PA-NASH EUROSOUL CATERING & EVENTS
Kymani Runcie
144-14 243rd Street Rosedale, NY 11422
For Kymani Runcie, becoming the head chef of Pa-Nash Eurosoul was like ascending the family throne.
His parents often took young Kymani to the Golden Krust franchise they owned, where he learned to hold a knife, julienne peppers, and other basics.
During high school in 2013, the family opened Pa-Nash Eurosoul, with Kymani doing coat check and other odds and ends. A year later, he became a line cook and then a prep cook.
After graduating Johnson & Wales University, Kymani returned home and immediately became the head chef at Pa-Nash.
Fortunately, he had a mentor in Chef Henry in the kitchen, who taught him how to purchase food properly and maintain the refrigerators.
"A lot of people really underestimated what I could actually do. Don't underestimate anyone in the kitchen, they may surprise you. Everyone brings their own perspective."
JOURNALS
These are my journals. These are like two of ten. It was around college when I started this one. I saw this at a CVS and one of my chefs always said it's always good to take notes while in class.
So I was like, you know, let me just get it. I started taking notes and then I started having ideas for recipes, so I'll just write all that down in there.
I kept journals for everything.
I think really fast and I tend to overthink things. So being able to write it down, so I can see what I was actually just thinking helps me. I just get too distracted in my own head.
I keep them in my room. There is this built-in bookcase that's been there like, from the sixties. On a certain shelf, I keep them.
I go into these often. Most of the time, I go in around family events and I'm trying to see what I'm going to cook. Cos all my family members really like my cooking, of course. So I always try and make sure I cook something good. I always go in here for inspiration.
Sometimes, if we're doing an event, and people are looking at the menu and they ask, "Is there anything else other than the menu?" Sometimes, I'll go to this and see what I can do.
ALL MY FAMILY MEMBERS
REALLY LIKE MY COOKING, OF COURSE.
The journals really mean the world to me because it keeps all the food ideas and other ideas just there, where I am able to go back and actually analyze. Without the journals, I wouldn't have such a log of the things I make and the recipes. I would be pulling them out of thin air. They keep me from looking like a bad chef.
