CITYSPOON

Jet Tila is a nationally renowned chef of all styles of Asian cuisine. His passion for Asian food began at an early age. As a boy, he spent time learning the ancient traditions of classical Asian cuisine in family restaurants and at the Bangkok Market. At age 10, Jet realized his deep connection to food sprung from a deeper connection to his history; learning family traditions from his Cantonese grandmother further piqued his interest. In his early teens, Jet was making appetizers at his family’s restaurants. At 22, he was teaching cooking classes in his backyard a phenomenon that caught the attention of The Los Angeles Times.

Chef Jet’s Le Cordon Bleu education, coupled with his extensive knowledge of Asian gastronomy, have given him a wide range of ideas to draw upon and a broad framework to craft incomparable and innovative cuisine. � In culinary school, Jet began to develop his style by seeking novel and inventive ways to approach Eastern ingredients with classical French technique. He has also completed an intensive program of study at the California Sushi Academy.

Chef Jet has written two cover pieces and several articles for the food section of The Los Angeles Times and has been featured in Los Angeles magazine. He has appeared on Food TV’s “The Best Of,” “Food Finds” and “The Secret Life Of”; The Learning Channel’s “No Reservations” with Chef Anthony Bourdain and “Take Home Chef”; HGTV’s “Smart Solutions” and “Weekend Entertaining”; PBS’s “Visiting With Huell Howser”; and is a frequent contributor to National Public Radio’s “Good Food” with Evan Kleiman.

Chef Jet was awarded the Los Angeles Times best recipe of the year for his Tom Yum soup and his Tom Kha Gai soup was named one of the 10 best recipes of 2000.
He holds the Guinness World Record for the “World’s Largest Stirfry” at 1,805 pounds. Chef Jet is highly sought after to consult, teach cooking classes and cater meals; he is the Asian food consultant to the Bon Appïtit management company.

I met Chef Jet 3 years ago at an event called Taste of The Nation where he served the biggest portion in the event. I went to his restaurant Wazuzu at The Encore shortly after and I must say it’s pretty amazing. Although I never really got to share or make drinks or cocktails for Chef. I will one day find an oppurtunity to because he’s a talented chef. I’ve watched him grow in the Las Vegas community with so many different web shows, tv, Whole Foods Demonstrations and I definitely am a big Jet Fan. I would love to some day work with him on a collaboration of drinks and asian fusion or even traditional asian faire. If you’re in Vegas or visiting, go see Chef Jet at Wazuzu inside the Encore Resort and Casino!

Maybe I need to pitch a Food Network show spinoff of the “Best Thing I Ever Ate” to the “Best Thing I Ever Drank.”
Note to self: Send Jet an note regarding being a BAMF in the kitchen. Because that’s what I am!