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Playboy returns to London…
…and it’s bringing top-notch talent to England’s capital in the shape of Executive Chef Judy Joo and top mixologist Salvatore Calabrese, aka The Maestro
After a hiatus, the Playboy Casino is coming back to London’s Mayfair. In keeping with the area’s reputation for top-class cuisine and some of the finest bars in the city, Judy Joo has been hired as Executive Chef and Salvatore Calabrese as the club’s mixologist. Casino International talked to Judy about this prestigious appointment, and how she arrived at the Playboy…
Casino International: How did you get started as a professional chef?
Judy Joo: I went to cooking school. I turned professional as a chef in 2004.
I’m best known as a resident Iron Chef on the international cooking programme, Iron Chef UK. It’s a fantastic show, based around competitors using a secret ingredient; the contestants have to make five dishes with that secret ingredient. I was one of the four resident Iron Chefs competing against the contestants. Before that I was working at one of Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants, but also rotated through some of his other restaurants.
CI: How did you end up working for Gordon Ramsay?
JJ: I was actually eating at his restaurant, and it’s quite a small place with maybe 30 people in at any one time. Gordon had stopped by and was saying hello to the guests. We were talking, and I told him I was a chef, and he said “When are you going to start working for me?” He introduced me to his head chef, and I took his number, called and we arranged a stage, which is where you work a full day so they can assess your skills. I was hired and worked there part-time for about two-and-a-half years. I was also freelance writing at the time.
CI: How do you fit in with the Playboy image?
JJ: Playboy really likes my background, because there’s a story there – I was in fixed-income derivatives with Morgan Stanley, and I did that for five years before I became a chef; that career-change story is something people have been surprisingly enchanted with.
Bloomberg did a piece on me joining Playboy Club as the Executive Chef and it somehow became the most-read story worldwide for that day, and top-five for the week! There seems to be an interest in people who have changed careers, and who have made a success of it.
CI: What does an Executive Chef do, exactly?
JJ: I’m responsible for building a menu, and training a team, designing everything about the menu even down to the font and the type of paper I want; I’m looking at the uniforms, crockery, utensils – I am building this place from the bottom up, everything, and then maintaining it.
CI: What clientele are you aiming at?
JJ: It’s member’s only, exclusive, and high-end. But it will be a diverse clientele; they want lawyers, doctors, not just celebrities and socialites. It needs to be a well-rounded clientele of a certain pedigree, which is interested in gaming, fine food and wines, and the fantastic cocktails Salvatore is going to create in the bar… Everything looks very slick, very sexy, and we’re on Old Park Lane in Mayfair, next to the Four Seasons.
CI: Is this your first Executive Chef appointment? Is it a hands-on role?
JJ: Yes. It’s very hands-on for the launch, I’ll be practically sleeping there, and for however long it takes for me to get it where I want it. But when it starts running smoothly I will take a step back; I only live 20 minutes from the venue, so I’m close by if needed.
CI: That part of London is exceptionally well covered with great restaurants, bars and high-end casinos… What will you bring that’s different?
JJ: I cook all kinds of food. I’m a French-trained Korean-American Londoner. I have a real international scope, which is a good thing for a casino because they have such an international clientele. But we’re selling an experience at this casino – it’s the venue, the service, the bunnies, the drinks, the food… Everything. I’m staying true to the American side of the brand though, and Playboy Clubs worldwide always have menus grounded in steaks and burgers, and high-end comfort food. I’m going to do that but I’m going to gentrify everything. It’s going to be very simple but it’s going to be damn delicious!
I don’t want to do food where it takes 12 chefs to make one plate; I want to keep it simple, but full of flavour. I’m bringing things from my travels that no-one on this whole continent is doing.
CI: You’ve had quite a short career, but come very far, very fast; has it been difficult to progress both as a woman, and as a relatively recent graduate?
JJ: It has been difficult, I think people do think twice about working for a woman sometimes, unfortunately. I think women bosses can give the best of both worlds though, because we care a bit more! I grew up in male environments, but I walk the line successfully between being tough enough and yet dishing out enough love as well. Tough love!
I think there is some prejudice though in kitchens, it is a male environment.
CI: What is your favourite restaurant?
JJ: My favourite chef is Jason Atherton. His new restaurant, Pollen Street Social, opened in May this year. He’s very international, worked in Spain for a while; he does a lot of modern British food, but he has many overseas influences. He just makes food that you want to eat!
CI: Will you be cooking in a bunny outfit?
JJ: No, sorry! It’s hard work to be a bunny, they have to go through some tough tests to get where they are and are excellent hosts and waitresses. They’re an important part of this iconic brand, and of course they work a difficult job while looking great.
