When one of our favorite Haitian PR person reached out to us and asked if we would consider featuring her client ,Chef Jouvens, we asked them to send over the Media Kit. It didn’t take two glances at that Media Kit to know that we wanted to do a Q&A with Chef Jouvens. No, it was not the fact that he had been featured multiple times on the Food Network, or that on June 28th ,2012 the City Miami gave him his own day, or even that he had worked with tons of celebrities. No, it was none of that. What caught our attention was this quote “Not paying attention to the most minuscule details is what will break you at the end of the day. My motto is, I am not a chef I’m an artist. I say this only because I take pride in my craft, but the reality of it is that I’m just a cook. I’m not a doctor saving anyone’s life, I’m just a cook…” Chef Jouvens’ humility resonated with us, and we know you’ll be just as impressed as we are .
Q: What was the defining moment that led you to pursue your career in the culinary arts?
A: The defining moment that led me to pursue a career in culinary arts was when I discovered that I would never stop learning new things as a chef and also the moment I realized that I was good at it…
Q: As you grew in your field what kept you grounded with your Haitian roots?
A: What kept me grounded with my Haitian roots was the fact that I traveled to many places around the world and mastered many cuisines but I realized that I was never well versed in Haitian cuisine.
Q: What Made you decide to come to Haiti?
A: The need to learn about Haitian Gastronomy and also to give back my knowledge of the culinary arts is what made me decide to come to Haiti.
Q: What has been the biggest reward in your move to Haiti?
A: The biggest reward for me in my move back to Haiti has been building a brigade of very talented cooks and us sharing our knowledge of food.
Q: You are affiliated with the Haitian Culinary Alliance, what is your role within this organization and how do you think it will contribute to the culinary movement in Haiti?
A: Though I am affiliated with the Haitian Culinary Alliance I do not play an active role with the organization. I think the HCA contributes positively to the culinary movement in Haiti because it highlights Haitian chefs whom are doing tremendous work in the culinary industry in Haiti.
Q: How do you see your role in helping the next generation of chefs?
A: Well, one of the main focus of me being in Haiti is to help the next generation of chefs through mentoring and teaching them the international culinary standards.
Q: If you could eat in one restaurant in the world where would it be?
A: Though it is closed right now but I would have loved to eat at El Bouli in Spain. Would my mom’s house be considered a restaurant? Because that’s one of the only places in the world I would eat all the time.
Q: Which Haitian Restaurant would you recommend for tourists?
A: JoJo Restaurant of course… I’m being totally unbias… Lol! The other restaurant I would suggest to tourists visiting Haiti is Asu at Karibe.
Q: What is next for Chef Jouvens?
A: What’s next for chef Jouvens is Tap Tap Dairies, which is a book I’m writing highlighting Haitian gastronomy and Haiti’s food culture.
Q: Guilty pleasure when it comes to food?
A: Any and everything BBBBAAACCCOOONNNNNN!!!!!
For more information about Chef Jouvens follow him on Instagram @chefjouvens or if you are in Haiti, stop by Jojo Restaurant and tell him we said Hi!!!
Photos: Courtesy of Chef Jouvens
