Dallas and rented a car. Then, I started a road trip stopping at every BBQ spot to sample their fare. I stopped at 78 BBQ places in 6 days on my way from Dallas to Austin which is 1400 miles. I gathered tips, ideas and recipes that I knew would improve my BBQ,” Salzer said. “I went to a factory in Mesquite to see a real wood pit BBQ cooker. I bought it and have it working here in Pasadena. It is incredible. It only uses real wood for smoking. Most smokers have gas or propane that kicks in when the temperature drops after the initial smoking. This doesn’t use any chemicals to keep the fire hot. It has a an automatic damper so heat can be maintained without chemicals of any kind. It burns only oak or apples wood logs. It is wonderful and really gives the food an excellent flavor-true Texas BBQ flavor not from artificial smoke seasoning,” Salzer explained. Salzer hails from Milwaukee and opened Robin's 25 years ago. The original menu had everything from breakfast, to pizza, nachos and little bit of the BBQ. About five years ago Salzer made the decision to go strictly BBQ. "Everyone in the neighborhood thought I was crazy. But, I decided to stay the course and see what happened. As a result, I think I have some of the best BBQ in all of Southern California,” Salzer recalls. “Depending on the meat, each entrée is cooked between 4 to 6 hours on wood. The sauce is then put on the meat about twenty seconds before meat is done. This is done to avoid burning the outside skin of the meat. I think that this really enhances the flavor and texture of the meat and sauce then only adds to the flavors,” said Salzer.
“I wanted the atmosphere to be funky and fun. I have decorated the walls with all kinds of memorabilia that gives the interior a funky feeling of fun. There are signs that go back to the 1920s and 1930s. I learned how to use a computer buying this stuff on E-bay. Not just the usual stuff that every bar has, the Clydesdales and Silver Bullet neons, but new and old ads for beers like Pabst, Schaeffer, Schlitz, etc. I especially like the hallway to the bathroom. There’s a wall that displays ‘Places to Go in Pasadena.’ Now you’re expecting you’re going to find pictures of the best that Pasadena has to offer, suggestions of famous tourist attractions, but the pictures are of the bathrooms you’ll find in some of the best tourist stops that Pasadena has to offer. Maybe I have an odd sense of humor, but I found that quite funny. We wanted to create a relaxed casual atmosphere where guests and families can relax and enjoy their meal with out worrying about perfect table manners or making a big mess. That’s why we have rolls of paper towels on the tables and silverware in mason jars. It’s very, very, informal and definitely the kind of place where everyone is encouraged to have fun and really enjoy their food,”
Salzer laughed. The menu itself is fun. There’s a large section of one page dedicated to Robin’s Rules. Here are a few of the many rules, to give you an idea of the “concept” of the place. “If you’re drinking to forget, please pay in advance.” “Robin’s is run for the enjoyment of our guests, not for the convenience of our staff or owner.” “Invite us to Tahiti and we’ll close this joint in a minute.” “If you’re a single diner and are greeted with the expression “Just one?” dinner is on us.” “No shoes, no shirts, no pants, no service. But you can take it to go.” Robin’s BBQ and Grill can bring delicious BBQ right to your door with their catering trucks. This is the season for football and BBQ is the perfect meal to serve while watching a game. Just give Robin’s a call and come by and pick up a real football tailgate meal. There is no place quite like Robin’s BBQ and Grill for quality American BBQ cuisine.