Niven Patel is the new head chef at The Brasserie Restaurant and Market.
It brings him back with an old mentor, Dean Max, with whom he first worked at the age of 17 before moving on to work in Italy, Baltimore and Islamorada.
“Joining the Brasserie team is an honour,” he told the Compass. “I am most excited about how I can transform the menu yet at the same time keep it simple but fresh. I want to take the Farm to Table approach that has taken off in the States and incorporate it into a new theme of Sea to Table since we have our own boats, Brasserie Catch I and Brasserie Catch II, that fish for us daily off of Grand Cayman and the lesser islands of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. How incredible is that?”
Dream job
Stylistically, Mr. Patel noted that he is ‘modern American with a high influence of fresh local seafood.’
“The Brasserie offers every element that I have been looking for in a dream job, our own garden, our own fishing boats, a great team and always fresh picks,” he said. “I’m the type of chef that gets involved in every aspect of this business, the food, the people, and the books.
“A couple of years ago my wife and I were vacationing on a cruise and Grand Cayman was one of the stops,” he said. “As we walked around the port I laughed to my wife, ‘maybe one day I will work here.’ I must say that the locals here are very friendly and welcoming. I look forward to establishing long-term relationships.”
The head chef’s role, he added, includes menu design, kitchen and food costs, quality control and ensuring that everything that goes to the customer is perfect and according to his vision.
“At the end of the day, I am only as good as my team,” he said.
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