Chef Nigel Jones Is Proving that Jamaican Food Can Be Fine-Dining - Cooking in America

On today's episode of CIA, host Sheldon Simeon is at Kaya in SF with chef Nigel Jones, who is challenging the norms of Jamaican food in America.
DISCLAIMER: Kaya is now closed
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[@WilldoesPwns]

Sheldon is really amazing, his interviewing technique is so organic, he really allows the person/persons he's interviewing shine about their passions. One of the best shows on the web

[@CodeProvider]

I think you mean the editing. This guy couldn't shut up about Filipino food.

[@isaacloke1995]

his knowledge of food is good i give him that but his interviewing technique etc isnt that great, like what @The Code Provider mentioned and he is very proud saying oh my community people can be very successful like me and should look me as a role model

[@MrRighteousfish]

Pimento in ackee and saltfish...idk about that but I'd try it. I will say Filipino food does remind me of jamaican food. I believe it's because countries were colonized and share a tropical climate.

[@kimono38]

Never ate Philippine food nor Jamaican food but i know at one point, both country is conquered by Spanish (150 years/300 years). They might introduce the spanish food culture during that period. The taste might be mixed with local cuisine and transform to different food but sometimes they might have familiar taste

[@dicaripeanfoodie8615]

Jamaican food been on that level!!!!!! 🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲

[@jsj31313jj]

👏

[@johannesalbrecht2503]

People are complaining about the host always referring the food to Filipino food well i do think that some food will remind you of something similar even as far off Jamaican to Filipino food, i think the chef is genuine about this reaction about the food.

[@bluepajamagamers5704]

“It really reminds me of Filipino food Chef, with the garlic and onions” wtf you mean like literally every cuisine on earth 😂. This man is goofy

[@Metzger23]

i use fresh garlic and onion in almost every dish lol. Stews, curry, soup, etc.

[@barbram8001]

@@Metzger23 Me too!

[@11teon]

Maybe filipino food is what he'll always think when he eat food with garlic and onions. So when he'll eat food from some country from Europe or Africa, he'll say that it reminds him of filipino food.

[@isaacloke1995]

Lol chinese cuisine uses a lot of garlic and onion too and it has like 4000 years of history so can I say filipino food is like chinese food? 😂

[@heheneji]

Pinoy pride guys..

[@hzlkelly]

African dumplings are the same...well we boil them. The fried dough is called something else.

[@so4r790]

What an incredible dude good on him hope his vision becomes reality soon

[@Vagaboy66]

Big up chef show dem Jamaican food look sexy

[@JPzizou]

I would like to see more of these two with more of the Caribbean receipes

[@tosht2515]

When I see *_Kaya_* as the name of a restaurant, I'm thinking it's Malaysian. Cool chef...very engaging like Sheldon. 👍 Delicious looking dishes indeed...I'd be all over that saltfish.

[@hd_y]

oh it use salt, just like Filipino food

[@Flash_1689]

😂😂😂

[@1013VS]

The host is one of those annoying types.

[@jaysongoguanco9283]

Idiot he was referring to the the salt fish.

[@hd_y]

@@jaysongoguanco9283 whoosh

[@sprig6043]

Need to keep a eye on this KAYA owner his ambition is correct. More fine dining West Indian Restaurants needed. Brilliant. Wishing him much continued success. UK love!

[@islandgirl1406]

I am proud of my home boy....real Jamaican food.

[@jzoticfirekitchen]

Jamaican food ❤️❤️❤️🇯🇲

[@gopium1976]

Just makes me proud to see this😁🇯🇲🇯🇲

[@lunatrics]

Im not ever near san fran or amerika. Still watching tho. :)

[@nother_hed]

A lot of the saltfish came from Newfoundland, Canada. Inthese is return Jamaica gave them rum which is an overproof known as screech. lots of ppl in this isolated province of Canada drink screech. I'm a whiskey man myself but these islanders of Irish and Scottish descent love their jamaican rum.

[@superiorgundam]

1. I think the complaints with the comparison with Filipino food is more the reference about garlic/onion, which makes it seem like that's a rare combination. 2. In regards to fine dining the more apt comparison would be to talk about what's special about the ingredients/preparation methods they use that deviate from Kingston 11 (of which it was stated it's more or less the same). Looking at the Kaya website/menu, the presentation does seem more refined rather than the typical steam table setup with side salad/steamed veggies in a Styrofoam container.

[@geoffreytulloch7049]

This wonderful chef Nigel, as a Jamaican chef myself, this makes me very nostalgic. Congratulations brother!

[@mayena]

Kaya Restaurant is located in Civic Center, San Francisco and Kingston 11 Cuisine in Northgate/Northgate-Waverly, Oakland.

[@Metzger23]

I love me some Jamaican food. Respect.

[@lisovenkoev]

That guy talks about poverty driven food equality like it’s something positive...

[@jsj31313jj]

When its finding common ground between societies, cultures, communities, and more importantly races...Finding ways to connect and unify us and not seperate or divide "us".

[@RichFirever12]

The host is boring personality. And annoys me. Sorry.

[@mon6745]

I see you sheldon with that ox tail 😆😆

[@chuchuchuchia]

Culture merging is beautiful aka that crab

[@Collectivemindsnow]

Ok now I'm friggin hungry!🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤

[@martinw3780]

Hey all, can I post my gofundme link for my wheelchair van please? I'm trying hard to get the word out there. Been a long time fan, you're a real stand up group. Just the mere mention of my mission to your viewers in one of your more popular videos could really help out immensely. Thanks. Your fan Marty.

