Today we’d like to introduce you to Devyn Brown.
Hi Devyn, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, let’s briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
When I was 7, my grandpa taught me to make eggs in a pan. He told me if you don’t know how to cook, you at least need to know how to make scrambled eggs. Once I reached high school, my mother often asked me to make dinner several nights when she worked late. On the weekends, she would take me out to try new restaurants in town. Since we are part Italian, the main dishes I would make during the week would be pasta in many different ways, although I was never a spaghetti fan. When we went to these different restaurants, I would try the meals that sounded interesting and stuck out to me the most since I can eat anything. From there, I would read the food items included in the description of my meal, taste the meal identify the seasonings and flavors, and go home and recreate it not knowing the process of how it was made just what I know it should taste like.
Fast forward to college, I got my bachelor’s degree from Winthrop University. While there, I studied abroad in Florence, Italy, for a few months and then in Barcelona, Spain, for a few months. While abroad, I tried so many amazing foods and learned several different cooking techniques from these diverse countries whose meals are vastly different. I learned to make paella in Spain, and risotto, ravioli, tiramisu, pizza, panna cotta in Italy. I learned how different wines pair with different foods, and the way and time they eat are very different from the US. I then returned home to the US and got an apartment off campus from my school where, as a college student having to worry about bills for an apartment, I did not eat out much. Although that was the case, I knew I could cook just as good or even better than these restaurants around me, so once a week, I would make an extravagant meal for myself that I knew would cost double or triple if I were to get it at a restaurant. I could make it just how I liked it; I could have a whole bottle of wine with my meal if I wanted to, and I was delighted! A joke I had between my mom and me was that I barely ate ramen noodles in college because my struggle meal was pesto pasta with chicken.
Once I graduated college, I moved back home to pursue my culinary degree at the Culinary Institute of Charleston. From there, I learned different cooking techniques and the proper way to cook certain meals I had made before; I learned about how other cultures make their foods, like Central America, South America, and Asia. I fell in love with Asian foods and realized I have excellent skills when it comes to making Asian foods. I’ve worked for and gained skills from restaurants like Halls Chophouse, Savi Cucina and Wine, Malika Pakistani Canteen, Dashi, Hamby Catering, Wildflour Cafe, and Bearcat. Although the restaurant experience was nice, I’ve always had that desire and passion to be a private chef instead and to one day soon open my own Korean x Italian food truck. So currently, I’m a private chef local to Charleston but willing to travel and work towards my dream of owning my food truck; I’m just currently looking for private investors to get it started! Also, I do Soulful Sundays every Sunday, a movement I created to create meals for the less fortunate who may not have a home to go to or the best living situations to feel loved, even if it’s just one day a week!
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The struggle I faced as a private chef was honestly the marketing. Charleston has such a big food scene, with many restaurants, caterers, private chefs, and food trucks, that it’s hard to stand out. I come up with different ways to market myself every day, but since people have never tried my food, it’s hard to sell it to them, even if I’ve been told countless times by people who have tried my food that it’s stellar. Another obstacle for me is even though I have my food truck business plan made, my food truck menu and concept made, it has been hard looking for the funding to get it started to make that dream possible for me and allow the people to taste my food and the love and passion that goes into it.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
For me, food is more than just food. It’s art! It is the only art form where you can use all five senses, especially as a chef. So you are more than just a chef. You’re an artist creating a masterpiece whenever you make something that is yours. Food is also love! Food can make someone fall in love with it or the person who made it by giving them something to be happy, satisfied, at peace, calm, and unguarded, even for a moment. It’s also a way a chef can express love and show someone what it’s like to feel loved through our meals. Food is also a way to feel grounded and at peace, even if it is just for a second because life can be hectic and stressful, but food brings you back to the present moment. So, every time I create a dish, I keep all those things in mind: the energy I put into the dish, the flavors, the presentation, and the love to give an unforgettable experience! Although I can make just about anything savory and sweet, the two cuisines I am best at are Italian and Asian food. I am known for my flavors and making sure the flavors represent not only the region I’m cooking but also me as a person! I am most proud of my progress and the seeds I set for myself to be successful in the one thing I’m most passionate about and genuinely love doing. What sets me apart from others is my food’s unique flavors, presentation, and the love that goes into creating it.
Do you have any big plans?
I plan to continue being a private chef, do some cooking competitions, be on a cooking show, and start my food truck. Because, as an explorer, having a food truck allows me to follow my dreams still and do what I love doing and am passionate about, no matter where I may go! Although Charleston is my home, I am bigger than my hometown. I want to be known all over!
Pricing:
- •$100 an hour for private chef services
- •$25-$45 for specialty plates
- •$50+ for food platters for events or family
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dahomeykitchens.com
- Instagram: dahomeymadeit
