Having come to realize his love for food at a very young age, Chef Samuel Clonts started down his cooking career by helping his mom out with everyday dinner. With a huge passion for food and the process of making food, it did not take long for Clonts to begin cooking professionally by attending a culinary program at high school while at the same time working as a dishwasher. The 15-year-old Arizona boy never expected that in five years, he would be working at a Michelin star restaurant in New York.
At the age of 18, Clonts transferred from the Ritz Carlton in Arizona to one of their other locations in New York while furthering his studies at the Institute of Culinary Education. The young starter was eager to get real-world experience, especially in a city filled with a wide range of opportunities.
“When I ate at Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare, I knew this was the best,” Clonts said.
In due time, he got a job at this three-starred Michelin restaurant and started cooking Japanese-inspired cuisine. During his five years at Chef’s Table, Clonts found his true career passion – modernized Japanese cuisine.
“I really fell in love with their approach to cooking, the way they think about food and the way they handle it,” Clonts said after recalling his trip to Japan, where he tried the traditional Kaiseki.
Kaiseki is a multi-course Japanese dinner with a focus on seasonality and ornate tableware. It requires hours of meticulous preparation by the chef to provide an ultimate dining experience – a visually appealing meal with the taste buds dancing with delight.
By eating at different places and reading a variety of books, Clonts quickly learned the essence of Kaiseki. Since no one was manipulating it into a more western style in the city, Clonts decided to be the first to combine traditional Kaiseki with western elements, making it more approachable to New Yorkers. And it all started with Uchū.
Having opened in June of 2017 in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, Uchū, the 1-starred Michelin Japanese place is a tale of two counters, with chef Eiji Ichimura helming the 10-seat sushi counter and Clonts running the 8-seat Kaiseki counter. In contrast to a traditional Kaseki, Uchū’s tasting menu uses more high-end luxury ingredients, like caviar, truffle and wagyu that are not commonly seen in a traditional setting. Following the typical Kaiseki progression, the course starts with a light yet impressive dish to set the tone, followed by a dashi course, sashimi, grilled dish and finished with rice course. The menu changes every couple weeks, either because there is a new product or Clonts gets bored with a dish that has been there for too long. From white asparagus coming from France to caviar from Shanghai, Clonts looks for ingredients that are the best of the best.
Among all the delicate dishes, the most popular one for customers is the caviar handroll, which includes caviar imported from the Kaluga farm in Shanghai. With a sheet of nori, a little sushi rice seasoned with black vinegar, some fresh wasabi and sumptuous caviar on top, the well-known handroll is ready to serve.
Aside from the customers’ favorite, Clonts himself favors the egg dish. By using a famous Japanese breed, called Jidori eggs, and some golden trout roe, this simple-looking soft scrambled egg tastes as smooth as clouds.
“The natural fat from the yolk gives it a really nice texture. On top of it is usually some pickle that changes seasonally,” Clonts said.
Now 27 years old, Clonts is already a very successful chef in the competitive restaurant industry in New York. However, he is still not satisfied with his accomplishments.
“I think there’s room to grow and I would love to cook in front of people,” Clonts said. Without the limitations of space, Clonts would be able to prepare the food right in front of customers so that they could fully appreciate the beauty of Kaiseki.
Images Courtesy of: Uchū
