Celebrating International Chefs Day 2023 Around the World of Troon
It’s International Chefs Day and to celebrate, we are spotlighting some of the fantastic Chefs, from Executive Chef’s to Sous Chef’s that work at Troon facilities around the world.
From golf fuel to family dinners or date nights, fine dining to all-day dining, meet the chefs in a kitchen at a Troon facility near you. Find out who inspired them to take up the profession and hear what some of our best chef’s classify as their “can’t live without” ingredient in the kitchen.
Name: Chef Noor Raskan
Club: LA VIE Club
Location: Oman
What is your can’t-live-without ingredient or an ingredient that is specific to your region you use often? I can’t imagine my cooking life without the finest, freshest ingredients.”
Who inspired you to be a chef? Growing up in my native Sri Lanka, I had two passions: cooking and the dream of becoming a good leader. My first executive chef was my mom; she used to employ excellent food flavor techniques, and she always said that when you do something, do it with your heart. I also enrolled in the Culinary Hotel School in Sri Lanka to further explore my culinary interests. While working in Sri Lanka, I was offered the opportunity to work alongside some of Sri Lanka’s most celebrated chefs, which was my first step towards Doha, Qatar. I continued to bring my passion, creativity, and culinary experience to the UAE, and now I find myself in the Sultanate of Oman. I feature many of my signature dishes made with fresh, local, high-quality products at Terrace by LA VIE Restaurant.
Name: Executive Chef Shirley Negron Figueroa
Club: Deering Bay Yacht & Country Club
Location: Coral Gables, FL, USA
What is your can’t-live-without ingredient or an ingredient that is specific to your region you use often? Chef Surelys’ culinary secret weapon is maitake mushrooms. Their earthy, umami-rich flavor and unique texture make them a versatile and indispensable ingredient in her dishes. Whether she’s crafting a hearty risotto, a savory stir-fry, or a flavorful soup, maitake mushrooms add a depth of flavor and complexity that elevate her creations to a whole new level.
Who inspired you to be a chef? Chef Surelys’ grandmother was her culinary inspiration. They spent precious quality time in the kitchen during her childhood, and those moments ignited her passion for cooking. Her grandmother’s influence continues to shape her culinary style and approach to the kitchen.
Chef Surelys is deeply grateful to be a part of the Troon family. The support, abundant resources, and limitless opportunities provided within this global network have been instrumental in her culinary journey. It has allowed her to grow and thrive in her career while connecting with a world of culinary possibilities.
Name: Hallie Couchman
Club: Pacific Harbour Golf & Country Club
Location: Australia
What is your can’t-live-without ingredient or an ingredient that is specific to your region you use often? Simple answer: Salt! It’s the cornerstone of flavour in the kitchen. 😄
Who inspired you to be a chef? “My mum and nana! Watching them cook and feed everyone working on our farm was inspiring and led me to learn and get into the industry professionally. Oh, and Jamie Oliver, obviously!”
Name: Gerald Sombright
Club: The Club at the Dunes of Naples
Location: Florida, USA
What is your can’t-live-without ingredient or an ingredient that is specific to your region you use often? Specific to our region we use a local fisherman and can’t live without his grouper and fresh catch fish. He literally brings us day boat local line caught fish. We jump on the back of his truck and pick fish out of coolers. It is the freshest fish product of my life can’t believe how fortunate we are to have such a great partner.
Who inspired you to be a chef or was there a moment in time when you knew you wanted to become a chef? There was no real moment that defined me saying this is my calling. I just remember the focus and attention to detail by all of these chefs that were working in the first professional kitchen I worked in. I thought to myself that there must be something to this if all these guys are taking it this serious. It fueled a curiosity that I still carry with me to this day.
Name: Vishal Rane
Club: The Els Club Dubai
Location: UAE
What is your can’t-live-without ingredient or an ingredient that is specific to your region you use often? The ingredient that I would use most in the kitchen is not regional specific but produced locally, this ingredient is Candy tomatoes. So rich in flavour these little beauties enhance any recipe with its colourful presence, and the sweetness does much wonder to the finished product. The farms in UAE do a commendable job to get the harvest right as it is not an easy feat to produce such high-quality harvest in the desert conditions. Sourced responsibly to support sustainability, waste reduction and reduction of carbon emission these candy tomatoes are at its best from October to April.
Who inspired you to be a chef? Growing up watching my mother cook all the tasty feasts and feeding us always made me want to cook and take the kitchen route to learn more about food.
Name: Sous Chef AJ Bowers
Club: The Red Ledges Club
Location: Utah, USA
What is your can’t-live-without ingredient or an ingredient that is specific to your region you use often? People are the secret ingredient to anything I’ve ever done. When I’m interviewing people and they ask me what I’m trying to accomplish with my job I always tell them ‘evoke emotion’ I just use a different medium then most. You can have the most chic restaurant decor, the best menu, most highly trained staff…and I do. I spend everyday tweaking these things to optimize our guest experience. But ‘the glue’ and the ‘secret ingredient’ are the relationships. The relationship you have with your staff and purveyors and the one you foster with the clientele.
Who inspired you to be a chef? Although my initial connection to the food industry was though my father who was a Chef and Owner of a fine dining restaurant, this mindset of people has always been the secret to my success. If I were on Iron Chef I believe I would win because I’ve always spent as much time cultivating relationships and people as I have the other skills.
Name: Clinton Engelbrecht
Club: Al Hamra Golf Club
Location: UAE
What is your can’t-live-without ingredient or an ingredient that is specific to your region you use often? I consider SALT to be a can’t live without ingredient, it enhances the flavor of dishes and is often referred to as a “Chefs best friend” for its ability to balance and elevate flavors in both savory and sweet.
