Building a Restaurant Empire: Aquavit, Red Rooster, Hav & Mar and Beyond, Korean-Style Pork Lettuce Wraps with Marcus Samuelsson

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Bobby on the Beat

Episode: Building a Restaurant Empire: Aquavit, Red Rooster, Hav & Mar and Beyond, Korean-Style Pork Lettuce Wraps with Marcus Samuelsson

Date: February 16, 2026
Host: Bobby Flay
Guest: Marcus Samuelsson

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Overview

In this episode, Bobby Flay welcomes acclaimed chef and restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson for an in-depth, candid conversation about building a restaurant empire, mentorship, cultural identity, and the lasting impact chefs can have both behind the pass and in their communities. The episode is rich with personal anecdotes, humor, and wisdom—anchored by a story of loss and rebirth at the legendary Aquavit, and extending through the culinary and social influence of Marcus’s other ventures like Red Rooster and Hav & Mar. Mid-episode, Bobby guides listeners through making a flavor-packed Korean-style pork lettuce wrap, adding a practical (and mouthwatering) interlude.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. A Personal Connection and the Story of Jan Sendel at Aquavit

• Bobby recounts a pivotal story from his and Marcus's early careers—a chef named Jan Sendel, from Sweden, whose perseverance landed him a sous chef position at Mesa Grill before his selection as head chef at Aquavit. Tragically, Jan passed away just as he was to be featured in New York Magazine as Aquavit's new chef.
• Marcus reflects on Jan’s influence, his ambition, and the “mentorship culture” of NYC dining in the 1990s.
  • Quote: "He was dedicated to perfection...every station he worked, he went and perfected."
    — Bobby [02:49]
• Marcus shares a vivid memory of Jan’s lobster salad with Asian pear and pickled daikon, calling it the best lobster dish he’s ever had and highlighting the unwritten rules of culinary respect.
  • Quote: "To this day, the best version of lobster I've ever had. I can't put this—this is not my dish. This is Jan's dish."
    — Marcus [07:18]

2. Marcus’s Early Career and Accolades at Aquavit

• Marcus, at just 24, steps in as Aquavit’s chef, soon earning three stars from the New York Times.
  • Quote: "The fact that you were 24 years old, getting three stars in the New York Times at this spectacular restaurant, was it surreal to you?"
    — Bobby [08:44]
• Marcus admits he didn't fully grasp the prestige at the time, being "too young, just cooking."

Key Segment: Marcus Taking Over at Aquavit

• [05:54–09:29]
  • The succession after Jan's death, the pressure of stepping up, and the transformative moment of earning critical acclaim.

3. The Recipe Break: Korean-Style Pork Lettuce Wraps

• [09:43–11:21]
• Bobby walks listeners through making tangy, spicy Korean-style pork lettuce wraps, sharing both technique and passion for bold flavors.
  • Notable Moment: Bobby, enthusiastic and a bit messy, gets some gochujang on his cheek.
    • "Oh, damn. Got a little on my cheek. Bobby on the beat. I love gochujang so much." — Bobby [11:13]
  • Marcus compares gochujang to Bobby's love for chipotle—shortcuts to flavor-packed cooking.

4. Building Restaurant Empires: Red Rooster and Community Impact

• Bobby highlights Marcus’s ability to create destinations like Red Rooster in Harlem.
  • Quote: "When you opened Red Rooster, you set Harlem on fire... you’ve lit up six blocks in circumference."
    — Bobby [11:42–12:43]
• Marcus opens up about post-9/11 struggles, his Swedish mother’s support, and how Harlem became both a home and a mission.
  • Quote: "Why is your restaurant so expensive? Why are they always so far away?... Why don't you open a place in the neighborhood where you're happy?"
    — Marcus, recalling his mother's words [13:46]
• Discussion shifts to the practical difficulties and unique vision required to create restaurants with soul and lasting community impact.

