We were lucky to catch up with Brandon Brooks recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Brandon , really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I found my purpose when I was 16yrs old. I was hungry at while my parents were away at work I didn’t know what to do. Obviously I wanted Pizza Hut or Taco Bell but there was food at home so I had go with that. Make a long story short, I called my mother to ask how did she make her tuna casserole. She gave me all the ingredients and I wrote them down. And luckily all the ingredients we had in house. I cooked it and my hunger was satisfied.
The next day my father came home from his usual night shift. He stumbled across that baking dish of tuna casserole I made. He helped himself and when he sat down to say good morning to my mom, he thanked her for the casserole. My mother said “ I didn’t make that, Brandon did” and my dad’s eyebrows raised in shock. He said it tasted just like my mother’s. So at that point I knew my purpose was to be a Chef and satisfy people’s tastebuds
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m a local private chef and caterer stationed in Portland Oregon. I also own a food cart named The Windy Rose. Where I showcase Chicago street food. As of right now I’m involved in a year project. I’m building my own food cart from scratch. So in the meantime I’m showcasing a few of my menu items at local Oregon farmers markets throughout this year. I also bottle and sell my own signature hot sauces at the local farmers markets.
Food is my passion. It’s exciting to see a dish you created and watching people eat what you made brings joy to my heart. It’s something special about that. So after I get this food cart build up completed I want to open up a small brick and mortar with a different menu. More towards fine dining
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Looking back on my journey in particular. I would say knowing when the timing is right. For example I graduated from Le Cordon Bleu with a culinary arts & management degree but I wasn’t equipped to run a restaurant or a business.
So I had to crawl before you walk so to speak. My mindset was to already be at the top without any practical experience in the restaurant industry. So what I did was, I slowed down, once I found a job I studied what task came at me thoroughly. I read recipes, I kept learning and teaching myself the techniques to be a sharper chef. That was one area ha ha! The other two would be to listen and pay attention to who’s training you. Because there are bad trainers out there that has a mentally lazy mindset and that can dampen on you.
Remember not everyone wants to see you succeed in that you’re doing. So find someone who’s in the same field as you and study them. And be willing to take advice from others. That’s a big one in the restaurant industry. Some chefs have egos
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
I remember I was in high school. Probably my senior year I believe and my mom was driving us around and I remember seeing a fancy car drive in the opposite direction. I said “man I wish I could have something like that” & immediately my mother said “ don’t mind what everyone else has, because you can go out and get the same thing or something 10 times better”
That statement still lives in head some 20+ years later. Because that made me realize I could have that car too. I could have a car 100x better than him. In other words, I don’t envy anyone who’s successful or reaching for that level, because I too can do that and that’s I’m doing now. I learned to stay in my lane and the person I’m competing with is myself. Having that tunnel vision is what I was taught
Contact Info:
- Website: tribecalledchef.com
- Instagram: @chefbrandopdx
- Facebook: Chef_84_pdx
- Youtube: YouTube.com/@chefupthegame
Image Credits
Le Cordón Bleu Chef Robert Irvine Koin 6 News