[@Kelsdoggy]

His eye contact is on point

[@martingochevski5483]

I'm sorry, but when did Steve Buscemi transplant his consciousness?

[@yourbrotherabroad2689]

Bravo brother!

[@Sol1dfox]

What a man it’s as if all he knows is fine dining, and breathing.

[@crimsonDyNaM0]

Talks too much. More food please!

[@Wongzilla515]

lebrons still with the cavs... :D

[@fwiedwice824]

Who said it couldnt be fine dining?

[@DarthBalsamic]

Very interesting. His terminology differs a bit from my culture, but overall good stuff. Also, I actually didn't know ackee comes from South Africa in Jamaica. My folks are from Trinidad and it grew on trees for them.

[@MrHamsterworld]

South Africa isn't in Jamaica

[@indirasingh6126]

What the hell are you trying to say??? Jamaica don't get it's ackee from South Africa.Ackee is grown all across the island of jamaica.Everywhere you go in Jamaica you'll see an ackee tree(Fact).Next time please do your research before commenting.Ackee was brought to Jamaica from West Africa in 1778 and it has been growing all across the island ever since.

[@jeffward1106]

He's so well spoken with the truth.👍

[@diamondlil597]

Beautiful, stay kind 🍸

[@cheflife_8676]

Great vid. Yaad chef love food

[@steveolive214]

How is this fine dining lol

[@DanRossGraphics]

1:01 what did he just say?

[@freddietho9132]

Oh man! 🤤 🤤

[@JcSkyline]

big up yawd.

[@isaacloke1995]

I feel the host of the show could be a bit more humble and sensitive, yes we get that you are a proud pinoy. But you don't have to say its like filipino food everytime almost suggesting and inferring something. Be more humble like chef nigel where he said he wants to open new doors for his community instead of saying oh people in my community can be very successful like me and I should be a role model to them

[@acoleman9036]

Looks good

[@deesief8212]

I'm watching this at night lmao rip diet

[@yusoffismail3999]

I mean black pepper crab and ox tail has been all over Asia lmao

[@yusoffismail3999]

Marcel DeSouza I said black pepper crab and ox tail. Not all Caribbean food. Guess you just wanted to comment too

[@voodoochile4147]

Marcel DeSouza totally agree! I've personally experienced the oxtail stew at Kingston 11. It's such a beautiful dish. Savory and warm, spicy and complex. There's allspice, clove, I tasted cinnamon and bay leaves. It is uniquely Jamaican. It's served with rice and peas as well as a side of skillet fried plantains! 😋😋 The yummiest!!Different culinary backgrounds will prepare the same ingredient but create different experiences. In the states black people make an oxtail dish too, but it's not this. We eat it with rice and gravy or sometimes over mashed potatoes. Both preparations are delicious but different. I definitely want to go to San Francisco to try the black pepper crab. Having tastedhis food before, I'm certain that this dish will be a new creation coming from this chef's perspective.

[@yusoffismail3999]

My point being it ain’t special. Putting black pepper crab as the thumbnail and putting fine dining there ain’t that special. It’s been everywhere before. Also rice ain’t really a dish so good job to you and ingredients are ingredients. You don’t see me saying nothing bout them ackee and salt fish. Put that as the thumbnail.

[@julianguyen1021]

Host: let me show you authentic Jamaican food and what it means culturally for the community...but I'm gonna compare everything to Filipino food and talk about myself and my work for the community 🙄

[@recoil53]

You mean his own life experience?

[@workaholick]

look i get dude is filipino, but he's also a trained che and as tried diffrent cusine from around the world by now.. stop telling me how it reminds you of filipino food, it as it's own origin & emitology.

[@RBuckminsterFuller]

It's a genuine reaction and I don't think he should filter out his thoughts just to satisfy your strange need for objectivity.

[@thoughtdistorted]

Of course every cuisine has its own origin and characteristics but it doesn’t mean you can’t find aspects of it that remind you of family home cooked meals... it’s a way of connecting to food and to people. Sheldon is connecting the food he tries to himself and in turn allows us to do the same. The crab dish reminds me of a Vietnamese dish that Id eat with my parents when I was younger.

[@TheCheat_1337]

I dunno why you'd bring it up on this video. He's explaining a personal connection to the food. He never compared the Palestinian cuisine to Filipino food in the last episode. Sometimes, different cuisines from different places share similarities. Why should he not bring that up?

[@AmelieZh]

It's not so different to be honest. And the black pepper crab is an Asian dish too

[@11teon]

agreed. for me it's okay for him that it remind him filipino food. but, he can tell the difference between Jamaican food and Filipino food he ate. Otherwise, I feel like he telling me that those two food are taste the same, no authentic, no differentiation.

[@LeviathanPits]

First

[@DuGongggg]

Jamaican food can never be fresh!

[@barbram8001]

DuGong...Why not?

[@DuGongggg]

@@barbram8001 I was making a kitchen nightmares joke. Watch the Jamaican episode

[@KK-dp5fy]

This is a rip off Singapore’s black pepper crab !

[@moiznahmad]

You'll come to realize that most cuisine around the world is usually influenced by cuisines from other places.

[@way2kool89]

Ha!!!

[@TheAwesomeTD]

Jamaica also has a lot of Asian influence, amongst other countries. There are a plenty chinese who reside, own business in Jamaica. It isnt a RIP off when there is an influence to the culture. The blend is beautiful.