OCC DINING
“When you allow cooks to put their own spin on dishes it provides ownership and becomes something they can be proud of.”
Chef Brandon teaches his technique on how to filet a fish. The result is a delectable sauteed mahi mahi dish served with white rice, choi sum, beurre blanc and lup cheong orange jam.
There’s no doubt he’s a force to be reckoned with in terms of his culinary talent, but what adds to his standout status at OCC is his leadership. Aside from creating exceptional menus, he’s busy creat- ing and inspiring the entire team in the kitchen. “As a leader, he drives his team to be creative and gives them the freedom to expand their culinary palates through experimentation and ownership,” says Assistant Food & Beverage Director Wayne Larrow, who’s known Chef Brandon for more than a decade. Chef says his leadership approach is simple: “Being a proper human, treating people with respect and allowing them to grow and become the best they can be, in cooking and in life.” Similarly, he believes that’s what it takes to run a successful kitchen.
Well, that and good communication. He says his “secrets” are not so profound either, though they are certainly commendable. He trusts his staff to do the job, leads by example and allows them to have fun while doing it. The current kitchen crew includes a handful of veterans who have been working at the Club for many years, some even longer than Chef Brandon. However, another handful are new cooks and/or new to OCC (working here for two years or less), but Chef says they are all driven and, importantly, passionate about food. As far as the weekly specials, the menu is inspired by a lot of things. Think seasons, ingredients, cultures and even personal preferences. Chef
22 AMA | MAY / JUNE 2023
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