Life & Work with Ben Lafleche of Hollywood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Lafleche

Hi Ben, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am born and raised in Montreal, Canada. I was confused as a young adult to what I wanted to do as a career. I made it to university and studied psychology for a short time before deciding to give it up. They best way I found to tell my parents was to move across the country to Whistler, British Columbia! I let them know and got my first ever cooking job there. It was truly life changing. the intensity, comradery, cooking food was a revelation. I decided to research a bit more to see if it’s something i could do for a living. came back to Montreal, enrolled at the culinary institute and did an 18-month program. Graduated and started working. Since a young age, I never felt like I belonged in Canada, especially since i never liked the snow! I was always the kid who didn’t want to play outside. I was always very independent and moved out at a young age. I had the opportunity to visit California and fell in love! back in 1999-2000 (pre 9/11). the immigration process was very simple. Work visas were affordable and gave you the opportunity to apply for a green card while working. I quickly found a cooking job at a resort in Huntington Beach, Orange County. I spend the next 18 years of my life honing my skills and learning as much as I could becoming the Executive Chef of the resort in the process at the age of 34 years old. In the process I met the most amazing girl, which just like me traveled far, from Indonesia to end up in Orange County. Despite being from different parts of the world, our upbringings were very similar. She became my wife and together had an amazing daughter. Later, with guidance, I decided to enter the private club circuit. There were many clubs in need of help. Which brings me to the most interesting job I ever had. A GM I know from past properties ask me to come and work at the Magic Castle. The private club was in need of a culture shift and financial revamp. Like many private clubs, the processes and structures needed work. At first, I was a bit hesitant. The Magic Castle had such an amazing history and would require care to maintain this. One of strategy when I possible move might happen is to make sure that the decision is made by all parties!!! I asked the GM to please schedule a lunch with the Magic Castle Sous Chefs and myself. The lunch was a way for me to answer all necessary questions they may have. The strategy was simple, I told them that at the end of the lunch they would make the decision whether they wanted me to work with them or not. I rarely seen this level of passion for both cooking and a property like I saw with the Sous Chefs. That goes for all culinary staff at the Magic Castle. The amount of loyalty, skills and love for a property was beautiful to see. My decision was made easy. I am now starting my fourth year at the Magic Castle. It is the most interesting place I will most likely ever work at. I believe magic Transends time, age, cultures. I have never met anyone tell me they don’t like magic. So, I come to work daily surrounded by some of the most talented individuals in the magic world. No matter how many times I step into the building, I leave amazed and grateful to be part of this world.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s never a smooth road. I’ve learn being a chef that it doesn’t matter how much passion or skill you have, sometimes you need a bit of luck on your side. Being a chef also thought me how much polarizing food is, and this is hard. You can create what you think is the greatest dish and have it destroyed by horrible comments and opposite, create what feels like a subpar dish and have it praised as the best thing I have ever done. the spectrum of tastes is as wide as people will make it. Seasoning, texture, temperature, all are scrutinized. Social media truly tests Chef daily! With being a chef come the passion and the hard work of putting the food out and to expose yourself this way can be difficult and challenging. The struggles happen every day, but ultimately, we get to play with food, fill people’s bellies and soul and that’s good enough for me.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I think what set me apart from some other Chefs is my business acumen. I learn quickly that food is subjective but numbers, budgets, fiscal responsibility is hard to hide behind. the recession of 2010-ish should have taught chef about excess, both in terms of food cost and labor. The Pandemic forced Chef to rethink how business is run. High cost of supplies, products and proteins paired with the high hourly rate increase of the work force really exposed chefs that were lacking in the business side of the operations. For my day to day, I love to balance cooking and paperwork. It allows me to control and understand all aspects of the operations. I create, prep, cook during services to make sure that I understand the challenges that my team faces daily. It allows me to show them that i still can hold my own during a busy service LOL. I think what I am most proud of is how a remained true to myself, managed to balance work and life, always led from a place of respect no matter how tough things got.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
My parents deserve a lot of credit for always believing in me. They always supported my choices even if they didn’t agree with them. My first mentor and person a owe so much of my success is Paulette Fischer. She gave me my big break, believed in me, trusted me, guided me as a new executive chef. Gave me the strength and opportunity to learn and grow. Herve Levy is another mentor, who always saw in me someone that can make a difference. Ultimately the most important person is my wife Mayco. She has put up with me for many many years. Put up with a chef! put up with my stress, my pressure, my intensity, my demanding schedule, long hours, put up with all the blood, sweat and tears. I believe that I wouldn’t be the chef I am today if it wasn’t for her. She’s truly my rock.