By Spyridoula Spanea in Daily
The cliché says that life writes the best scripts, but in the case of Nikolaos Poulmentis, this is reality. He sold a watch and a cross and, together with his wife and two-year-old daughter, left for New York to claim a place in the American dream. They slept on benches and experienced the harsh side of life, but the chef from Kythira's persistence paid off. Today, he is one of the best chefs in the Big Apple, having made it all the way to Michelin, cooked at the White House, but dreams never end. Big goal? To earn more than one Michelin star with Greek cuisine. Michelin and, indeed, in a particularly demanding country in terms of gastronomy.
Nick Poulemis was born in America, but his family moved to Kythira when he was a baby. His family built a small hotel in Tsirigo t« Omorfo, and Nicolas grew up surrounded by the flavors of the Greek land. From an early age, he learned to experiment with the herbs of the »island of Aphrodite« and the fish his father brought home. His path was clear. He studied at the Anavyssos Culinary Institute and Le Gordon Bleu, and his passion for culinary creations became his profession. However, the economic crisis limited his goals. In 2012, he, his wife, and their two-year-old daughter Nefeli decided to move to New York. The American passport, which had been forgotten in a drawer since his parents returned from America, became the passport to his dream. However, he had little money... To pave the way for the transatlantic journey, he sold his watch and cross.
Eleanor Roosevelt once said, «The future belongs to those who believe in their dreams,» and Nick Poulemis believed in his dream. Even though he and his wife and daughter had to sleep on benches in Astoria until the chef found a job that would allow him to rent a house. Even though he went through difficult times before establishing himself in the field.
«It took me several years to make certain dishes well-known and influence other chefs. It also took quite some time for the American public to trust me and try new recipes, such as black tarama (one of the recipes that established him) and sushi with grape leaves, as well as classic recipes where I have replaced meat with fish. At first, Greek restaurant owners were hesitant, but when they saw that the public responded, we added other dishes. Gradually, I gained my own audience that follows me wherever I work or am in charge of the menu. Then, the owners of stores that sell Greek products began to trust me. I introduced them to sea fennel and caper leaves, and I taught Americans to eat orange pie,» he told kathimerini.en the renowned chef.
«Greek cuisine will never die»
In 2013 and 2015, Nick Poulemis cooked for the residents of the White House, won a reality cooking show, and published his book «The Novelty of Greek Cuisine»became a bestseller, and this year he became the first Greek chef to participate in New York City Wine & Food Festival and, in fact, together with the famous American chef Carla Hall. When asked whether the evolution of Greek cuisine could lead to the loss of tradition, Mr. Poulemis replied: «Greek cuisine will never die because it has good products. However, if we do not work to increase the number of recipes, it will remain stagnant. Here, you have to cater to the American palate. I put metsovone cheese in a burger and melted it, and they loved it. As for tradition, it will not be lost because it can be certified by Greeks who know the traditional recipes. I treat the gogies (gogizes) of the Peloponnese like gnocchi. People want to see Greek recipes in a different way on their table.
Completing a recipe requires time and a lot of ingredients. «It took me 1.5 years to perfect my black tarama recipe, while creating a new fish recipe can use up anywhere from one to 100 kilos of fish,« he points out. Sophisticated Greek cuisine has gained its own audience in the »economic capital» of the world. «Greeks in America are in the majority, but because of the fish, I also have many Jewish customers. Americans come for the lobster, which I cook with noodles and feta cheese. This is how I promote our products, both in terms of taste and practicality,» says the chef.
Nick Poulimenti's successes include a Michelin star, but his dreams go even further. «I want to take Greek cuisine beyond a Michelin star. I know this cannot happen overnight because it is not easy, but I am ready to devote as much of my life as it takes to achieve it.».