5. Leadership, Privilege, and Lifting Up Others

• [15:43–16:33]
• Marcus addresses his dual privilege and responsibility as a successful Black chef and immigrant, stressing awareness of systemic inequities as a motivator to empower others.
  • Quote: "You can’t really walk this walk unless you’re aware of your privileges. Right."
    — Marcus [16:33]
• Initiatives highlighted:
  • Career pipeline for young Black chefs and chefs of color.
  • Open kitchen design for transparency.
  • Focus on hiring women in leadership: “All key positions—GM, chef, bar—are all held by women.”
    — Marcus [18:41]
  • 15 restaurants, 9 led by women, including in the Bahamas.

6. Hav & Mar: Roots, Art, and Identity

• [17:35–19:15]
• “Hav” is Swedish for ocean; “Mar” is Ethiopian for honey. Marcus wanted a name with personal resonance and an element of mystery, reflecting the restaurant’s dual culinary and artistic ethos.
• Deep commitment to representation in team leadership and curation of space.

7. Returning to Ethiopia: Food as a Bridge to Family and Culture

• [19:26–21:35]
• Marcus, adopted from Ethiopia, discusses the emotional process of returning, reconnecting, and giving back through restaurant and school projects.
  • Quote: “My language is food... I will open a restaurant here because that’s my love, our way to communicate.”
    — Marcus [20:05]
• Poignant stories about running with kids in Ethiopia, packing shoes and supplies, and the value children place on gifts.

8. Mentorship, Competitions, and Paying It Forward

• [22:02–24:51]
• Marcus shares the importance of mentorship programs like CCAP and highlights his role in nurturing talent—such as “Kristen,” a mentee who won Top Chef, after Marcus coached him for years.
  • Quote: “Seeing that chef executing on their vision makes me as happy as anything.”
    — Marcus [22:22]
• Bobby and Marcus discuss the intensity of culinary competition shows, emphasizing the adrenaline and growth such challenges provide.
  • Quote: “When you cook in a competition, you’re truly living.”
    — Marcus [24:35]

9. Marcus's Next Chapter: New Initiatives

• [26:13–27:25]
  • Sauce Line: Launching globally inspired sauces—"everything but red sauce", simplifying bold cooking for home cooks.
  • Chef Residencies: New program to fund upstate NY residencies for young chefs to collaborate with artists and reflect, inspired by his early days among artists.
    • Quote: “This is exactly what we need as chefs.”
      — Marcus [27:05]

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Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• "He was dedicated to perfection... every station he worked, he went and perfected." — Bobby [02:49]
• "To this day, the best version of lobster I've ever had. I can't put this—this is not my dish. This is Jan's dish." — Marcus [07:18]
• "The fact that you were 24 years old, getting three stars in the New York Times at this spectacular restaurant, was it surreal to you?" — Bobby [08:44]
• "Why don't you open a place in the neighborhood where you're happy?" — Marcus, quoting his mother [13:46]
• "You can’t really walk this walk unless you’re aware of your privileges. Right." — Marcus [16:33]
• "All key positions—GM, chef, bar—are all held by women." — Marcus [18:41]
• "My language is food... I will open a restaurant here because that’s my love, our way to communicate." — Marcus [20:05]
• “When you cook in a competition, you’re truly living.” — Marcus [24:35]

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Notable Moments & Timestamps

• The Jan Sendel Story — Bobby recounts a formative mentorship and tragedy [00:36–06:42]
• Aquavit Three-Star Review — Marcus discusses rapid rise to acclaim [08:33–09:29]
• Hands-On Demo: Korean-Style Pork Lettuce Wraps — Bobby’s step-by-step (fun, vivid) [09:43–11:21]
• Red Rooster & Community Impact — The Harlem story and why location matters [11:42–15:10]
• Mentorship and Social Impact — Marcus’s work with CCAP, chef mentorship, and the emotional rewards of giving back [16:54–22:22]
• Reflection on Identity and Influence — Adoption, reconnecting with Ethiopia, and the deeper why behind opening a school and restaurant [19:28–21:35]
• Chef Residencies & Sauce Launch — New efforts to support culinary creativity [26:22–27:25]

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Tone & Style

The conversation is insightful, authentic, and packed with inside-baseball chef wisdom, but it remains welcoming to all listeners. Bobby and Marcus banter with warmth, nostalgia, and candor, never shying away from serious industry issues but always returning to a sense of culinary joy and possibility.

