Chef Matthew Antoun, Cooking Well Done
One of the most talented, youngest up and coming chefs in Los Angeles is 22-years-old and has never been to culinary school or taken a single cooking class. Despite his lack of formal training, chef Matthew Antoun can boast he’s worked in 11 different restaurant kitchens and has just launched his already successful catering business called Modern Art Catering.
Antoun may have earned himself a chef’s apron but he never planned on being a chef. While studying finance at the University of California at San Diego, Antoun says his switch to a career in food came from what he likes to call “serendipitous moments.” Certain events in his life like the stock market crash and move to New York City pushed him in the right direction.
Antoun has just returned from living in New York City for a couple months where he bounced around from kitchen to kitchen, picking up the skills he needed to move back to Los Angeles and make it on his own. He spent time working in kitchens like Thomas Keller’s Per Se, and the West Branch French restaurant.
LA Sates sat down with Matthew Antoun to dish about his new catering company.
LA Sates: Why did you start Modern Art?
Antoun: I decided to start modern art catering a few months ago when I left Per Se and made up my mind that I was moving back to California. I knew I was ready to take charge and I no longer desired to be an apprentice in other peoples kitchens. I also knew I would have a big client base in LA and so I pulled the trigger.
LA Sates: Who are the players?
Antoun: So far I have brought on a sous chef, Nick Flannery, who went to culinary school and works very hard for me. Wills Devogelaere, sets up administrative aspects and helps with PR.
LA Sates: What’s the idea behind it?
Antoun: My philosophy is taking the luxuries and decadence of fine dining and bringing it to the comforts and familiarity of peoples’ homes. My cuisine, like modern art, is deeply rooted in the classics but takes on a new, often unidentifiable form. Further, I believe a great dinner to be like a great party, and I strive to fuse the two. Unlike normal catering where food is placed as a side note to the party, my goal is to have the dinner as the party, the food as the main event.
LA Sates: How has business been?
Antoun: Business has been really good since I began. I have cooked for Peter Fonda, one of the owners of the Beverly Hills Four Seasons Hotel and have had triple the amount of events I had set as my starting goal. Things keep steamrolling in my favor and I have been backing up my reputation with great food and service.
LA Sates: What’s been the best thing about Modern Art thus far?
Antoun: Last Saturday was the most memorable. I cooked 10 courses, starting with 5 caviar preparations, then 5 more fish courses in a beautiful and stunning house in the hills of Bel Air. The host was a lot of fun and gave me full creative control and I would say I beat expectations, which is always a goal of mine.
LA Sates: How do you prepare for a catering event?
Antoun: I am meticulous in my preparation and so a normal 6 course dinner party will take me up to 25 hours to prepare. I make my own oils, sauces, pastas, breads...essentially everything on your plate I have made from raw product to what you see. I also put a lot of effort into presentation and that takes a while. My foods is about precision and care, regardless of the time it takes to produce a meal. I want it to be perfect and my guests to be blown away with beautiful colors and bright, rich flavors.
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