Inside the Kitchen: Seven Questions with Wei Chen of Omawei

It would have to be lasagna. It is one of my favorite things. Probably the one from I Sodi in New York. Theirs has the perfect amount of layers and bechamel. It is so soft and creamy and rich. That is it for me. That is the one.

When I was studying abroad in Italy, we visited this small Catholic town called Spoleto. It’s built into a cliff with this massive cathedral overlooking all of Umbria. We wandered into this family-run trattoria right before their siesta, and they still welcomed us in. As we walked through the kitchen, I saw a grandmother, her daughter, and granddaughter making pasta together. It was so simple and so beautiful. We sat on their balcony overlooking vineyards and farmland, and I had braised lamb and fresh tomato pasta that changed my life. That was the moment I knew I wanted to dedicate my life to food. I came home, quit college, and started working in the restaurant industry even though I had little to no experience.

From the moment you step through the door to the moment you leave, there is no thinking involved in your experience. It should all be experience. From checking in and being brought to the table, everything becomes more of a visual intake of how the tables are set up and the space between the chairs and how the plates are dropped at the table. You are dining and experiencing all five senses. Your emotions, your eyes, your sense of smell and taste, how you feel. That is everything, and that is what fine dining is. That feeling and experiencing every second that you are inside the restaurant.

As a chef, I want global recognition and the accolades that come with it, from James Beard to Michelin. They are serious goals for me. For restaurant goals, I don’t have a full blueprint of what I want, but I do know that for the foreseeable future I would like to be in Miami at the Bath Club putting the name out there and building the brand of Omawei.

A majority of them are in San Sebastian. It’s the one place in the world that I haven’t been and I’m dying to go. Asador Etxebarri in the Basque country where he literally just cooks with fire and salt and citrus. It’s insane because so many people think food has to be this complicated thing, but often the most impactful meals are the simplest. It’s all about time and temperature, and Asador Etxebarri has that figured out in order to create the best possible dish using just salt and citrus. He’s perfected it and I find that to be so beautiful.

My philosophy is to always respect the ingredients. There’s nothing worse than when you go somewhere and there’s this beautiful cut of fish and it’s covered in an insane amount of spice or sauce that overpowers the quality of the fish. It happens with all sorts of ingredients, and I hate seeing it. So I’m all about respecting the ingredients you’re using and letting them shine in their own way. Add just enough salt and heat to bring out the best in each ingredient.

Buffalo wings and pizza!