PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The second chef in Jose Garces' chef residency program took the helm at Volvér this month, to broaden both his reach and customers' palates.
During the chef residency program, the staff at Volvér collaborates with a guest chef. This time, it's chef Phila Lorn. Chef Jose Garces said cooking at his Kimmel Center restaurant gives chefs an opportunity to take their craft to the next level.
"They're going to have an exposure to a different audience and I think what they do with that experience will really be up to them," he said.
Lorn is the second chef in the program. He's hopeful the next step will be opening his own Cambodian restaurant in South Philadelphia.
"Everyone knows pho — you know, like Vietnamese noodle soup. There's a thing I'm going to really enjoy producing in Philadelphia. It's called 'kuy teav,' a noodle soup from Cambodia with braised meat and lots of flavor, chili," he described.
One of Lorn's main goals is for Philadelphians to become more familiar with Cambodian food, and for it to be on the tips of people's tongues when they discuss where to eat.
"People should know about it. I don't think people know about it enough," he said. "There's Vietnamese, there's Thai, but there's also Cambodian."
The chef also appreciates getting to collaborate with others. "It's just cool to be in the kitchen with all these great chefs," he said.
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And what does Garces get out of it? "For me, the benefit is connecting with young, up and coming chefs and seeing how they're approaching food," he shared. "Collaborations, I've found out throughout my career, are really special."
Area chefs get exposure and business through the program, even if they don't have a home restaurant in which to cook during the pandemic. Customers are also helping Lorn with his goal.
"Through donations on our check presenters or through Volvér's website you can donate to the chef's next cause," explained Garces.
The residency lasts six to eight weeks. Lorn said it's the perfect pandemic project.
"It was a reset button that we all needed. It was a wake up call," he said. "A lot of us didn't go back but I think the pandemic really shook our world and made us realize what we really want to do."
As for how long the program will last altogether, Garces was upbeat.
"We're currently scheduled throughout the end of the summer and then we'll reevaluate it," he said. "I see this as an ongoing program."