Alexander Sierra, Ariel Leandro Perez, Adam Keita, Kai Advent-deLeon,Tyler Ortiz,Sarina Henrietta Perez

Lower East Side, Manhattan

When the folks behind Daughter and Sincerely, Tommy link up with other industry vets to cook up a cafe…you run there to get your hands on a breakfast sandwich with tangy pickled jalapeno. We nestled down on a cold, early spring morning at CHE to order one of everything, people watch, and enjoy a leisurely albeit cold morning. The cafe, newly opened, already felt like a staple in the neighborhood, with many exchanges of hellos from neighbors and regulars alike. Tables were piled up with friends making way for more as they entered, and we were happy to be filling up on food that emphasizes ethical sourcing and fair wages for their farm partners. The team at CHE is big and full of love. Check out our interview with the full crew <3

Full name, age, where are you from?

Alex: Alexander Sierra, 28, Queens, NY

Ariel: Ariel Leandro Perez, 28, born and raised in Jackson Heights Queens. 

Adam: Adam Keita, 30, From the Bronx

Tyler: Tyler Ortiz, 25. Born in Elmhurst, Queens & Raised on Long Island.

Kai: Kai Avent-deLeon, 35, Brooklyn, NY

Sarina: Sarina Henrietta Perez, 32, from an area outside of San Antonio called Atascosa, Texas.

What is your title and where do you work?  

Alex: Part Owner/Member of Che, Currently part buyer/manager at Wine Therapy in Nolita.

Ariel: Bar Director at Che (also a bartender at The Fly) 

Adam: Coffee Director

Tyler: Operations & General Manager at Che (1⁄5 Owner)

Kai: Co-Owner/Creative Director of Che, Owner at Sincerely, Tommy

Sarina: Head chef at Che

What inspired you to work in the food industry?

Alex: Simply community. Food and beverage ultimately exist to connect us. Finding people in this city who not only can create and use food and beverage to make people feel happy and connected means everything, it seems small, but it is everything.

Ariel: I started cooking at an early age with my family, and it was always a way to bring us together. My love for food, and community kind of just made me gravitate towards the service industry naturally. Though I never became a cook, I worked my way through all kinds of roles (juicer, barista, server, bartender)

Adam: Truly a love of sharing. I grew up with family members coming over every weekend and a mother who would prepare food for them all, with the simple goal of sharing. This is what inspires me about the food industry, an invitation into a home really.

Tyler: I was studying acting in college and was in need of a job to be able to support that career-however was completely surprised to find myself loving every facet of service & hospitality. I realized that there was an entire branch of a life I could see myself living as I focused on honing my communication skills with my teams & customers I’ve provided for. Moving to Brooklyn, meeting my business partners and life partners in the industry as coworkers first allowed me to create a supportive network that turned into a true family bond.

Kai: I've always had a love of food, discovering new cuisines and dishes, and really wanted to open an Eatery that would bring to life dishes from around the world.

Sarina: I kind of always wanted to be a chef, but I don't know why. Honestly, I wanted a flower/art supply/pastry shop. Food was always more of a necessity for the fam, a box to check off rather than something to really labor over or slowly enjoy. There were a few dishes here and there that were Someone's Thing. But perhaps that's why I wanted to learn how to play around with it more. In my early teens, I always would have coffee and pastries with my grandparents late at night, which made me want to be a barista in college. Also as a kid, I was always outside; one of my first jobs was cutting grass and tending to family gardens. Later on in my twenties, I worked for a plant start-up and that further developed my appreciation for all things that grow here. I think for me, feeding people in a wholesome and conscious way is one of the best uses of my time and talents on this earth.

What is your biggest customer pet peeve?

Alex: People who talk on the phone in a customer interaction, it's nice for people to show respect in those moments and not make it feel so transactional.

Ariel: Lack of self-awareness. When you come into a space you're entering a community with other guests, and some people like to make it seem they're the only ones there. Demanding service that gives a sense of entitlement and that's disrespectful to not only me but to other people who dine in for what may be their only night out. 

Adam: When customers have no patience for us.

Tyler: When I try to create an uplifting, intimate, & experiential atmosphere that is met with a closed-minded & comfort-zone-driven vibe. That is truly so boring & energetically draining during a shift.

Kai: I don't really have one, but maybe when someone doesn't say thank you.

Sarina: My biggest customer pet peeve is when people treat you like a servant instead of a host you should respect. It doesn't matter if you've been to a place one time or ten times. For those who really truly love the industry and are in it for life, our restaurant is our home. Enter our house with the same grace care and kindness you would your friends. Or fake it for two hours. Everything we do is thoughtfully curated for your experience yes but also to be a reflection of who we are as creators and human beings! So be nice and let us vibe too. Also, if I say hello to you with a smile and you don't even look at me.... cool. 

What is your most blissful food moment?

Alex: Most recently the Steak au poivre from Paul Bert at Leo, one of the best things I've had in a while, the steak was so tender and soft, with beautifully buttered, and peppered sauce, just incredible!

