Check Out Rafael A Njaim’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rafael A Njaim.

Hi Rafael, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I graduated in Culinary Arts from Anhembi Morumbi University, located in São Paulo Brazil, I am originally from a very small town in Minas Gerais, Brazil. I have also had over 16 years of experience in foodservice and food business, 5 of them as the owner and executive chef of Caminho do Mar, a vegan restaurant in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Since moving to the US in 2016, I have been working as a private chef, cooking at events of varying sizes, private homes, and also wellness retreats in places like Palm Springs, Napa, Sedona, and Lake Powell.

Asides from having the experience in full-service restaurants, I feel that the dynamism of my experiences around food have prepared me well for the diversity of events I am involved. I have been cooking for a variety of upscale events, from intimate dinners at family homes in Aspen to six-course, sit-down-dinners for high-profile guests in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas. As a Private Chef, each event is handled individually, where I customize menus and culinary details for each private event. I not only appreciate but also thrive in environments such as these, where I am challenged to adapt to the needs of each client and shine.

Additionally, having been the owner and executive chef of a small vegan restaurant in Brazil for over five years, I am highly self-motivated – taking initiative to solve problems or find more efficient ways to operate in the kitchen. It is an instinct of mine to be attentive, proactive and quick-on-my-feet, especially in the kitchen. My years as a restaurant owner also taught me a lot about working well and respectfully with others. Even under a lot of pressure, I make sure to maintain a kind and understanding attitude towards my team and everyone around. Last but not least, although I am well-versed in different cuisines, I excel in seasonal, healthy, delicious, organic and plant-based cooking, and that’s one of my biggest contributions to our community.

I’m the executive chef of Feed The Artists, a food camp at Burning Man for over six years, helping to bring more than 8 thousand meals to the dessert in black rock city.

I also sit on the board of NoRes a nonprofit food organization in Los Angeles. No Res Gourmet is a nonprofit that aims to alleviate the struggles of living on the street by providing healthy, gourmet meals to the homeless in our community.

We believe everyone should have access to a good meal and that being homeless shouldn’t disqualify you. Everyone should Have access to good meal, especially in the richest country on earth.

In addition, here is the link to my website and bio: Rafaelnjaim.com

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It’s been a super interesting road. Smooth, not quite. Leaving Brazil and the opportunities-comfort zone there to come to the USA and start from scratch was super challenging. I had not been to LA before and didn’t have any friends or family here. It was intense, LA is intense. I fortunately did have a temporally place to crash, but only for a week. A friend from Brazil heard about what I was doing and connected me to another Brazilian also named Rafael- film producer in LA at the time, he was going to be in Africa shooting for four months, so he offered me his apartment in Silverlake and was in that moment I felt and took it as a sign that everything was going to work out and I just had to persevere. I bought a 2002 Volvo x70 with 180k miles on it for $2k and the adventures began. I drove that car to burning man in 2016 and until this day, I am not quite sure how I made It to black rock city and back. I did drive that car for another 25k miles until it got on fire on the freeway and I had to send it to the junkyard, they actually paid me $300 dollars for the car. This is one of the many crazy stories I can share.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a private chef who loves to create seasonal, fun, and delicious dishes for my guests. With a Lebanese-Italian background and born in Brazil, my cooking style is where technique meets intuition, and the food is fun, fresh, and full of flavors between the Mediterranean culture and the Tropical culture. Imagine a roasted Branzino with fresh herbs and blistered mango salsa and garnished with toasted Brazil nuts… Or a Grilled watermelon gazpacho, married with sweet and spicy peaches, or a completely vegan Tiramisu that combines cashew cream, Brazilian coffee, tropical cacao, and the topped with the superfood Baru. My clients come to me seeking To find balance between eating for its true pleasure while being conscious of nourishing their body. When they want to host events where they have guests who are a mix of vegans, omnivores, pescatarians, gluten-free, and lactose intolerant friends and they have no idea where to start when comes to what to cook.

During the years I owned a vegan restaurant in Rio de Janeiro, I was in the kitchen daily and the only menus available were the seasonal fruit juices, always fresh, and the seasonal desserts menu. There was no menu for savory food until a few hours before opening the doors, I created it daily with the freshest ingredients available from my local farmers. A new appetizer and a new entree every single day. I’m proud to say I have clients who used to drive a couple of hours to visit or even fly from different states to come eat with me without even knowing what they were going to taste on that day. I sold my part of the restaurant to my business partner at the time before Coming to the LA heads first and thirsty to learn more…

What matters most to you? Why?
Respect and adaptability are what I value most to me both personally and professionally.

I was born into a family that surrounded me with unconditional love and demonstrated from an early age the importance of honouring one another with great respect. This had a profound effect on my adult life as it shaped the way I viewed my personal relationships and how I navigated the kitchens I worked in. I strongly believe everything and everyone should be treated with the love, kindness, and respect they deserve.

Adaptability is my driving force. It has brought me from a small, relatively unknown farm town in Brazil to my first job in a super cold winter in Aspen Colorado only to bounce back to Brazil to one of the top culinary schools in South America in São Paulo. Moving, changing, flowing with different situations, learning fast and possessing the desire to grow no what the circumstance is what can truly take you to the next level. I’ve owned and operated a restaurant in Rio then made tracks back to LA and became a private chef. Easy, normal, comfortable are not words I associate with my experiences, but those words had I chosen to live them, would never have gotten me to where I am now.

Contact Info:

• Email: rafaelnjaim@gmail.com
• Website: Rafaelnjaim.com
• Instagram: @food.me.food.us