CHEF JAY
Chef Jason "Jay" Bedassie
Head Chef at Tuning Fork Gastropub, Studio City, CA
Originally from the United Kingdom
Expertise in Vegan Cooking
Cooked at The James Beard House in New York City
Grew up in the Caribbean
When did you first hear the term gastropub?
I heard the term about 20 years ago, and that was in New York City. I think there was an introduction to good food and beer coming together and being paired together. And that’s when I first heard of it; I didn’t know it would take off they way it did, and now it is a phenomenon, especially here in Los Angeles.
Who do you think is the gastropub customer? Is there a certain demographic?
You know what, I haven’t seen one demographic here. I’ve seen so many walks of life here. We have moms with babies and carts, and we have workers and we have students; we have everyone.
You are originally from the United Kingdom. Did you ever imagine you would leave the home of pub culture and end up working in a gastropub in Los Angeles?
That was never, ever on my mind, never ever in a million years on my mind. But here we are.
Tell me a bit about how you got to New York City.
I left the United Kingdom at six and I was in New York at 19. My mom lived in New York, so I went to live with her, and that’s how I ended up there.
Where did you envision your career going?
I attended the New York Culinary Institute. At that time in the 90s, I envisioned working at the hottest restaurants like The River Café, three-star restaurants, places like that-- that’s where my head was focused.
I had great opportunities in New York. I got to cook at the James Beard House in New York, you know; but at the same time, you never know what direction your career is going to take so you have to be able to conform to whatever happens.
You have expertise in vegan cooking, as well.
Yeah, when I moved out to California I worked at Real Food Daily in Santa Monica. That was my first experience with vegan cooking.
You have become very well known for the pairings you did during LA Beer Week. What would you say is your best pairing right now on the menu?
Essentially the whole menu has been paired with the selection of beers we have back there. The steak goes well with dark beers, porters, anything smoky. Because the steak is grilled, it gives another dimension when you are drinking the beer. It’s a whole experience that you have to have.
“I guess I want to know more about the community around, who are the customers of Tuning Fork and what do they expect to experience when they come in here. That’s the only question I would have, because I would love to know the answer. You want to know what works for you and how to make it more successful. I mean, I think that is definitely part of the business.”