Food is one of those rare things
that act as an ambassador.
It creates this multisensory experience -
touch, smell, sight,
sound, taste.
It literally brings people to the table
to share and to have a conversation.
I was adopted when I was two and a half from Ethiopia to Sweden.
I played soccer for the city team of Gothenburg where I grew up.
I met a lot of kids from different neighborhoods,
so right there, diversity, work ethic
were something that I was used to.
The other part of my childhood I spent cooking with my grandmother,
fishing with my dad, 
learning about the spirituality of the cycle of food, 
water, trees, nature.
And you have to touch food, smell food, see food.
I think the very first milestone outside my house was that 
I got a scholarship when I was 18 years old.
I'm always grateful for France, as hard as it was, I also gained a lot.
Obviously being a black kid added another dimension to it. 
Your options are set very clear.
People are constantly telling you what you can and cannot do.
And that also makes me dream a little higher. 
I've lived in Japan, Switzerland, Austria, and France, all before the age of 22. 
So, I've never been someone to shy away from challenges. 
It's part of being a chef.
I immigrated to the States January 2, 1995. 
I came to Aquavit and just within a couple of months I became Executive Chef.
I didn't know at the time that I would become the youngest chef to receive three stars
from the New York Times.
So fast forward to 2010.
Opening Red Rooster was a very long journey.
We wanted to serve and hire within the community
and give back to the real definition of the word restaurant.
To restore your community.
To me, being an immigrant in America
is about as American as you can get.
It is exactly what makes America so beautiful, 
diverse, strong, and constantly evolving.
That's not something we should fear, but something we should celebrate.
