David Beltran  Chef, motoryacht Jo
Date interviewed: December 2007
Watch our vidcast with Chef David as he cooks for guests onboard the motoryacht Jo in Antigua.
How did you realize you wanted
to become a chef?
I decided to become a chef when I was about 15 years old. It sounds silly, but I was at a buffet, and the chefs were standing behind the buffet with those big hats, and it made a big impression on me. That was on a vacation in Spain, while I was living in Switzerland. I wanted to be one of those chefs.
What training did you undergo to become a chef?
A friend of my father’s was working in Switzerland at one of the best hotels, the Grand Hotel in Zurich, so I got the chance to make my chef’s school there for three years. Still now, 20 years later, I take out a lot of things from those times.
I worked in France, in the United States, in the Caribbean. Everywhere I go, I take things from the local kitchens. At one time, I wanted to be a captain, but being the chef is almost more fun than being the captain. You can be the wild child on the boat.
Why did you decide to work onboard yachts?
In one of the restaurants where I was the chef, an American guy came and asked me to be his private chef in West Palm Beach, Florida. He owned a big yacht, and I always was looking forward to going to work on the yacht.
Now, I’ve been working on boats for 10 years, and I’ve been the chef on Jo for a little over a year, and I hope I will be a few more years here because I am really happy. She’s a beautiful boat with a great crew and a great owner. When we’re not on charter, I can spend time with my family, but I also like charter. I like when the boat is busy, when there’s really some action going on.
The nice thing about charter guests is that they stay 10 days or two weeks, and then you get to meet new people. When you work only for private people, everything becomes routine. With charter, you have different tastes that everybody likes, whether it’s spicy food or more simple things or something a little fancy. You have to be flexible with the cooking, and that’s what makes my profession really nice.
Being a chef, with food, it’s an easy way to make people happy. I love to do it.
What do you think makes Jo’s crew unique or special?
Jo has a crew that really sticks together nicely. It’s a bit of a family feeling. You feel at home. When the owner is onboard, even, he makes us feel that way as well.
We are always professional, but I think it’s nice to be able to go somewhere and feel cozy and at home. That’s definitely something you can do on Jo.
How do you determine what meals you will prepare for charter guests?
You always have to ask when people come onboard if somebody is allergic to something, and usually, there is somebody who needs a special treat. For children, they like simple things, so I am not going to force them to eat something crazy.
A lot of children like fast food, and sometimes, they come into the galley and instead of making fish fingers from the freezer, I show them how to make it fresh. I do that with things like hamburger buns, too. It is better.
All the guests, I ask them what they like and then I try to make it.
What are some of your specialty dishes?
One of my favorite dishes is like a paella, but instead of rice, it’s made with angel hair pasta. That’s one of the things you don’t eat everywhere.
I also make a lot of fresh fish, a nice fish in a salt crust, that’s very popular onboard. And I have a special beef stew from Zurich with potatoes. People love that as well.
I make a good fois gras. I know it’s not a thing you should eat too much, but it belongs to the classic kitchen.
Somehow, my specialty is that I can do almost anything. If you want sushi, I can make sushi. If you want a Creole kitchen, I can do that. An Indian kitchen, I know. I have a wide spectrum of dishes and knowledge from over the years.
What kind of charter guests are your favorites?
If you have families, especially children onboard, they bring life and a special spice. There is always fun onboard with children. So I prefer families. Everything becomes a little bit closer.
No matter what kind of guests we have, it’s always interesting. I’ve been onboard boats for 10 years now, and every charter has its own personality.
What else should CharterWave readers know about you and Jo?
I have a passion for poems, and a few years ago I started to make poems out of my menus. For every meal onboard, for my guests, I make them a poem. I’m not famous with it, but people really like it. I do it in English, Spanish, German, French, Italian—those are all the languages that I speak.
Sometimes I read them aloud, and sometimes the guests read them aloud. I think it’s something special that you don’t find on every boat or in every restaurant.
Here is a poem I wrote for a charter lunch as we headed toward St. Tropez, in France:
From Cannes to St. Tropez we sail;
Let’s hope we have good wind on the tail.
A few bits and pieces I will prepare,
Taking of your tummies very good care.
Some yummy salads for your appetite
And chicken with French fries
For those who don’t like fish to bite.
For dessert, fresh pineapple sorbet
Or chilled fruit to make your day!
Sorry my English is not very good looking.
I hope I’m better with cooking!
The 164-foot motoryacht Jo is part of the fleet at Camper & Nicholsons International. She takes 12 guests with 12 crew at a lowest weekly base rate of $278,800, plus expenses. Contact any reputable charter broker to learn more.
|
