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Chef Charles Aghajanian
Charles knew from the time he was a senior in high school that he wanted to be a chef. His passion was first apparent after cooking a three-course dinner for his friends. Charles said, “I am happiest when I see people in a state of bliss from eating something that I created.” After high school Charles moved to San Luis Obispo to attend Cal Poly; he majored in International Business Management. Like most college students he needed money so he got a job at Simply Shrimp in January of 1993. He began his culinary field as a prep cook for Chef Matt Beckett. “Matt taught me the basics of the kitchen and it wasn’t until Mother’s Tavern that I learned how to burn and turn.” Charles was a kitchen manager at Mother’s Tavern for two years; there he learned how to delegate and train those around him in a fast pace environment.
In July of 1997 Charles went and worked for Chef Giovanni Manetta at Benvenuti in San Luis Obispo. “That’s where my career took shape; I learned traditional cuisine with proper and classic methods.” Chef Giovanni taught Charles how to make his own pasta from scratch, break down whole sides of veal, and how to make all the mother sauces. “I knew how to make the sauces but I didn’t really know what they were or the history of them until I went to culinary school.” Charles then moved to NY to attend the world famous Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park.
At the CIA Charles excelled in all his classes, even graduated at the top of his class. His peers and chef instructors elected him to give the class toast at graduation. There he was also awarded the Future Sommelier Award by ‘Wine Spectator’ for being able to demonstrate a working knowledge of all aspects of wine from growing, making, and pairing wine with food.
For his externship Charles went to work for the Washington Iron Chef Challenger Morou at Red Sage. Chef Morou was from the Ivory Coast and “That’s where I really learned to mix and match ingredients; such as: deep fried soft boiled eggs and strawberry/rhubarb tamales.”
In August of 2000 Charles worked at Escoffier in Hyde Park, NY. There he worked under great chefs like Chef Xavier LeRoux. This experience gave Charles an opportunity to refine his management skills because every seven days he had an entire new staff in the kitchen. He and Chef LeRoux maintained the highest quality standards during extreme conditions all in front of a show kitchen open to the watchful eyes of the guests. After Escoffier, Charles moved to Big Pine Key in Florida to work at Little Palm Island under Chef Adam Votaw. Florida, not only was another style of cuisine, but became a lesson in procedures and processes. “That’s where I refined my ordering skills because I was on a hot island where all my ingredients came by a 40 minute barge ride under the glaring sun.”
Next Charles moved back to New York to open a restaurant with Chef Gray Koonz. “If any chef has a opportunity to help open a restaurant they should do it. I got to design floor plans, create the menu, choose flat wear, as well as input my opinions on the interior design.” At the same time Charles worked at Le Madri under Chef Calland. At Le Madri Charles was forced to learn Spanish because he was the only English speaker in the kitchen yet it was part of his job to manage another top-level establishment. Working in the Pino Luongo dynasty was not only a learning experience but also became part of history that saw some great chefs pass through it doors.
Following his dues on the east coast, Charles then found himself back in California working for Chef Martin Frost at the Four Seasons Santa Barbara. Here he notes was an amazing lesson on high-end cuisine done on grand scales with impeccable standards and service. “After three years I still do not know how we managed to pull off the amount of production for weddings, public restaurants, hotel room service and spa menus without a hitch.” A testament to the organization skills of truly a great chef in Martin Frost. But that was not enough, so Charles took another job at a sushi restaurant called Tsunami in Montecito at the same time he was at the Four Seasons. He claims it was purely for “selfish reasons” to learn the secrets of Japanese cuisine. Just another notch in the belt, Charles was “somewhat of a gimmick as a foreign sushi chef” in the extremely traditional values of Japanese cuisine.
Throughout Charles’s life his father has been the most inspirational person throughout his culinary career, “Both as a source of ideas for flavor and presentation as well as a reliable critic.” To this day Charles still claims that his father is a much better cook than himself, albeit on a different stage. “I’ve never worked a day in my life,” Charles remarked, “People pay me to do what I love.”
In July of 1997 Charles went and worked for Chef Giovanni Manetta at Benvenuti in San Luis Obispo. “That’s where my career took shape; I learned traditional cuisine with proper and classic methods.” Chef Giovanni taught Charles how to make his own pasta from scratch, break down whole sides of veal, and how to make all the mother sauces. “I knew how to make the sauces but I didn’t really know what they were or the history of them until I went to culinary school.” Charles then moved to NY to attend the world famous Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park.
At the CIA Charles excelled in all his classes, even graduated at the top of his class. His peers and chef instructors elected him to give the class toast at graduation. There he was also awarded the Future Sommelier Award by ‘Wine Spectator’ for being able to demonstrate a working knowledge of all aspects of wine from growing, making, and pairing wine with food.
For his externship Charles went to work for the Washington Iron Chef Challenger Morou at Red Sage. Chef Morou was from the Ivory Coast and “That’s where I really learned to mix and match ingredients; such as: deep fried soft boiled eggs and strawberry/rhubarb tamales.”
In August of 2000 Charles worked at Escoffier in Hyde Park, NY. There he worked under great chefs like Chef Xavier LeRoux. This experience gave Charles an opportunity to refine his management skills because every seven days he had an entire new staff in the kitchen. He and Chef LeRoux maintained the highest quality standards during extreme conditions all in front of a show kitchen open to the watchful eyes of the guests. After Escoffier, Charles moved to Big Pine Key in Florida to work at Little Palm Island under Chef Adam Votaw. Florida, not only was another style of cuisine, but became a lesson in procedures and processes. “That’s where I refined my ordering skills because I was on a hot island where all my ingredients came by a 40 minute barge ride under the glaring sun.”
Next Charles moved back to New York to open a restaurant with Chef Gray Koonz. “If any chef has a opportunity to help open a restaurant they should do it. I got to design floor plans, create the menu, choose flat wear, as well as input my opinions on the interior design.” At the same time Charles worked at Le Madri under Chef Calland. At Le Madri Charles was forced to learn Spanish because he was the only English speaker in the kitchen yet it was part of his job to manage another top-level establishment. Working in the Pino Luongo dynasty was not only a learning experience but also became part of history that saw some great chefs pass through it doors.
Following his dues on the east coast, Charles then found himself back in California working for Chef Martin Frost at the Four Seasons Santa Barbara. Here he notes was an amazing lesson on high-end cuisine done on grand scales with impeccable standards and service. “After three years I still do not know how we managed to pull off the amount of production for weddings, public restaurants, hotel room service and spa menus without a hitch.” A testament to the organization skills of truly a great chef in Martin Frost. But that was not enough, so Charles took another job at a sushi restaurant called Tsunami in Montecito at the same time he was at the Four Seasons. He claims it was purely for “selfish reasons” to learn the secrets of Japanese cuisine. Just another notch in the belt, Charles was “somewhat of a gimmick as a foreign sushi chef” in the extremely traditional values of Japanese cuisine.
Throughout Charles’s life his father has been the most inspirational person throughout his culinary career, “Both as a source of ideas for flavor and presentation as well as a reliable critic.” To this day Charles still claims that his father is a much better cook than himself, albeit on a different stage. “I’ve never worked a day in my life,” Charles remarked, “People pay me to do what I love.”