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For Listeners Who Missed It

This episode is a journey through grit, heartbreak, triumph, and social responsibility in the restaurant world. Through vivid storytelling and personal history—from the making of iconic dishes at Aquavit to revitalizing Harlem’s Red Rooster and launching programs for underrepresented culinary talent—Bobby and Marcus paint a picture of what it means to use food as an engine for change, connection, and memorable flavor. For both aspiring chefs and lovers of great life stories, this episode is a must-listen.

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Transcript

[A]

Bobby on the Beat. Hey, everybody. Welcome to Bobby on the Beat. Today we have a very special guest, Marcus Samuelsson. Marcus and I go way back. We have lots of stories to tell, so welcome. Marcus. I'm so glad to have you here.

[B]

Thank you for having me.

[A]

You and I have a connection that is an important part of the rise of who you are. Yeah, I just happen to be standing there, but it's a story that I want to tell, if that's okay with you.

[B]

Absolutely. Like even, you know, we see each other so many different things, and most of the times a lot of people around us when, like, I know I'm going to speak to you, I always think about it.

[A]

Right, but you grew up most of your life in Sweden, right? Yeah, yeah. I mean, and that, and that's. And that's kind of an important part of the story because I want to tell this. I want to tell a little bit of the story from my point of view. Obviously your point of view is, is way more deep than mine because you lived it, but from, from me, Aquavit, you know, the highest end Swedish restaurant in America, for sure. Maybe. Maybe in the world.

[B]

In the world?

[A]

No, but yes, probably in the world at that point. Yes, for sure. I had Mesa Grill. It was night. We opened Mesa Grill in 1991. In 1994, I opened a restaurant called Bolo, which was my first Spanish restaurant. So when I was opening Mesa Grill, I was holding, you know, sort of auditions for people to cook in the restaurant. It's a lot different then than it is today. I mean, we had people in droves coming to who wanted to cook in the restaurant. And, and it was a brand new restaurant at Fifth Avenue. It was a lot shinier than the restaurant you were talking about, Miracle Grill in the East Village. And it was on the bright lights of Fifth Avenue as opposed to being in the East Village, which at the time was not a very safe place to be. One of the cooks who kept coming back and back, and it took me a while to hire him, was from Sweden. His name was Jan Sendel. He was working for a high end Mexican restaurant called El Teddy's. I had called the Che, and I said, what do you think of this guy? And he's like, you know, he's got a little bit of an attitude. And I was like, check.

[B]

Okay. We can rest in peace.

[A]

Yes, yes. Okay. And so he came and I didn't hire him. He kept coming back and back. This is the, this is the kind of story that you hear and read about in Books.

[B]

I like him already, you know?

[A]

Exactly. He kept coming back, and he said to me, please, I will cook for you. I want to work for you so badly. I am so interested in these flavors and what you're about to do here at Mesa Grill. And my manager at the time, a woman named Fran Bernfeld, who came from Miracle Grill with me, said to me, you know, and she was the most reasonable and relaxed person I've ever worked with. And she's like, bobby, hire this kid. He wants it.

[B]

Yeah, he wants it.

[A]

Like, who cares what his reference was? Like, the guy didn't say he was, like, a murderer. Like, he said, he's got a tough attitude. Okay, great. He's in the restaurant business. So I hired him, and it turned out to be an amazing hire. And he was dedicated to perfection. And every station that he worked, he went and perfected. And he went around the kitchen over the. Over three years, and he would go home. He was married. He was a young guy, had a young wife, and he would go home, and he would put his chef coat on. We used to make fun of him. And he would put his chef coat on and start prepping at home and make dinner, you know. So he never stopped cooking.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I opened Bolo, and he came to me. At this point, he had worked his way up to sous chef because he was so dedicated. Everybody wanted to eat there. In fact, the owner of Aquavit, Haakon Swan, would come once a week. It felt like, you know, I got to know him, and, you know, I knew he had this very important Swedish restaurant. And I said to him a couple of times, jokingly, I have your. I have your future chef in my kitchen. And he's like, that's like, no way. And I was like, he's from Sweden.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

