Soroosh Golbabae

Bushwick, Brooklyn

Two weekends ago, we found ourselves dancing at Knockdown Center — with none other than Soroosh Golbabae manning the DJ booth in a room at 3AM packed with partygoers. Fast forward only a day or two, and we’re seated in Eyval, where the DJ/Chef exchanged one art form for another, bringing us fresh baked barbari, crispy potato tahdig, kabob koobideh…we could go on. This range is something Soroosh attributes to staying sane in an industry that can be all-consuming, and is also a telltale sign that he is indeed a Virgo.

Full name, age, where are you from?

Soroosh Golbabae, 34, my birthday’s in two weeks. I’m originally from Tehran, Iran. I grew up there, then when I was about 23 I went to Asia (mainly Malaysia) for a few years, between 2010 - 2013. I think that’s the first place where I began to really expand my palate to other cuisines.

What’s your title and where do you currently work?

Sous chef at Eyval.

Was food a big part of your upbringing?

Absolutely. I owe it all to my mom really, she is an amazing cook. She obviously cooked a lot of great Persian food — so I was lucky to have that as training. Not only was the food delicious, but I also learned how she was organizing her kitchen, managing the shopping, managing her time. She did it so beautifully. She had such sharp eyes on all of the prepping, even down to the chopping, that she didn’t want you to help her. At the time I had no chef training, but later when I went to culinary school, a lot of techniques they would teach me there I had already seen her do. She is a natural!

What are your earliest memories of dining out?

Any of the dishes my mom was like “well we can’t make this at home”, were the ones we would go out for. She had a list of restaurants, one for kebab, one for pizza. And it really all started from there. Coffee shops are such a big thing in Tehran, it’s part of the culture when you’re growing up because there are no bars or clubs that are legal. Cafes are where you take your dates, or see your friends, or have your birthday. That’s where I got started, a coffee shop in Iran working as a barista.

It was a huge operation, a restaurant upstairs, a coffee shop downstairs, a middle floor for the dining room. Eventually I started getting more curious about the cooking part, and the chef told me I was pretty good at it. From there everything happened so fast: I started working at different stations, then became manager assistant. I began looking at culinary schools all around the world, and one of the restaurant's partners recommended the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) located upstate NY. I ended up getting in and only had a few weeks before starting the program.

A few weeks later I went up there, rented a room, and started this crazy intense program. It was like working full time while also attending school. When I first got there it was winter—and January in Poughkeepsie is miserable—plus I had a ten minute walk from my room to the school. I found myself wondering “what did I do to myself”. I was just in Malaysia and Tehran, hanging out with my family, making food, partying, working, and chilling. But in the end that’s what I was looking for, a change. Very soon I was excited, and passionate about learning.

If you could give a piece of advice to someone who wanted to pursue your career, what would it be?

It’s a long list. But for starters, find a restaurant where you love everything about the place, both the food and the culture of the kitchen. Also find a chef who’s willing to teach you and has the right system of training. A lot of chefs can cook, but a chef that’s willing to teach and properly train you is something you need when you’re starting out. They have the skills and they believe in passing those skills onto the next generation. Chefs are often so busy with running their business, they may not even have time to talk to anyone. Those are the kitchens you want to stay away from. You should look for a healthy encouraging system to join, learn and grow.

Reach out to restaurants you like and set up a trail. Be on time, respectful, curious and observe every little detail of their operation. Understand the culture and dynamic between the team, see how it works, and please ask questions and not just stand in a corner like a random person watching the kitchen from the dining room! With the permission of the chef, check different stations, ask questions and taste the food, see if that is something you would like to learn to cook, plate, and maybe one day sell to your customers. When you start as a new cook/prep cook, be a team member, help whoever you can, anyone who helps the magic happen in a restaurant. Pay attention to details, listen to your supervisor but ask questions. learn fast and master your task so you move on to the next one. Some might not like this one "talk less, instead think and do more". Do not let prior experience limit your learning. Be open to see new ways and trust your chef. Prove your experience by doing it, not talking about it all the time!

Lastly, it is very important to have something besides cooking in your life. This is a business that easily eats your life up , and having something else will keep you tied to reality. After all life is all about keeping the balance. For me it’s always been music, I’ve been DJing for 12 years now. Music gave me a lot in my life and DJing has been another channel for me to serve my community and express my feelings. My joy is when my food or my music brings smiles on faces and lets people stay present and be happy in the moment. It will also keep you motivated to go back, when you’re playing music you’ll miss the kitchen, and when you’re cooking you won’t get burned out knowing you have something else.

I ended up creating a brand with a few friends and we called MOODBKNY. We organize music events where we introduce talents from all around the world to our community here in New York while keeping that intimate vibe you need while partying. We really care about the quality of the music and of course the sound itself (thanks to my Sound engineering and event organizing background). My next big project is to open a music venue, a place where we can share our love to the community in the language of art.

What's your favorite dish on the menu?

I love the scallops right now. Drink-wise I like the Eyval Dough. If I want a second option I love the lamb ribs. If there were an order in my protein preference, lamb is at the top.

What is your favorite place to go out and eat at and what are you ordering?

Right now Rollo’s is my favorite. It’s the place you’ll want to be, they’re super busy. I usually go on Mondays during the day when I’m free, and get the brisket sandwich and this jam and cream biscuit. Then around 4 or 5PM they switch to the dinner menu which is my favorite part. If you go at that time, get the wood-fired polenta bread, I like the one with Calabrian chili powder, and then I pair it with the stracciatella cheese. There’s a two-sheet lasagna verde, you’ll want to get that for sure. The seasonal salad is always good no matter what it is. Then the pork t-bone with seasonal sauce. 

You’re on a desert island, what are the 5 kitchen items you need to run your business?

Wood-fired everything is my favorite, so I’d need a grill and something to start the fire with. Skewers I guess you can make… I want to be smart about my items. A knife as well, a nice set of tongs, and a cast iron. It’s only four but I don’t think I’d need more than that!