He started out waiting tables, but eventually found his way to the kitchen. Now the Chef de Cuisine at one of Los Angeles' most highly-touted restaurants, we talk to Josh Whigham about learning from one of the culinary world's great chefs, Jose Andres, the DC food scene, and what he's most looking forward to about his new LA digs.   

AndrewZimmern.com:  When did you become interested in cooking?

Joshua Wingham:  I became interested in cooking when I was waiting tables.  I wanted to be a part of the kitchen, helping to create the dining experience and doing your best to make everything perfect!  I fell in love with the intensity of cooking.  

AZ.com:  You’ve worked with famed Spanish chef Jose Andres for years. What’s the most important things he’s taught you as a chef?

JW:  Jose has taught me how to look at food differently.  A cook doesn't have to cook an onion only one or two ways.  Hold the onion in your hand and think about how many ways one can cook this onion. Fry, confit, roast, braise... each different way the onion is cooked brings out different characteristics of the onion.  How can one get the purest flavor? You get the idea. Jose elevates his food by using the same ingredient in a few different textures to create one dish—so, when it is eaten, you taste the clarity and purity of the ingredients.  

AZ.com:  Recently, Andres appointed you Chef de Cuisine at The Bazaar in Los Angeles. The Bazaar has garnered a lot of attention, including “Restaurant of the Year” from Esquire Magazine. Clearly, expectations are high. What’s it like to be under that kind of pressure?

JW:  It’s true, there is pressure to uphold the high accolades that The Bazaar has received. I am very humbled everyday that I walk into the kitchen.  The Bazaar is a monster of a restaurant and to be leading it is an honor. At the end of the day, though, the most important goal is to keep Jose's vision alive.  Every day I think, What would Jose do? How does he want that? Is this the flavor he is looking for? It is all about Jose’s vision…Jose always gets what he wants!

AZ.com:  You spent the last six years in Washington DC, heading up restaurants like Hook and Bar Pilar. Now you’ve moved to LA. How do the food scenes differ? What do you miss most about DC? What about LA excites you?

JW:  What I miss about DC is the ever-changing restaurant scene.  When I moved there, it was growing exponentially; now, there are exciting places to eat and unique, hidden gems around each corner.  I also miss the DC diners, who are such an interesting group that is always open to change.

In LA, it is an exciting time for the people here.  There has never been a restaurant like The Bazaar before.  I sense a change coming for the restaurant scene here as well.  Something that Jose, Sam Nazarian and Philippe Starck have contributed is the creation of an atmosphere and food which has completely raised the bar.  I attribute a lot of the changes that have happened in DC to Jose.  He was one of the prominent chefs who has made DC what it is today.  I can't wait to see what happens here in LA. What excites me about LA is that, here in southern California, we are the hub for the entire country’s food supply.  The produce and its quality are amazing!  It is exciting to go to the farmers market in Santa Monica and see what the farms are producing.  And to have access to it is unreal.  Don't get me wrong, the east coast has some amazing produce as well, but being here is something special.   

AZ.com:  Name your five favorite places to grab a bite in DC.

JW:  My five favorite places to eat in DC are: Zaytinya, Don Juans for the pupusas, Common Wealth Pub, Vegetate, Proof and Cafe Atlantico for the guacamole and mojitos (the best I've ever had!).  

AZ.com:  What’s in your fridge?

JW:  There is not much in my fridge. I have orange juice, milk, yogurt, pita bread and Constant Bliss cheese.  I'm never home, so I have food for breakfast and for a snack when I come home.  If I cook, I go to the market and buy enough produce for a day and have leftovers.