He doesn't really know a lot about Swedish food, ironically, but he's an amazing worker and a smart guy, and he's dedicated to his profession. And I'm telling you that if you. At some point, if you don't hire him to be the chef of your restaurant, you're making a mistake. And he literally was like, yeah, sure, Bobby. Year goes by, I open Bolo, and I give him the chef de cuisine job at Mesa Grill. Wow. And it goes on for about a year. And he calls me about a year later and says, can I sit down and have a conversation with you? I said, sure. He said, I got it. He said, I'm very. And he was shaking.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And he said, I am very nervous because I have a job offer. And I don't want to take it, but I'm so, like, rattled by it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I was like, what's the job offer? And he said, they offered me the head chef job at Aquavi. And I just. And I just started laughing, and I was like, well, I'm firing you because you have to take the job.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, this is your moment. This is. You're a Swedish guy. This is the most important Swedish restaurant probably in the world. Go fly.

[B]

You were 30. And, you know, 30 or 31.

[A]

He was very young. Long story short, took the job. Also, in the interim, asked if he could take one of my sous chefs with him, Larry Manheim, because he just felt he needed some backup.

[B]

Larry, right? Everyone needs Larry when you're.

[A]

So I let. I let two of my most important people go to Aquavit. But you know what? But that's Marcus.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

That's our business. We were taught to be generous with each other. So I lost two of my people. But of course, I was on the phone with them once a day because they were asking me how to do things.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Now, I didn't know this, but you were in the kitchen.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And you were cooking there. Very young guy. How old were you?

[B]

23.

[A]

Oh, my God. So Jan was there for, I don't know, a month or so or two months. I forget. It was a very short period of time. It seemed like a day to me. When I think about it. There was no Internet then.

[B]

No.

[A]

This. The most important thing that you got was, like, obviously, the New York Times. But that was way down the line for him. And he got a story in New York magazine about him being the new chef, this Swedish guy who was the sous chef at Mesa Grill, who was going to be taking over the kitchen at Aquavit. It was such a big deal. And he said to me. He called me on a Thursday, and he said, I made it. He said, I'm in New York magazine. My photo, they're gonna announce me. It's the new chef at Aquavit. It's coming out on Monday. And over the weekend, he died.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Which was shocking to all of us, of course. Obviously, I went to the funeral at the Swedish church in New York, et cetera. It was just. It was such an awful, awful occurrence.

[B]

Yeah, Bobby. I mean, it's. Everything about that story, the good and the bad and the ugly nut story, all of it, it speaks to New York City's hospitality in the 90s. Right. Because it talks about a mentorship. It talks about. You speak about ambition. Jan was all of those things.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

And I remember one thing, and I've never, out of respect for him, done this dish, but he showed me a dish very simple. And think about, this is 1995. He showed me. He did a tiny lobster salad, just like simple lobster salad, simple aioli with lemon, chopped chives. And then he cubed an Asian pear and wrapped it with pickled daikon and gave it to me. It's still, to this day, the best version of lobster I've ever had. Right. And I was like, I can't put this. This is not my dish. This is John's dish. And I had to, like, cut the pear. I had to, like, pickle the daikon. None of that was his strength, but he knew this dish in his head, and he was about to put that on, on the menu. So it was like, for me, it was the easiest job in the world. Like, he knows flavors better than me or ahead of me. And I have these French techniques. So I was like, we gonna be this killer pair. Right. You know, it was horrible. What happened.

[A]

So anyway, you became the chef.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Right. And then your career, your whole life took off.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I mean, you got three stars in the New York Times, and. And then was like, one accolade after the next.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

How old were you when you got the three star review?

[B]

24. 23. 24. I mean, ridiculous.

[A]

I mean, seriously. I mean, I opened Mesa Grill when I was 25. And people.

[B]

Which is super, super young people say.

[A]

Like, my daughter always says to me, she's like, dad, how did you do that? But, like, the fact that you were 24 years old, getting three stars in the New York Times at this, like, spectacular restaurant, like, was it surreal to you? Were you too young to understand what it was?

[B]

I didn't know who Reichel was. I didn't read the New York Times. I didn't know what Food and wine or Bon app. So when you saw you just cooking, and I wasn't even tapped into New York at that level yet. Right. They said, we're gonna be reviewed. And I think at that point, it came out on a Sunday. I think the. Either Friday or Sunday.

