Exclusive Interview: José Andrés Tells Us About Placing a Bet on His Latest D.C. Restaurant

 

Jose Andres is one of those unstoppable forces — a chef who seems to be able to do it all and open a new restaurant every time we blink our eyes. Seriously, does this guy even sleep?

 

 

His latest venture, Fish by Jose Andres, is located in the brand-new MGM National Harbor, a resort and casino just minutes outside D.C. Calling it “an American shellfish and seafood restaurant,” it’s Jose’s latest bet in the big restaurant game. We’d say he barely needs any luck, though. Chef was awarded not one — but two — Michelin stars at the end of last year; the same year he opened five new restaurants.

 

 

The Latin Kitchen: How is Fish different from other restaurants you’ve opened in the past?

JA: At the end of the day, it’s an American shellfish/seafood restaurant and I’m working hard on trying to start as many relationships as we can, with the proximity of the fish that’s available to us from the shores. We have good oyster farms around Virginia and Maryland and striped bass and blue crabs (when in season)…it will be simple.

 

TLK: So you’re really highlighting the food of the Chesapeake Watershed, essentially?

JA: I’m not claiming that yet, but we are aiming toward that. We are trying to use fish that sometimes people aren’t willing to eat, but they’re available and affordable. That can also be a great source of new jobs and income into fishing communities that are trying to make a living to survive.

 

TLK: What’s your favorite item on the menu right now?

JA: We have some seafood cocktails — in the sense of the shrimp cocktail — and one from Irma Rombauer’s “Joy of Cooking” book, with grapefruit and shrimp that’s one of my favorites. We are also going to have grilled oysters and use a lot of hot ambers to cook the fish and shellfish, adding a nice layer of flavor to the fish. [pagebreak]

 

TLK: What do you think the most challenging item on the menu is, from an execution standpoint?

JA: The biggest challenge is not the dish, but being able to get the right distribution of fresh seafood and shellfish in America. I sense that sometimes the distribution, from the moment it’s captured to when the restaurant receives it, is still a challenge these days. It’s easy to buy frozen food, but I don’t want that. I want to be buying red shrimp from Louisiana and selling them the day after in my restaurant. It shouldn’t be that difficult; it should be easy in this country to do this, so I’m going to be spending some time on figuring that out at a higher level.

 

TLK: What ingredients are you obsessed with right now?

JA: Lionfish. I’m obsessed because I liked to scuba and fish them to protect the reefs and it’s part of one of my menus in Miami. Hopefully we will serve it here too, because in Florida there are tons of lionfish that are becoming pests and harmful to the environment. I also love persimmons — they’re one of my favorite fruits right now.

 

TLK: Do you think 2017 is revealing any huge cooking trends, as far as ingredients go?

JA: I never follow trends. I like what I like and what I don’t like I don’t like. I put things on the menu that my team and I like to eat. [pagebreak]

 

TLK: What are some of the challenges in opening a restaurant in a casino and what are some of the benefits?

JA: I think it works well…it’s a good home, like opening inside of a hotel. MGM is a great company, so I only see value; I don’t see any challenges.

 

JA: More than gambling, I love to play poker with friends and people I like to have a laugh with. I like to win, but I like to win the right amount. Not too much, not too little. You’ll see me at the MGM poker table here and there.