Who inspired you to be a chef? In my childhood I always watched my mother cook with grace and passion. She taught me the art of cooking and one day as we prepared a special meal, I saw the joy our food brought to others. Inspired by her I became a chef to share that happiness through my dishes.
Name: Executive Chef Eric Shelton
Club: Fieldstone Golf Club
Location: Wilmington Delaware, USA
What is your can’t-live-without ingredient or an ingredient that is specific to your region you use often? Salt, it enhances flavors when the perfect amount is used
Who inspired you to be a chef? My mom. She made sure I was enrolled in technical school and pushed me to start my culinary journey at Johnson and Wales University.
Name: Club: Rohani Mohd Salleh
Club: The Els Club Desaru Coast
Location: Malaysia
What is your can’t-live-without ingredient or an ingredient that is specific to your region you use often? As a Malaysian-born Chef, one ingredient I simply can’t live without is our rich array of herbs and spices. These aromatic and flavourful elements are a cornerstone of our local cuisine, and they find their way into nearly every dish I create such as Asam Pedas, Nasi Lemak and Rendang. They are the essence of what makes Malaysian cuisine so wonderfully vibrant and unique.
Who inspired you to be a chef? My culinary journey began as a simple pursuit of fun, but it didn’t take long for me to fall head over heels in love with the art of cooking. Over the course of 32 years in the culinary world, I’ve faced both the highs and lows that come with this profession, and it’s been this deep-seated passion that has continuously inspired me to be a chef.
Name: Clark M. Norris
Club: Red Ledges Club: Juniper Grill, Village Poolside Grill
Location: Heber City, Utah, in the spectacular Wasatch Back Country, USA
What is your can’t-live-without ingredient or an ingredient that is specific to your region you use often? LOVE is the ONE element with which every dish should be composed. Most chefs are very passionate about their craft. An ingredient specific to my region I use often is: salt.
Name: Chef Stephen Bush, CEC
Club: Colony Bay Club
Location: Bonita Springs, Florida
What is your can’t-live-without ingredient or an ingredient that is specific to your region you use often? Salt!
Who inspired you to be a chef? Chef Bush is about to become a father of twins so he could not be reached for this question but we have a feeling that his two new little ones will help inspire him every day!
Name: Executive Chef Nery Palma
Club: Rio Verde Country Club
Location: Rio Verde, Arizona, USA
Who inspired you to be a chef? My mother who got me started in the kitchen and drove my passion for food.
What is your can’t-live-without ingredient or an ingredient that is specific to your region you use often? I love using achiote because it gives my dishes the distinct flavor and colors that comes with southwest cuisine. I also can’t do without salt and pepper.
Name: Chef Gerard Brunett
Club: Pine Canyon Club
Location: Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
What is your can’t-live-without ingredient or an ingredient that is specific to your region you use often? The question of what my favorite ingredient is a tough one to answer. There are so many different ingredients I lean on depending on the type of cuisine, season, and various other factors. That being said, I think I will cheat a bit here and say it’s more of a category than one specific ingredient-and that would be fresh herbs. Used in almost every dish, they are remarkably versatile, widely available (depending on the specific herb), and add flavor depth to any dish. For instance, thyme enhances the richness of a hearty onion soup or New England Clam Chowder, Thai basil elevates the essence of Asian cuisine, and, of course, oregano imparts its distinctive touch to Hispanic dishes.
Name: Chef Gerson Cordova
Club: Raintree Country Club
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
What is your can’t-live-without ingredient or an ingredient that is specific to your region you use often?
I love to use all kinds of chilies. I like how the heat complements my dishes which is very important in giving my food a well balanced flavor.
Who inspired you to be a chef? My love for art and creativity was what really drew me to becoming a Chef. I took Culinary Arts in high school and discovered that I could combine my passion for art with my love for food. My dream really started there, and I continued to build on that. I always aspire for my creativity, love of art and passion for food to be reflected in my dishes. Having those three factors in my career pushes me to keep pushing the envelope and trying out new flavors and fun ways to present my food.
Name: Executive Chef Robert (BJ) Mueller
Club: La Paloma Country Club
Location: Tuscon, Arizona, USA
BJ Mueller has been cooking up creations since he was six years old, alongside his grandmother. His Nonna played a pivotal role in igniting his passion for the culinary arts. Her influence not only introduced him to the joys of cooking but also instilled in BJ a profound appreciation for the cultural and familial significance of food.
As the Executive Chef at La Paloma Country Club, his favorite ingredient specific to his region is: Dried Chilies! He explains that there are so many varieties with a wide range of flavors, heat, and smokiness. He uses them to enhance soups, sauces, salsas…just about any recipe in the Southwest can be kicked up a notch with this versatile ingredient.
BJs grandmother shaped him into the Chef he is today, and he carries her legacy forward in every dish he creates. His goal is to pass on the same sense of joy, tradition, and connection for food to those I cook for, just as his Nonna did for him. He remembers how she had a remarkable ability to turn simple, everyday ingredients into the most delicious and comforting meals.
His Nonna’s teachings went beyond the technical aspects of cooking; they were infused with stories, anecdotes, and cherished family recipes passed down through generations. This experience made him realize that food is not just about sustenance; it’s a powerful tool for connection, memory, and storytelling.
Her influence left such a mark on BJ but he can sum up her teachings with one saying of hers, “Where there’s room for thirty, there’s room for thirty-one”. Feeding her friends and family was all about inclusivity. BJs Nonna will always be his guiding star in the world of culinary arts.
Troon is honored to have such passionate Chefs to help bring people together over a good meal, everyday.