Meet the chef of the moment. Chef Adrien Blech.
He’s the guy making kitchen magic at Orienta Restaurant in Greenwich, Ct.
He just competed against Bobby Flay on the Food Network on that Beat Bobby Flay show and he beat him!
Chef Adrien joined me in the studio today to share the behind the scenes of the unique food competition experience and the recipes that made him a Food Network Winner.
By the way If you haven’t seen the TV show it features various chefs competing against Bobby Flay and the show is taped in front of a live audience.
Was it nerve-wracking, I asked?
“Well, yeah, said Chef Adrien. “I think it was in the beginning. Yeah, definitely. Mostly the build-up, you know, because they reach out to you, then it’s like, okay, do you want to do it? And then there are three or four months of lead-up and interviews. It’s a major process to get called on to the show. “
Do they notify you you’ve made the show cut like you’re getting a college acceptance letter? By Email? By Phone?
“You get an email and when you get the news you’re accepted and they give you a filming date and tell you you’re filming on this day against Bobby Flay at this time. “
On the day he got the exciting green light email, I wondered who did Adrien call first?
“I think my wife and then my parents. I think we were at the restaurant. So I think I passed around the email once I got it.”
Adrien is French American.
“I wondered are French people as excitable as Italians when something big happens? Like screaming out loud excited?”
“Yes. I can tell you the most excited people were my High School football coaches from Rye Neck High School in Mamaroneck, NY. There’s a video of them absolutely going crazy watching the show. It was really, sweet to watch.”
Ever wonder what happens when a contestant first shows up ready to film at the Food Network studio? Nothing. At least for awhile. Chef Adrien had about a three-hour wait time with the other contestant.
“We were just talking, so it’s just us two in a room and she tells me all about herself and she’s a James Beard finalist and they flew her out from Oakland and they put her up in a Manhattan hotel.”
I’m thinking she was trying to intimidate him.
“That was intimidating” (See I told you) “I don’t have any of those accolades. And I just drove down from Greenwich to Queens. So right after that I was nervous. “But she was sweet.“
Chef Adrien said he was very comfortable in just doing his best because it was such an anticipation getting there. He had good advice for himself and for anyone who likes to cook.
“Just do what you can in the moment and cook how you cook. “
Yes Just …“Cook How You Cook.”!
When the show finally kicked in and filming started they do as they always do. They give contestants a mystery ingredient they have to work with.
What was the ingredient they gave Adrien? Escarole.
“I like escarole. Kind of like a bitter green. Love it. Kind of a lettuce. And you could do many things with it, and I used to work in California, and I’d have to go to the Santa Monica farmer’s market three times a week, or twice a week, or whatever it is, to get our stuff, but it was always new and always different. Whatever you get at the farmers market, that’s what’s going to be your special of the day. So, when I see escarole, I immediately thought of my time in California and what is like the newer California type cuisine. That was a good thought. So, I just went with it. I grilled it and I made like a spicy honey vinaigrette with some bacon and It turned out to be quite good.”
The judge, Scott Conant, said it was one of the best things he’s tasted on the show.
Everybody’s going to want to come taste this at his restaurant now but is it on the menu? Not yet. He still hasn’t made it again but he promises he will.
I told him to put it on the menu and call it ‘The Chef Bobby Flay Beater Special’.
“That’s a great idea Debbie you know I think I’m going to do it.”
That’s what I do here on this show, I give ideas to people. ( It’s gonna cost him a spring roll.)
Alrighty so the other winning savory crepe dish, where’d that come in?
“So that came in as my specialty dish that I went in to kind of take Bobby by surprise because I’m pretty sure he’s got my number on that.
Chef Adrien’s winning dish was his Vietnamese Savory Crepe. What’s in it?
“It’s a turmeric-based coconut and rice flour, so it’s crispy, a little sweet and subtle on the outside, mix of chicken, shrimp, pickled onions, and a lot of fresh herbs mint, cilantro, Thai basil comes with a nice salad on the side and a nuoc cham dipping sauce which is a traditional Vietnamese sauce. “
I hope Chef Adrien puts a big sign on his restaurant window that says Food Network Winner and I Beat Bobby Flay. He said he’ll ask his wife Kate to take care of that. She’s great at marketing. Cooking Isn’t her thing but word is she makes terrific food for their one and a half year old baby. “He seems to enjoy it my wife’s cooking a lot more than mine.”
You’re a great chef, and an amazing restaurateur. Tell us what are you terrible at?
“I think I’m terrible at like soccer.” Okay we won’t call on you for that.
“What goes on in this chefs head all day long? Is he making stuff in his head? Does he have recipes in his head? What’s he doing in there?”
“Well, normally when I come in after my day’s off, my sous chef will order me the fish for the special for the day. It comes from Bonton Fish Market right down the street. Another local shout out. And I don’t know necessarily know what he’s going to order me unless I have something already specific in mind. So, I come in and it’s sort of a surprise. And I got to go from there. And I start pulling ideas. I got a lot of cookbooks. I could take a little something from here, a little something from there. And I kind of turn it into my own thing. Since I wasn’t classically trained in Asian food. There’s a lot of reading and a lot of cookbooks. So, I just pull little bits from everywhere and then make it to what I think is good. I cook like I cook. “
Love his passion. It all started with Chef Adrien’s parents and growing up the restaurant business. His Mom was a great cook and he learned much from her gift for seasoning and using different ingredients and really making complete dishes. She’s American. His grandmother was a talented cook too. So it runs through the women of his family. His Dad has always been a restaurateur, so Adrien would always see him in the restaurants and be eating in restaurants since he was very young. I guess you could say Chef Adrien grew up with the cooking gene.
For Chef Adrien, his restaurant reviews are very important. “I like to take the feedback from our guests and people that I don’t know, and I use it a lot. If you see trends and some stuff’s not working, then you know obviously it’s our job to fix that and rectify it somebody has a bad time. You know I want to do everything I can so that they come back. We try, and really make it nice and make sure that they’re all having a great experience. “
Sounds really nice to me.
During the week Orienta Restaurant has sip and shop events , where local vendors come by and highlight their products and it encourages people to support local businesses and support the restaurant and network with each other.
They also have happy hour on the weekends which is unique.
If you’re in the area check out Orienta Restaurant on Lewis Street in Greenwich, Connecticut.
About Orienta Restaurant
Antoine Blech originally opened Orienta restaurant on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in 1995. Over two decades later Blech and his wife Suzanne reopened the iconic French and Asian-inspired restaurant in Greenwich with a menu that is highlighted by Vietnamese flavors. Today, this restaurant is truly a family affair, their son, Chef Adrien Blech joined their team as Executive Chef with his impressive resume of over 13 years working at world-renowned establishments such as Le Bernardin, Soho House LA, Le Royal Monceau, Guy Savoy, in addition to sister restaurants, Le Penguin, and Le Fat Poodle. Chef Blech’s multi-talented wife, Kate is maître d’ and mother to their 1-year-old daughter who Antoine and Suzanne hope will be leading the team one day in the future.