[A]

I don't remember Fridays.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. And I was like, what are we gonna do when she's coming? And Hoka's like, what are you talking about? It's already done. It' you know? And then it's like, it's good. They want to come and take pictures. He's like, that's good. Because that means that it's not Gonna be bad at least.

[A]

So, yeah, it was just one of those things. Like, listen, it was a tragic moment, obviously, but somebody has to take over and you were the guy. All right, so I made you a snack. Yeah, I love it. It's a pork and Korean Asian wrap.

[B]

I got. I got it.

[A]

Bobby on the beat. All right, Korean style pork lettuce wraps. Let's get it on. We're gonna first dice up some scallions, and then we're gonna crush fresh garlic and grate some ginger. This is going to be for the marinade. All this is going right into the marinade to tenderize and flavor the pork. Some gochujang, Korean style red pepper paste, the ginger, the garlic, a little bit of soy or tamari. And then we have some orange juice, a little salt and pepper, and a little bit of avocado oil as well. And then we're going to slice up some pork shoulder, kind of really paper thin. Otherwise it's not going to be as tender as we want. And we're gonna put it in the marinade. And, you know, I would say three to four hours or overnight if you can. Little spice rub on the outside, salt and pepper on both sides. Very, very hot grill. And you want to get it really nice and crusty. So we cook this with intense high heat. So crusty on the outside and nice and juicy on the inside. Takes like, I don't know, three minutes max. And it's really tender. Now we're gonna layer the lettuce wraps, a couple of pieces of lettuce, some sushi rice that's been cooked, of course, some of the pork that's been diced up, some sesame seeds, a mixture of gojujang, soy and honey. That's kind of the drizzle. And some fresh herbs like cilantro and some Thai basil. And actually, I'm gonna put just a little bit of kimchi because I have in my refrigerator, and I like that fermented flavor and. Oh, damn. Got a little on my cheek. Bobby on the beat. I love kojujang so much.

[B]

It's so good.

[A]

Kojujang is like the. It's like the. It's like. It's a great way to cheat flavor because it has so many different things happening at one time.

[B]

Yeah. It's your Chipotle.

[A]

Yeah. From 95, you've been able to evolve in a. In a spectacular way and. And frankly, that's what it takes.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Having one hit.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

A hit record, a hit restaurant, whatever it is.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

It's not that it's easy. No, it's really, really hard. But the second one is even harder. And the third one, and especially if they're different cuisines or different approaches, and you've been able to do that. Like, when you open Red Rooster, like, you set Harlem on fire. I mean, and I'm a native New Yorker. Like, I love Harlem. I love what's going on in Harlem. I always have.

[B]

And you come out and support us many times. You did the first Harlem meet up with us, and I don't remember what you said to the crowds. Like, you take a fucking Ethiopian Swede to do this festival in Harlem where we been? And I was just laughing. I said to Herb, our partner, I was like, that's like the best compliment. We could shut the down now. I got the best compliment.

[A]

Well, I mean. Well, first of all, like, Harlem is a melting pot of the world. I mean, I used to hang out in Harlem. In the Italian section.

[B]

Yes, of course.

[A]

Like on Pleasant Avenue. Exactly. Like, whenever I'm about to walk into Red Rooster, I kind of look around and I feel like you've lit up six blocks in circumference.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You've obviously created value there. Yeah, for sure. I'm sure you've raised the rents for the restaurants around you. I'm sure they don't love that.

[B]

I appreciate that.

[A]

But. But. But listen. But. But there's a party going on there every single day, and it's amazing. Yeah, it's amazing.

[B]

There are two things with the Red Rooster that most people don't know. After 9 11, I was shell shocked, and I called my mom, like, I think it's time to go. And she's like, I'm coming. You're not leaving. You can leave when you're ready to leave, but you're not leaving because of this.

[A]

Right?

[B]

So my mom came from Sweden, really moved in with me, and I was really depressed, and I was like, I can't work depressed. It doesn't work with us. Like, we got to be creative. So I couldn't beat it. I was like, what am I going to do? And then my mom said to me, hey, I know you're always happy when you go to Harlem. You always tell me, you always call me, why don't you just, like, look for an apartment there? And I was like. And she's like, why do we always. First of all, Marcus, why is your restaurant so. It's expensive. Why are they always so far away?

