For our A NIGHT IN pop-up series, Chef Jahvel Fraser created a multi-course global BBQ feast that celebrates togetherness & community.
Photo Cred: Chef Jahvel Frasier
Chef Jahvel is the chef/owner of JVF Pantry, an NYC-based private catering company. For his A NIGHT IN pop-up menu, he presented “Fellowship,” a 3-course menu inspired by his BBQ-filled childhood.
"When I was a teenager, BBQs were everything to me. I brought people together and had big BBQs in my backyard. People started calling me " Chef" before I actually became one."
His love for cooking began in his grandmother’s kitchen in Barbados. Watching her cook countless meals for family members and neighbors alike, Chef Jahvel witnessed the power food can have on a community. As a professional chef today, he hopes that his meals transport guests back to moments of comfort in their own lives.
Chef Jahvel’s fare is no traditional BBQ. He meshes flavors from various cultures to showcase the different techniques and tastes of barbecue around the world.
"The theme behind my cooking is comfort. I like take comfort foods from different cultures - Indian, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean - and make them my own."
For his first course, Chef Jahvel served a spiced chicken satay — grilled chicken thighs with a homemade spice rub and his signature white BBQ sauce.
The second course was Korean-inspired short ribs marinated in Korean spices and topped with his signature honey chipotle BBQ sauce. To accompany this, Chef Jahvel created a modern take on the classic potato salad, using delicious roasted sunchokes instead.
Chef Fraser whipped up his signature dessert for our final course, a maple bourbon French toast bread pudding. Diners savored each bite, a sweet end to the umami-packed menu.
"Fellowship is about having people sit around the table talking, laughing, joking, and having a good time. What better way to Fellowship than to have a BBQ?"
Chef Jahvel’s signature BBQ sauces are available for sale! Check out his online store to upgrade your next backyard BBQ.
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