Congratulations to John Wesley, Chef/owner One MICHELIN Star Kiln and the 2024 MICHELIN Guide California Young Chef Award Winner!
Starting as a young chef in the industry, he worked in California (MICHELIN One Star Sons & Daughters and MICHELIN Two Star Commis) and New York (MICHELIN Two Star Aska and MICHELIN Three Star Eleven Madison Park) before forging his own path at Kiln. Taking everything he has learned along the way, Wesley now creates memorable dishes that blend Californian and Nordic influences with painstaking technique, thoughtful intention, and impressive precision.
What inspired you to become a chef?
I was terrible at school, so I dropped out of high school when I was 15. I kind of did nothing for two years, kind of worked construction jobs and stuff like that. I would just watch cooking shows on PBS at home. I didn't know what I wanted to do when I was 17, so I I decided to sign up for culinary school. That was it. I have no food background in my family – my mom is a terrible cook; my grandma is a terrible cook. I had a very microwave-heavy childhood.
What is your favorite dish on the menu?
Favorite dish is tough. I love squab from California – the Central Valley and Modesto. To me, it's the best squab on Earth. That’s probably my favorite ingredient on the menu.
How do you focus on sustainability in your restaurant?
We really try to use every part of what we get in. If you look up composting laws in California, you realize that you hardly need a trash can in a restaurant anymore. If you have recycling and compost, 90% of things can be composted that aren't recyclable. We use our used fry oil for candles as take-homes. Trying to see what we can make out of nothing, out of scrap. Can we make a sauce with the bones? The heads? Shells?
What motivates you in the kitchen?
The camaraderie of it all, just being able to lean on each other during hard moments in service and trusting that everyone has the restaurant's best interests at heart. I truly love the camaraderie of the kitchen, like I love sports. I still love sports, and the crossover to me is so close. Everyone needs to play their part in the kitchen, in the front of house, to make sure that every service goes smoothly and is executed to the standard that we're trying to set. I love that.
What do you eat for breakfast?
Oh, nothing. I'll have maybe an espresso or coffee. We have coffee every morning at the restaurant when we come in. And that's it.
How do you wind down at the end of a shift?
Nicotine? It's a half joke. I don't know. I usually drive home, listen to a podcast. Every night, the whole team shakes out with each other, so that's a cathartic thing. No matter what, we all shake out and go home on a good note.
Favorite food-related show, book, program, etc?
Back then, I was watching a lot of Jamie Oliver. He was in his backyard, and it was just so calm and tranquil, so pleasant to watch. He just made it seem so effortless. And then all the classic ones too. I was watching a lot of Rick Bayless and Jacques Pépin.
What advice would you give to a young person who wants to become a chef?
That's tough. Be sure you know what you're getting into. It's going to take years and years to learn everything you need to even be a sous chef or the best cook in the kitchen. So, put your head down, really commit to it, leave your ego out of the kitchen, and just try to learn as much as you can. Stay at a place, don’t bounce around from kitchen to kitchen. Really have your roots and your foundation that you can build off of.
How do you motivate your team?
I try to motivate through a ‘cooler heads prevail.’ mindset. When you're scared of the chef, or you're scared of messing up, you're not actually putting your best self out there. When you're comfortable, feel supported, and have confidence behind what you're doing, that's when you're putting out your best product. Every person at Kiln is really important and there for a reason.
Hero image: Jesse Evan Cudworth / Chef John Wesley
