Chef Eli Kaimeh – Behind the Success of Per Se

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When Chef Jonathan Benno left Per Se last year to become the executive chef of a restaurant owned by The Patina Group, Per Se’s owner, Chef Thomas Keller, named Chef Eli Kaimeh the new head chef. Chef Kaimeh, who was then the sous chef of Per Se, took over the helm. It would seem that he has much to live up to since Chef Benno has continuously placed Per Se at the top 50, but Chef Kaimeh delivered. Today, Per Se got the 10th spot, although they dropped four spots since last year.

Chef Kaimeh has been with Per Se ever since it has opened its doors to the public in 2004. He started out as a chef de partie, and he soon rose from the ranks and became the sous chef. When Chef Bunno left Per Se, Chef Keller appointed him as the head chef of his Per Se.

The culinary career of Chef Kaimeh did not start in Per Se though as his interest in cooking started as early as his childhood years. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and all throughout his childhood years, he was surrounded with food and home-cooked meals, which he considers as the heart of their home. His knowledge in cooking was passed down to him by his mother, who got it from her mother. Because of his interest in the culinary world, he wanted to develop his skill and become a chef, so he enrolled himself at The Culinary Institute of America.

However, it was with some of the most renowned restaurants in the country that Chef Kaimeh honed his culinary skills. In fact, he has worked at the Gramercy Tavern in New York as well as at the Restaurant Daniel, also in New York. Chef Kaimeh has also worked at the Tocqueville Restaurant. At these highly-regarded restaurants, he learned all he could from their head chefs and perfected his own culinary techniques.

In 2004, he went to Per Se and became a part of their team as the restaurant’s chef de partie, and a few years later, Chef Kaimeh became the head chef.

His cooking technique and style fully embody the culinary philosophy adopted by Chef Keller, and it was his deep understanding of this philosophy that has trained him for the position of head chef. Now that he has free reign over the kitchens of Per Se, it cannot be denied that all eyes will be on him, especially those of the regular Per Se diners, as he continues what Chef Keller and Chef Benno has envisioned and, at the same time, infusing his own brand into the cuisine.

Image Credit: newyork.metromix.com

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