In mid-June, Chef Jamal “James” Kent of Two MICHELIN Star Saga and One MICHELIN Star Crown Shy, passed away. Kent began as a teenager working at David Bouley's (then) new spot Bouley before Manhattan gastronomic icons including Eleven Madison Park and Jean-Georges sought his talent. However, throughout his career, Kent always focused on others.
Chef Kent was many things to many people: an ambitious restaurateur, a master chef, a loving husband, and a loving father. Through it all, he opened doors for others and was a model for kindness, generosity, and selflessness. He was a rare breed who, in the heat of the kitchen, brought people together and inspired anyone who crossed his path.
To commemorate and celebrate Chef Kent's contributions to the industry, The MICHELIN Guide presented in partnership with Blancpain posthumously honor him with the 2024 Mentor Chef Award.
Below, we speak with the chef's wife, Kelly Kent, about his remarkable legacy.
You met each other at LaGuardia High School. Do you remember the first meal you went out together for? And what was the first meal he ever made you? How did you feel?
The first meal we had together was at a diner. We were in high school, and we’d just started dating. We were supposed to go to a movie at the AMC on Broadway, but we missed the movie and ended up going to a diner in the neighborhood. I remember making fun of Jamal because he ate the side of coleslaw in the paper cup. No one ever eats the little side of coleslaw.The first meal he ever made for me was breakfast. I think it was home fries and eggs. It was definitely at his mom’s house, and his mom was there too. I was super impressed that he was able to whip it up as quickly as he did. I had a sense that eating was in my future.
What dishes did he make for your family and what did they mean to you?
If you ask Avery, she’d say that she loved his penne alla vodka. He’d make us all gather around for a show when he added the vodka to the pan.Because we lived in the same building as Crown Shy and Saga, he was constantly shuttling up or down in his chef whites. It was sort of surreal, like we had a private chef around.
He’d make anything we asked for any given night, and do it with joy: paella, pasta. During the pandemic, he was in his sushi phase. He’d call Noz with questions and have fish purveyors deliver to the house. It was a full-on, in-home sushi counter.
What was his crowning achievement?
That's a hard question because Jamal liked to celebrate all of the wins. I think that his proudest unexpected moment was when he realized how few chefs operate Two MICHELIN Starred restaurants at the same time.When Saga was awarded Two Stars in its first year, while the team maintained a Star at Crown Shy, Jamal was sort of skyrocketed into the same ranks as his heroes like Daniel Boulud. Nothing could have made him prouder.
What did he love most about his profession?
I think he most loved being able to travel the world and take his family along with him. Because of Jamal's talent, we went to Japan and India.Jamal thrived when he was around other driven people. He liked the human aspect of the profession.
What was he like as a mentor to other chefs?
I’m only now realizing how unique Jamal was in his mentorship of other chefs. To repeat a phrase from Brian Lockwood, Jamal had a beautiful way of giving people invisible training wheels. He created a safe space for people to learn to cook and collaborate and lead. He let people make mistakes and had compassion when they failed.He had to learn a lot of those skills on his own, so he was committed to guiding a younger generation.
What (professionally) provided James with the most joy?
Sharing the wins. At events like the MICHELIN Star Ceremony, most chefs accept awards on their own, but Jamal always wanted to bring his team with him.He thrived knowing that he had a team that believed in what he was doing, who understood and shared his dreams and aspirations. He loved that energy that he got from the shared goals.
And he loved getting to know the chefs who for years were just cookbooks on our shelves. He so valued the relationships he formed with the chef peers who were starting to succeed in tandem.
