For Howard Ko, becoming a chef was a vocation. It wasn’t a career that he chanced upon or fell into, on the contrary, it was quite the opposite. As a young boy in 6th grade, Chef Ko knew that his future lay in the kitchen and even in his youth he was prepared to start at the bottom and climb the culinary ladder. Little did he know as an eager, aspiring young chef how arduous the journey would be. Here Gaggenau delves into those early days and explores what shaped Chef Ko into the world-renowned chef he is today- taking the gastronomic reins at one of Dubai’s leading restaurants, CÉ LA VI.
Hailing from Los Angeles, California; Chef Ko knew from the age of ten that he wanted to be a chef. He grew up in a tough, single-parent household, yet his mum was his ultimate supporter and remains his biggest fan to date. She encouraged him to do something he loved, assuring him that his chosen career would never feel like work.
Knowing was the simple part, making it happen would require a lot more action. At 15 he started where most great chefs start, washing dishes and making sandwiches in a small restaurant. Luckily there he worked with chef Sal Marino who is still his mentor today. This is where his love affair with the kitchen began, with the comradery instantly making him feel like part of the team that would shape and nurture him.
Chef training was tough, really tough, recalling how it was a different time for chefs back then, he reflects “At 20 years old I worked at Restaurant Daniel (2 Michelin stars). I kept knocking on the back door and they kept telling me they weren’t hiring. I kept coming back and worked for free for two weeks before I finally got a prep job. The cooks and chefs pushed me very hard, they wanted me to quit. I remember I dropped something in the middle of service in front of everyone and the chef told me I was a disappointment, I should go back to school and become a cab driver.”