[A]

This is your mom.

[B]

My mom. Your mom is staring at you.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

So like, you can't. Like, she holds up the mirror. It's like, why don't you open a smaller place or place in the neighborhood where you're happy? So eventually I actually moved to Harlem. And then I realized right away it's like, I'm in no position to open a restaurant here. I don't know enough. And people ask me every day, when.

[A]

Are you going to open?

[B]

When you're going to open, you should open a restaurant. I was like, I'm not ready. And every. The years went by and I was still working on Acquavit. We got a second three star review. You know, I won ton of awards. It was like, really exciting time. But in my head, I'm like, one day I kind of worked myself out of my funk and it was busy. I launched Aquavit Cookbook and it was, you know, the world was happening. But I knew, I knew that I was. I didn't know what year I would be leaving. But it's funny, then when the financial downturn of 2008 happened, I knew like, at that point, Hkan and I built the business. We had a restaurant in Japan with Aquavit in Japan, with Aquavit in Stockholm. We had AQ cafes. We built up a vodka.

[A]

Right.

[B]

We built up big business that had a lot of value. But, you know, when there's no money in the value anymore, as scary as that is, I'm like, that's actually an opportunity. I'm out.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And that downturn really became an opportunity.

[A]

In a way for you to move on to the next.

[B]

To move on to the next, you know, like Balthasar, right?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

On a Sunday. I don't know the address to Balthasar. And I said, I want to build a place where no one knows to add. It's just. It's just a landmark where you kind of tell whether it's Uber or Train, however you get there, see you at Rooster. Like, if you and I would have brunch at Baltasar, it's like, it's okay if I'm half an hour later. You're. Because you're not alone. Like, you like. And that's really the ethos of it.

[A]

I know, but, you know, a lot of people look at a place like Baltasar and they're like, I want to open a restaurant like Baltar. I'm like, good luck.

[B]

Yeah, you're right.

[A]

You know I'm saying. But I mean, you've been able to. You have that uptown with Rooster.

[B]

I thought a lot about what can I do. As the leading black chef for other chefs of color. Right?

[A]

Yeah. Do you feel pressure there?

[B]

Yeah, but it's like, it's not about just the pressure. It's like, you gotta do something with it. There's gotta be something there behind that wall for me, Otherwise, you know, I also come on a lot of privilege. Like, first of all, I'm an immigrant to this country, not a refugee. If I were to come from Ethiopia, maybe I wouldn't even come in. I come from Sweden, so extremely privileged. Yet all the civil rights changes and laws I'm a benefit of. I'm very aware that a lot of African Americans couldn't get a loan, but as a Swedish citizen, I could get a bank loan. So I. You can't. You can't really. For me, I can't really walk this walk unless I'm aware of my privileges. Right.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

No, but I think about. You asked me. That's why I think about it.

[A]

But you. Okay, but that's incredibly thoughtful of you. It really is. Because not everybody would think that way. But now you're here.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You're successful and, like, there are so many people that look up to you who are looking to get their life right. And so how do you handle all of that?

[B]

First of all, I think there is. There are, like, working with CCAP careers for culinary arts have really grounded me, and I've now done it for 25 years. And I've met so many amazing kids. They're now restaurant owners. They're master songs doing their thing. So that taught me a lot being in Harlem, seeing how some people have been incarcerated. But through culinary. Through our restaurants, they've been actually get their life back on track. So real life experiences. For me, it was important to have an open kitchen. So there's a real link between the guests and the experience. So when hov came about, I'm like, okay, so I feel good about.

[A]

What does it mean? What's the. What's hav? Amar.

[B]

Hav is a Swedish word and it means ocean. Mar is Ethiopian word, and it means honey. So this sweet.

[A]

Oh, really?

[B]

Yeah, it's an Italian.

[A]

Right, Exactly.

[B]

I wanted that, like ocean on ocean. And I'm okay if people think that, because that's fun.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But I wanted that one of one word that you actually have to Google and still you can. I'm like, what does that mean? Because you're in Chelsea, we're going to take you on an art journey. Right. Or food journey.

