Today we’d like to introduce you to Tyler Peek.
Hi Tyler, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m originally from Nashville but I got my first kitchen experience when I moved to Palm Springs at the Ace Hotel, Kings Highway. I quickly fell in love with cooking and decided to go to culinary school soon after. I started at Le Cordon Bleu in 2009 and that’s where I met Ryan (my current business partner). Over the past 12 years, we’ve worked in several restaurants in different countries and decided to open our flagship restaurant in Santa Barbara. We”ve had Sama Sama Kitchen for eight years now and have opened two more restaurants since Little Sama Ojai and Dim Sama Los Alamos. We hope to continue to open more locations in the next several years.
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?
Not at all. Mudslides, fires and a pandemic.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Sama Sama Kitchen?
We are a restaurant and bar. We specialize in South East Asian cuisine. We are most proud of the experiences we create for our guests and bringing people together through food & booze. What sets us apart is that we have good music.
What were you like growing up?
I was a normal kid that grew up in the suburbs of Nashville. I grew up playing a lot of sports, I enjoyed drawing and arts, and I think that translates well into the food that I cook.
Image Credits
Carter Hiyama – personal photo Cara Robbins – additional photos
