Meet Jamil Shakoor | Chef

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jamil Shakoor and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jamil, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I feel like through an artistic career it is the best way to showcase who you are as a person and the same applies to the culinary industry. I believe culinary arts to be a true art form in itself. There are so many different cuisines, techniques and branches in culinary that it becomes almost impossible for someone who is truly passionate about it to not have some form of individuality. Whether it is pastry, butchery or culinary itself making Asian, American or Italian cuisine; they all allow you to express your passion effort and attention to detail through what you’re making just like making music/poetry painting etc etc. The reason I love it so much is because not only do I gain satisfaction from being as creative as I possibly can, but I also double down and gain true satisfaction through seeing the people that get a chance to actually enjoy what I took so much time and effort to create. I love doing 5 and 10 course tasting menus with ingredients that are in season to have the freshest products possible. Food will always be needed for our nourishment and survival so to be able to turn that necessity into something that not only nourishes you but also tells a story about who I am is a great honor.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a chef I’ve been working in the culinary industry for the last nine years. Through my career one thing that I used to say to myself that got me to where I am today is that “I’m chasing knowledge not money. The more knowledge I have the more I am worth and the more I will eventually get paid” There was a lot of hard work long hours and endless effort involved but that only made me grow as a person and as a chef. Being in this industry taught me the importance of precision, communication, cleanliness, time management, organization and overall just how to deal with people from different cultures and backgrounds. These are all skills that I have transferred to my personal life to make me a better individual. Top Tier Workshop is a culmination of what I’ve learned over the years times ten because I want to be as creative as possible with my dishes while also being as simple and enjoyable as possible. Not everyone gets to experience fine dining so my goal is to be creative and also make it affordable. I want to ensure that I’m using whats in season paired with the best quality products possible to provide my clients with an affordable fine dining experience. We’re called Top Tier because from the chefs to the food to the ambiance and overall experience everything is of the highest quality we could possibly provide.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
A few spots i would got to eat are ramen369 in Delray best ramen hands down, Namu Korean kitchen in coral springs, Makoto in bal harbour and Ember in Miami. For drinks rhythm and vine in Flagler village, taco craft i love their Palomas and the wharf in ft Lauderdale. I like going to random local spots and trying what they have it always turns out good.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’ve had a few mentors over the years, but the one that taught me the most and one that I’m still great friends with is Patrick Ochs. Without him I wouldn’t know or have been able to experience half of what I got the chance to experience.

Instagram: @chefshakoor_workshop

Image Credits
Nick Sayles is in two of the photos