Chef 101

With Jason Brumm  of P.J. Clarke’s

Chef 101 With Rodney Scruggs, executive chef at Occidental Grill and Seafood

I’ve been with the Buddha Bar company for almost three years.

Previous culinary experience — I started working in the kitchen when I was 15, and after three years, you make your diploma and [become a] certified cook in Switzerland. After that, I got a job opportunity to go and work in Dubai for the pre-opening for the Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts. I was the sous chef and worked in the main kitchen, which includes a lot of big events with 2,500 people, sit-down dinners and royal weddings. So that was very, very, very interesting and very impressive to work there. It’s just kind of a different world in Dubai.

Previous culinary experience — I’ve been with [Michael Mina’s] Mina Group for five years. I worked at Michael Mina Bellagio in Las Vegas for three years. I was a baker at first and then became the assistant pastry chef there. Then I became the executive pastry chef at Sea Blue, also in Las Vegas. And within those five years, I had the opportunity to open Bourbon Steak in Miami, and I was also in Washington, D.C., for two months in December to open up Bourbon Steak in D.C.

I spend a lot of time thinking about pinot noir. Aside from my family, close friends, the ever-fluctuating property values on my block and ideas for the next great American novel or reality show, little else consumes my conscious mind more than the royal grape.

Washington sushi chef Kaz Okochi of Kaz Sushi Bistro has teamed with Richard Sandoval of Zengo to open Masa 14.The restaurant, located at 1825 14th St. NW, will offer small-plate, Latin-Asian fusion cuisine.