Ariel: Back when I worked at Four Horsemen, some coworkers and I decided to come to dinner for the first time. The food was amazing, they sent pretty much the entire menu and opened multiple bottles from the Jura region for us. What really got us was how amazing the service was, it really felt like a special occasion but it was only a Monday. We really felt cared for and at the moment I didn't know but that was the last dinner I had before the pandemic two weeks later. 

Adam: Hmm difficult, but maybe 2016, the first year I tried Ample Hills Ooey Gooey ice cream. I remember that day well and how I couldn’t stop smiling.

Tyler: The moments of enjoying a pre-fixed menu. No decisions, no modifications- just complete trust in the menu & its intention as it was in its creation stage. Specifically, the menu that comes to mind is at Café Binnenvisser in Amsterdam, they can lead no person astray.

Kai: Having home-cooked meals in Samburu Village made by the women in the village using whatever materials they had available. Every meal was filled with so much love and used very little seasoning, it felt like home.

Sarina: My favorite food memory is eating oranges on the porch this one summer when I was a toddler and really having my mind blown by the flavor. It's a visceral collection of memories too because I was young enough to be shirtless on the porch and very sticky from the juice and my stomach hurt because I was just housing them sliver after sliver. This happened a few times. Winter citrus always reminds me. 

What dish do you want to perfect in the kitchen?
Alex: Hand-made pasta, that would be amazing!

Ariel: Every holiday my mom makes Pernil, which is this slow-roasted pork leg that is tender. Now I cook it for my Friendsgiving every year and I can feel myself getting better every time. 

Adam: A proper smash burger, but this is more for my home kitchen.

Tyler: Creating simple yet flavorful purees that can accompany & uplift any dish.

Kai: I’d like to perfect homemade pasta.

Sarina: Not so much a dish, but I want to cook with fire more. And make/age cheese. I want to grow grapes and make wine. I want to build a farm on my land back home and make use of my animals in a way that feels right.

If you could shout out a colleague or friend in the industry who would it be and why?

Alex: There are so so many people I'd love to highlight who deserve to be highlighted, but the closest person to me who's been with me through so many projects and pours so much energy into everything, is my partner Tyler, he is my rock, and I'm always impressed by him, he deserves a shoutout!

Ariel: My boy Nico Villasenor! He's the head chef at Fradei and is just constantly pulling off these amazing dishes every week. He's one of the hardest-working guys I know and for a long time he was making 20+ dishes by himself. We met over at Four Horsemen and have been friends ever since. 

Adam: Tyler honestly, they truly are someone who clocks in to the moment without hesitation.

Tyler: Jess Timlin is my rock at Decades in Ridgewood, the other restaurant I work at we are out here hustling. We were part of the original opening crew back in March ‘23 & I’ve learned so much by just watching her work the floor- her service skills & wine knowledge is something I admire greatly.

Kai: I’d like to shout Tyler Ortiz for holding it down at Che and wearing many hats.

Sarina: I want to shout out my pals at Luna la Mer BK! Lawrence is one of my old cafe colleagues turned friend and mentor. We've worked together in a few places as cooks (starting when I was FOH) and it's been awesome seeing him and his partner (also a friend/mentor to me) Britt start their own thing now. Really creative chefs and genuinely lovely humans. They're adaptive/accessible caterers but I'm looking forward to their brick-and-mortar opening in the spring. It's been awesome working with them because it really feels like tribe-building. Cooking together never feels competitive or redundant. Hard work, yes. But all love. 
What is the best food city?

Alex: Honestly nothing hits for me more than Colombian comfort food from Jackson Heights, there's a lot of great Colombian food there and Pollos a la Brasa Mario is always great!

Ariel: Mexico City! Some of the most affordable street food is delicious juxtaposed with their high-end restaurants that really just blow you away.

Adam: It’s New York, but the Netherlands has my heart.

Tyler: New York, baby.

Kai: Mexico City

Sarina: I haven't traveled enough to be declared the best food city. But I would imagine it's somewhere near the sea. 

How do you relax outside of work?

Alex: A great Chinese message and a good movie!

Ariel: After Che you can catch me Dick & Janes chowing down on a smash burger after a long shift. Sometimes if I want the night to keep going I'll go to Coyote Club for a beer & shot. 

Adam: Honestly watching movies or grabbing a drink.

Tyler: Truthfully, boundaries are hard for me- so traveling away from New York or the States in general allows me to fully relax.

Kai: I love a good at-home day, I keep it simple. Less is more so waking up late, making a good lunch, reading a book or watching a movie, and taking a walk or working on a creative project.

Sarina: I hang out with my cat and watch my very extensive dvd collection. 

What is your astrology sign (including moon and rising)?
Alex: Leo!

Ariel: Ariel the Aries. Sagittarius Moon, Pisces rising 

Adam: Honestly watching movies or grabbing a drink leave with Virgo.

Tyler: Scorpio Sun, Taurus Moon & Rising

Kai: I am a Taurus sun, Virgo Moon, and Leo rising.

Sarina: Capricorn sun, Capricorn moon, Pisces rising