[A]

Are you an art collector? Do you like art? Collect.

[B]

I Am. Absolutely. Absolutely. One of the first things I started to do was when I came to New York, also because my friends were artists and we were broke at the same time. But so with Hub, I felt like, you know what? Let's. When I was at those places at George Blonde and so on, the only thing I never saw was women and people of color. And I was like, you're not in that position where you can. You now are in position of power. So when you. Before you open this restaurant, let's. Let's focus on women and leadership. Right? So all key positions, leadership position, gm, chef, head, bar. Are all held by women.

[A]

Love it.

[B]

And not just. You've worked with. I worked with so many amazing chefs that are women that work for you.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And why should they stop at sous chef or cdc? No. Go and run the whole thing.

[A]

Marcus, you and I learned a long time ago women really rule over world. We just. We just. We're just hanging out.

[B]

Yeah, we're hanging out. I mean, I have 15 restaurants. Nine of them are led by women, both in GM and executive chef position, which is, you know, our biggest restaurant is in Bahamas. Right. All led by women. Yeah, Local women.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And so I'd like to be in. In the leading position, just like you are. You have to be led by curiosity and make path for others. Right.

[A]

When did the Ethiopia project start?

[B]

We've been open for two years, and it's been one of the most amazing rides of my life. As an adopted person, you almost learn about yourself in reverse. So the most basic things about your mom or your brothers or sister, whatever, you know, you know, the color of their eyes, you know the laugh, you know what makes them ticks. When you're adopted, these basic things you don't know. And then when you go to a country and it's happening now, when I bring my son, right, he's like.

[A]

I.

[B]

Am Ethiopian, but I don't speak the language.

[A]

Your son is the most beautiful child in the world, by the way.

[B]

Thank you. So it's like all these questions are opening up, right? So I was like, well, I know I don't know the language, but I know food, so my language is food. So I will. I will open a restaurant here because that's my love. That's our way to communicate, right? So when I knew I couldn't just open the restaurant, had to be a school with it as well. So there's only so many kids can work in a restaurant. And so it's been part of that package.

[A]

That's amazing.

[B]

And it's given me so much.

[A]

Oh, my God, that's so great that you did that. I mean, seriously.

[B]

So it keeps me really on my toes, but also remembers my why. Right? And this gift that I've been given, I had to work for. Of course I can now share it, you know? And that was. Kept me going at Harlem for a long time. That's also what gets me to Africa, actually. When Tony Bourdain and I went to Ethiopia together, of course I brought every trip. I bring pots, pants, shoes, all of that stuff. And my only wish is, can I go out and run, Run with the kids, right? And they could be 5 to, like, 15. What? I 20. It doesn't matter, right? And first of all, all the kids came barefoot. I was like, I gave you guys shoes. I'm like, no, those are going out shoes. We're not running with these shoes. And the road is not like the road down here, right? So we start to run, and, like, they just take off, and they just look at me and, like, are you coming, uncle? Are you coming? And I was like, I'm.

[A]

I mean, so the fact that you have, you know, that kind of influence in a place like that, I mean, yeah, I mean, you have, like, you make wonderful food, you open great restaurants, you hire people, and you give them careers. But, like, you're inspiring people in a way that very few people get to do. And that's why I said to you, like, do you feel the pressure of this all?

[B]

You know, I actually think about it. So just to say to you, no, I don't.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Because it's not true. I think about it a lot, and I also talk a lot about, you know, that joy you get from seeing, like, for example, like, my young mentee of mine, a young chef that is doing amazing now, Kristen, he just won Top Chef. Right?

[A]

Okay.

[B]

We were 10 years together in the kitchen, and every year, it's like, I should go on Top Chef. I said, you're not ready. I'm not sending you until you're ready. And he applied three years, didn't get in. And the year he went, I knew. I can't guarantee he would win, but I knew he would win the final, have a shot. Right? And to see him actually go all the way. And we've been. We've very sort of sparse when we say sending somebody to competitions, like, Adrienne worked in my kitchen. She got to the final. It's that discipline on. You're next. And seeing that kid, that chef executing on their vision, it makes me as happy as anything.

