CJ, a self-proclaimed ‘foodie,’ has been a resident of Northeast Ohio for the past 4 years. Previously, he lived in Columbus, Philadelphia and Toronto, as well as cities overseas including Brussels and Sydney.
Growing up, his Dad would travel overseas and come back describing to his Mum what he ate. She would then go out, buy all the ingredients he tasted and try to mimic the recipe. “Hmm, almost there, I think it’s lacking a little ginger…” After a couple of tries, she would have it down and added to her recipe bank. This combination of describing a dish from memory and then re-creating it, ignited his love for food.
He started his restaurant reviews because he was disappointed in the reviews he read in magazines and online. Too often, magazine reviews focus on the history of the chef or the owner and how the restaurant came to existence, but not on the food. Online reviews, on the other hand, are very brief and not descriptive; sometimes a poor rating is given because a restaurant didn’t have a specific drink or meal on the menu. Going to a restaurant to him is an experience that goes well beyond just the food. The real review should be from the moment you pull into the parking lot to the moment you get back into your car. For example, a restaurant could have great food, but poor service or tables stacked up against one another can ruin the evening. All of these factors must be taken into consideration.
When he’s not eating or cooking, he enjoys spending time with his wife and other hobbies such as photography and soccer.
