Kevin

Generously Supported By: Open Table
Age, at time of Internship: 16
CT Intern: Summer 2023
Restaurant Host: Anaviv’s Table, Chef Darren Lee and Chef Arnon Oren
Referred By: City Youth Now
Intern Story:

Kevin began his internship at Anaviv’s Table with the goal of expanding his recipe repertoire. He felt confident in his omelets, quesadillas, and pupusas, but wanted to be able to prepare a wider variety of dishes for himself and his family. Kevin additionally wanted to gain cooking skills before leaving for college so that he could feed himself more creative dishes beyond cooked eggs. Kevin got the perfect opportunity to obtain his developmental goals under mentors Chef Arnon and Chef Darren. 

Kevin’s internship began by strengthening his knife skills. Chef Darren demonstrated to him the safest way to cut and prepare veggies and had him practice a variety of techniques. As Kevin improved his knife skills doing kitchen prep, he also grew closer to the other kitchen staff. Wanting to keep busy, Kevin found himself reaching out to his coworkers to see how he could assist them and try new experiences in the kitchen. Over the course of his internship, Kevin also picked up effective seasoning techniques, such as sprinkling salt from high over the dish, rather than close to it, to ensure even seasoning. 

Kevin used his internship with Sprouts Chef Training to investigate his interests and learn more about himself. When he is not cooking or studying, he enjoys dancing, including hip-hop, contemporary jazz, salsa, and ballet. Kevin is still deciding what he wants from his future and works hard at school to maximize his options. Kevin is grateful to Open Table for supporting his internship and giving him the chance to use his kind, curious, and open mind to explore his personal and professional development.