[A]

Well, you're a good mentor for that, because I had you on Triple Threat last season, and you were possessed. Marcus, I've known you for decades. I've never seen this Marcus Samuelsson before in my life. And you willed yourself to beat those guys. I mean, you wanted it so badly, but it was amazing.

[B]

I've been lucky enough to do a lot of cooking competition and won a lot of the Top Chef and, you know, whatever chopped off all that stuff. The Triple Threat is the hardest thing I've ever done.

[A]

It's very hard because no matter what.

[B]

You think, of course, the three of them, whoever the three are, they're incredible. But they're also in that competing.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

You can't come and think about you in the restaurant.

[A]

That's their house too.

[B]

There's their house.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So. And I thought about it. I was like, all right. I think the last course, I pulled out Geoduck, because I was like, gotta do something. Like, I'm like, michael knows about Geoduck, Brooke knows about Geoduck, but maybe she hasn't cooked it that much. And Tiffany, I was like, nah, maybe not, right? So that was my only strategy. The thrill in the moment of being there. But still, you gotta be focused on your thing. It's like, the most fun you can have, and you're really living. And that's one thing I always tell chefs, especially chefs that cook for a while, and said, no, I don't want to do it. I said, when you cook in a competition, you're truly living in a way like when you do beef Bobby Flay. Regardless how it goes, it doesn't matter. You are.

[A]

I'm in it.

[B]

You're in it. And that adrenaline feel is what we need as chefs, especially. We have that cook longer because it's not that often you get that. For me, it's the highest privilege I don't even think about. And then, obviously, I've been an athlete all my life. So that competing side, let's go.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. If somebody has never experienced the Marcus Samuelsson experience and they wanted to experience three things, what three things would you tell them?

[B]

Let me cook for you.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And in that food journey, I think by looking at me, you're going to be surprised how much Japan is in the core underneath all of that. Right. Those years and the time I went back and forth between Asia really impacted me. Right. It's like looking at you and, like, why would he be so into flavors that come from South America or so? So that's why never look at a chef and think you know her or him? Because you don't. You just don't. The fact that I've been in business for 30 years in New York City, it's the highest reward for me. You know, like, that might. That's not going to show up in the frame thing, but for me, it's everything. Because New York has changed so much.

[A]

Oh, yes. And it continues to.

[B]

It continues to. And so I think that's something that we share. We share that curiosity. What's. What's.

[A]

What's.

[B]

What's that guy doing? You know, we don't care if that cook doesn't have a plaque or none. No. That dish was whatever this kid is doing. And I think I always said to myself, the minute that curiosity is gone.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I'm gonna quit.

[A]

Got it. People can find you on social media, obviously, right?

[B]

Yeah. I mean, this is a, you know, Marcus cook. So I'm excited about this year. I. I'm starting a sauce line. You know, I'm very excited about that.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

It's not. It's like the red sauce space is so crowded, so I'm going to go everything but red sauce. If you want to cook a curry at home, you can't buy 15 ingredients. Great, flavorful food. That's the space that we're going to go for and feel really good about it. And I'm excited. I'm actually starting this year a residence program where young. Two young chefs can apply, and they're going to be all expenses paid for by us, and they're going to be able to go upstate and live with artists and reflect. When I came up in the 90s, my friends were not necessarily chefs. They were actually artists. And when we went to stages, they went to residences.

[A]

Sure.

[B]

And I was like, this is exactly what we need as chefs.

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

So for me, it was always a dream to build a residence program. So I partnered with an amazing artist and Jennings Dunhills, which is Catskills, and people can apply, and they're gonna get two weeks paid for, and they can just reflect on their career.

[A]

It's fantastic.

[B]

Those things gives me a lot of joy.

[A]

I like that. Listen, you've made your mark on not just the restaurant industry, but, like, just the world. I mean, it's amazing. So continue. Success.

[B]

That was great. That was awesome.

[A]

Wonderful conversation. If you really like what you're hearing here, please hit subscribe button. Lets us know that you want us to keep doing this. We're having the best time. Stay tuned for next week's. Coast Bobby on the beat.