Jamal Small is passionate about and dedicated to the craft of culinary art. He immerses himself in the world of food and its presentation and always says it’s his goal and life’s mission to always be at the cutting edge of the industry, and share his knowledge with people around him. So, it was a bit of a shock when the chef seemed to be taking a step back from the kitchen in accepting the position of corporate chef, business resources department at Sysco, but said that he is in no way, shape or form stepping away from the range.
Case in point, in catching up with Small, he was in Sysco’s kitchen preparing a Mediterranean salad; linguine with grilled shrimp, Parmesan cream and topped with Wagyu beef; with dulce de leche cake topped with cinnamon Chantilly cream desert for lunch for a management group – followed by a presentation to purchasers showcasing the versatility of lavash (flat bread), offering it oven-roasted; grilled with olive oil; a barbecue chicken flatbread and a quesadilla.
The chef, 33, said his new role actually pushes him to be even more in sync to the kitchen in every aspect.
“So, I definitely have not stopped cooking in any way, shape or form,” said Small who has been on the job for a mere three months.
“And I’m super excited for the new job because I get to see where products come from – from start to finish.”
Small, who has trained alongside culinary greats like Nobu Matsuhisa, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and does not shy away from the fact that he is known for his fine dining culinary expertise, said he now has to be straight across the board and has to reach deep within himself for something as simple as dropping an item into the deep fryer and ensuring it comes out at the right crispness.
Having gone from executive sous chef at one of the country’s top resorts from which he was enticed away into the world of private chef at a home on Paradise Island, Small said he now has more creative freedom, even though the job is still structured.
“I have more creative freedom. I can move at my own pace – almost, and the job pushes me to be more balanced.”
At Sysco, he also gets to work with a smorgasbord of ingredients, even though he still hasn’t come across an ingredient he’s unfamiliar with, yet. He said it will probably take a while, but he is super excited that they will begin importing an amazing style of authentic Japanese Panko breadcrumbs that he said has the proper flake and consistency that the restaurants like Nobu and Katsuya will appreciate
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