You Are What You Eat
An in-depth profile of Narsai David the food guru
By Trevaj
May 5, 06
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Siller
Narsai David is one of the most well known Bay
Area food gurus. Narsai can be found hosting cooking classes
at Macy's, giving his well respected opinion on food on KCBS
radio, or dining out at any one of the Bay Area's premiere restaurants.
I still have trouble believing that I had a chance to interview
him. He is truly a nice guy and very easy to talk to. But how
could you possibly be a bitter man when eating, cooking, and
telling people about your most favorite places to dine is simply
part of your job?
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The idea of interviewing Narsai David was overwhelming at times
for me. See I really enjoy being in the kitchen. Cooking and
bussing suds are my two most favorite chores at home. So to be
penciled in on Narsai's appointment book was truly a big deal
to me.
Appetizer
Narsai's love for people, his family heritage, food and good
wine keeps him more than happy to be who he is. "I am an
Assyrian. I'm proud of my ancestry I love people, I love good
food and good wine, and I like to help bring that message to
people. I enjoy sharing the pleasures of food and wine with people"
As a young boy, Narsai grew to enjoy gardening and helping mom
in the kitchen, unaware that he would become the food guru he
is today. "We would sit around the kitchen table and race
to see who could peel the tomatoes the fastest, who could pit
the peaches the fastest. She made a game of it, we all had fun
with it [I] grew up really enjoying working with food." |
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The summer before coming to UC Berkeley for collage Narsai worked
at a local drive through restaurant in Turlock, CA as a fry cook.
During his college years, Narsai worked as a fry cook and a soda
jerk in Berkeley at Highs Drive-in at the corner of Telegraph
and Macarthur. At this time in his life he was seriously preparing
himself for life as a doctor. "I was a math major that took
all my premed requirements because my father wanted me to be
a doctor."
Narsai worked in the restaurant business throughout college,
unintentionally learning the ropes of what was soon to be the
foundation of his success. "Finally I was working as the
relief bar tender at the Potluck restaurant in Berkeley and I
was offered a job as manager and I turned it down. I went into
the army for six months of military duty. When I came back the
job was open again and this time I accepted it. I finally had
come to grips with what the restaurant business really was. I
love people, I love good food and good wine and suddenly here
I was able to combine these things that I so enjoy, in the job
that made my living."
From manager, Narsai later became a partner of the Potluck, before
starting a catering business in 1970. He then opened his own
restaurant, Narsai's, in 1972 which was located in Kensington,
CA. He then started doing radio shows as PR for his restaurant,
and his life as a guru blew up from there. No matter what you
do you just can't change fate so I'm quite sure Narsai's pop
is proud. I mean, his son went from soda jerk to food guru and
not only is Narsai happy, but he will never go hungry.
Maincourse
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When asked if he ever felt trapped by his success
or ever just did not want to go to work Narsai responded, "Oh
goodness no! I'm having too good a time out there meeting people
and doing things!" I also asked him about doing negative
reviews and he shared with me that if he were just a restaurant
reviewer then he would give his review whether good or bad, but
considering that is not his title he feels it would be a waste
to do a negative review. |
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Narsai shared with us a few good meals for the romantic, the
great party host, and the person on the go. During the interview
he also made it apparent just how important presentation is and
gave us some tips. Food somehow tastes that much better when
it looks good. Narsai's all time favorite meal is Assyrian rack
of lamb. The marinade for the lamb is made of minced onion, minced
garlic, basil, pomegranate juice, red wine, salt, and pepper.
(Narsai's mom would mince the onion and garlic by hand, but Narsai
likes to use his blender.) The lamb should be left to marinate
overnight or at least for five hours. Broil the lamb. Then serve
with rice pilaf and whichever green vegetable is in season.
In his years as a food expert, Narsai has come across many types
of food, but he shared with me an especially strange combination.
"This appetizer course for a banquet came to the table.
There was a large round plate and the base of the plate was covered
in raspberry pur}e and a beautiful large black mission fig had
been cut in quarters and these four quarters were laid down in
the raspberry pur}e. So far so good, that sounds pretty interesting
right? But in between the four quarters of the fig were four
whole anchovies! Now that really struck me as weird! I mean I
sat there staring at the plate trying to figure out, is this
something we should photograph or is this something we should
cast in plastic? I mean, why would you ever want to eat that
combination? I ate the figs and that portion of the raspberry
pur}e that was under 'em, and I didn't even touch the rest of
it. I think that was an experiment that didn't work."
Dessert
I do a lot of experimenting in the kitchen and I think I do pretty
well when it comes to making something good to eat. So I had
to ask, is it possible to become a cook without going to a culinary
academy? Captivated by my guest, I was deeply tuned in to Narsai
as he began telling me how a great cook is not made at some culinary
academy, but rather because the cook has a solid sense of taste,
presentation and imagination. So it is very possible to become
a great cook and even a chef without going to culinary school.
Narsai explained, "You know the word chef is a French word
that means chief. You can't start out your first cooking job
as the chef. You're lucky to get a job as a cook when you get
out of school, and once you prove your ability, you can become
the chef."
Trevaj Siller is more than just the man behind your favorite
superhero, he is also the superstar that shines down on every
dog as they have their day.
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