25 below

25 Below – 5 sous chefs under 25 years of age.

Phillip Lee, Jon Butler, Kirstyn Brewer,Troy Sazzmann, Allen Buhay

5 small appetizers – 1 from each Chef

Tuna tartar with tapioca and bonito (Allen)
Winter melon and speck (Krysten)
Green mussel “margarita” shot (Philip)
Kumamoto oyster, sea urchin, cauliflower, whey (Jon)
(Troy)

followed by

Atlantic diver scallop, Singapore curry, roasted grapes  (Jon)
Warm hamachi with sweetbreads and grapefruit (Phillip)
Spicy Chicken Wing, coconut, cashew, lime (Kirstyn)
Pork belly, mirin, soy, rosemary, pickled papaya and vegetable salad (Allen)
Schwaz walden kirschtorten mousse with baumkuchen and schatten morrelen(Troy)

Phillip Lee (23) started working in professional kitchens at the age of 19 washing dishes as a part time job when home from touring the country with his band. After moving up to a prep cook and then the line Phillip quit his band and decided to pursue cooking as a full time career.  He  attended CSCA in Pasadena. While in school 5 mornings a week he was cooking 5 nights a week and still able to stage around town his two nights off. While in school Phillip participated in 7 culinary competitions taking gold in 6 and silver in 1. Over the next several years Phillip worked his way from Line cook up to sous chef for TV chef Stefan Richter at La Farm, and has since relocated to Hatfield’s,winner of this years Angeleno awards restaurant of the year,  where he is sous chef to Quinn Hatfield.

Phillip was featured in LA Weeklys Chefs with tattoos article as well as a featured chef on the national honey board of America website.

Kirstyn Brewer (25) graduated from Culinary school- California school of culinary arts, Pasadena.
She is currently sous chef at Westside tavern in west LA and before accepting that position, she was part  of the opening staff of The bazaar by Jose Andres, as a lead cook.   After culinary school, her first position was at Whist in the Viceroy Hotel in 2006.

Allen Buhay (24) first job was at 16 years old at a bakery in Glendale, and soon afterward he enrolled in California School of Culinary Arts, Pasadena, CA.  By 18 he was completing an externship at the 3-Star Michelin Restaurant “Jean Georges” in NYC.  Upon returning to LA, he worked with Chef Matt Carpenter and Chef Mike Bryant at David Haskell Bin 8945, at various Steven Arroyo restaurants including 750 ml, and The Stork. He was part of the opening team at  Church and State, where he was sous chef with Greg Bernhardt and Wa;ter Manzke.  Allen is currently working in Chicago for Lettuce Entertain You, as sous chef for the soon to open Paris Club.

Jon Butler (25) started his restaurant career at the age of 15.  He worked in various kitchens for 4 years before deciding to attend culinary school at the California School of Culinary Arts, Pasadena, CA. Upon completion of his schooling he worked at Tra Vigne in St Helena, CA and at Thorton winery in Temecula, CA before landing in LA with Steven Arroyo first at The Stork and after at Church & State where he was Walter Manzke’s sous chef . Jon left Church & State to stage in Europe. While in Europe, he worked at Mandion, a small pastry shop near Biarritz, in addition to 2 world class restaurants one being Arzak in San Sebastian, Spain (ranked at #9 by San Pellegrino) and the other being Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark (currently considered the best restaurant in the world).

Troy Sazzmann Graduated culinary school in 2007 from Le Cordon Blue in Pasadena. In 2008 he apprenticed in France under Michael Barbotin, working for an additional 6 months as a sous Chef. After returning from France , Troy worked in a number of small restaurants in Los Angeles before working for Top Chef season 5 runners up Stefan Richter.  He is now the pastry chef and sous chef at Stefan’s restaurant in Santa Monica Stefan’s at LA Farm’s