How Chef Noah Ponjuan Mentors Young Cooks

My mom’s gumbo will always be the answer. The warmth, comfort, and care that comes to mind are unmistakable. My focus when developing this year’s fall and winter menu at Musket Room was rooted in nostalgia: how do we pass on the love that was poured into us? The gumbo dish we currently serve at The Musket Room captures that feeling, and whatever technique I apply for presentation or service will still be rooted in something deeper than words can hold.

I’ll give two answers here. First, my mentor Chef Mary Attea taught me that even when reaching higher levels of cooking and many details are being considered, if the food you serve isn’t extremely delicious, then it is completely impractical. Next, Chef Charlie Mitchell spent some time with me while I was stepping into my current role. He told me I had to understand what the restaurant is before I could leave my mark on it. I haven’t stopped thinking about these lessons, and I try to help our cooks understand that consistency is everything. We have to develop our menu, systems, and movements under the context of Musket Room. Then if it’s not extremely delicious, it shouldn’t leave the kitchen.

Lucy was nervous her first day and was obviously entering a real kitchen for the first time. We still joke about her first go at cutting chives on her trail. Lucy was my first hire as CDC. I took a bet on her because she took feedback well and asked lots of questions. I started to see her potential was limitless early on because her attention to detail was so keen. She has the mentality. She only needs to continue developing her skill set. It’s only a matter of time before she’s running a pass.

Lucy is an ambitious young cook, which reminded me of myself when I was first developing recipes. Early in the process, there were a ton of applications, ingredients, and flavors. To hone in, we talked about restraint and that the standard of the dish is for the guest to enjoy it, not to impress with any one specific technique. “Delicious” is impressive, especially when executed in a restrained fashion.

I always try to read the room in these situations. In the context of a busy service or prep period, urgency requires me to step in. However, in a situation like this, there is extreme value in letting cooks and young leaders problem-solve and then discussing it afterwards. An authoritarian might try to control everything, which can create a good worker. However, a collaborative approach is how you build a future leader.

Once again, Lucy has the mentality for this competition. She wants to be the best and wants her food to be the best, point-blank. I haven’t had to push. In fact, I try to remind her how valuable this experience will be regardless of the result and to focus on her process.

I think I’ve done my job if she has grown her confidence and used the platform to show she is a future star in this industry.

A mulita and Coke from Birria-Landia.