Nyesha Arrington, Island Influences

fifty five per person for food- individually plated/bar bites $3-$6/cocktails $10-13 each/ wine list or pairings or $20 corkage

Bar Bites

Brandade Fritter $6
Wood-Fired Roti  $5
Pumpkin Calyspo Shooter $3
Crispy Plantain |Chili and Lime$4

TASTING MENU fifty five dollars

1. Caribbean Ground Provisions| Jerk Tomato “Fondue”
2. Snapper |Mussels, curry, basil
3. Duck | Roti, pineapple, mint
4. Pork Belly |“Loco Moco”, Tamarind
5. Taro- Coconut custard| Sugar Cane Rum
6. Banana Beignet|Grilled mango, Tahitian Vanilla

All guest checks include a service charge of 18%. While additional gratuities are appreciated, they are neither required nor expected. Substitutions politely declined.  Vegetarian options are not available during this chef’s brief tenure.

Chef Nyesha Arrington

From the time she was a child pretending to run a restaurant, Nyesha Arrington, has loved to cook. Arrington was born in southern California to a multi-cultural family. When she was just four years old, her Korean grandmother influenced Nyesha’s youthful palate by introducing her to diverse foods such as bulgogi, octopus and kimchi. That culinary experience has shaped Arrington’s cooking technique ever since. “I love all sorts of food—French, Indian, Asian, Greek—and I’m a big fan of integrating different flavors of cuisine from around the world,” she explains.

Nyesha graduated from the Culinary School at the Art Institute of Los Angeles in 2001 and went to work at Charlie’s Steakhouse in Orlando, Florida. Realizing that she preferred the restaurant scene and culture of California, Nyesha soon returned  to her home state where she worked with with Josiah Citrin at his two highly-acclaimed southern California restaurants:  Lemon Moon in Culver City and Mélisse in Santa Monica.   Arrington  further honed her culinary expertise by working with legendary French chef Joël Robuchon at his Michelin and Mobil award-winning Las Vegas restaurants, L’Atelier and The Mansion.

Arrington, an ardent believer in using fresh, seasonal products, and considers several important factors in creating her menu, including the weather, what’s in season, and the availability of locally-grown food. Arrington, whose specialty is classic French cuisine, loves going to farmers’ markets. “It’s so cool to talk to farmers, buy their products and then feature them on the menu the same day,” she exclaims.

Nyesha comes from an artistic family; both her father and sister are musicians, and before pursuing a culinary career she aspired to be a sculptor. Her creative upbringing is reflected in Nyesha’s approach to cooking, which she considers an art. “Every plate is like a canvas. Chefs must be able to do everything, from thinking about their prep, to assessing the menu and knowing who their audience is. I love the process: All food is good as long as it’s executed properly!”

When she’s not creating culinary masterpieces, Nyesha delights in spending time outdoors. She is an avid surfer and snowboarder, enjoys camping and continues to love art. However, her greatest passion will always be cooking.

Her most recent position was as Chef de Cuisine at Cache, which recently closed.  Her 2 days at Test kitchen will be her last cooking opportunity in Los Angeles before moving to St Kitts, where she is to be Executive Chef at The Spice Mill Restaurant.  Her Test Kitchen meal is a preview of what she will be making in the British Virgin Islands.