Launched in April 2023...
...A Walk Down Prairie Street is the podcast that introduces you to the many talented and interesting meat fanatics that come in and out of the Culinary Kitchen. The interviews are not only a deep dive into their backgrounds, but also an exploration of where their passions come from and what they have on their horizon. In one of our first episodes Elliot Moscowitz, Prairie Street’s own Founder and CEO, sits down with world-renowned Private Chef Yossel Backman of YB Experience.
Photo Courtesy of: Yossel Backman
Chef Yossel Backman is an acclaimed chef and the founder of YB Experience, a luxury private chef service renowned for its exceptional kosher cuisine. With over eight years of culinary expertise, Chef Yossel has worked in some of the most prestigious kitchens across the globe, including New York’s infamous Reserve Cut Modern Steakhouse and various international Michelin-starred restaurants.
Throughout his illustrious career, Chef Yossel has made a name for himself as a true innovator in the field of kosher cuisine.
His imaginative approach to cooking has earned him widespread recognition and has made him a sought-after chef for high-profile events and occasions.
Photo Courtesy of: Yossel Backman
With an unwavering commitment to excellence and an unparalleled attention to detail, Chef Yossel has built a reputation as one of the most skilled and creative chefs in the kosher food scene. From crafting sumptuous Shabbat and holiday meals to preparing elaborate multi-course tasting menus with perfectly paired wines, Chef Yossel's culinary creations are a celebration of the senses.
Growing up in the Chabad of the University of Maryland, Yossel’s love for hospitality took shape at a young age. While he calls New York City home these days, it’s a mere pass-through for this globe-hopping chef. Chef Backman can be found jetting from one exotic location to the next, cooking unforgettable meals for his high-end clientele.
When on location, he embraces the local culture and lets that shine through on the plate.
Elliot and Chef Yossel discuss everything from family and tradition to keeping Prairie Street and the YB Experience ahead of the curve.
Photo Courtesy of: Prairie Street
Elliot: Welcome to A Walk Down Prairie Street, our new podcast series. We've been really lucky the last two days that we've had Yossel Backman with us. So, welcome to the set.
Yossel: Thank you. So happy to be here.
Elliot: Yossel is 24 years old, a globally renowned chef, has traveled to Hawaii, the Caribbean, Europe, Morocco, everywhere you could think. And what's really cool is that he not only travels with these exclusive clients, but also he actually improvises and makes the dishes based on the local culture as well. We've had an opportunity to have you on set, make a few recipes for us—how do you think it's gone so far for you?
Yossel: It's really a family, which is very much the way I look at the whole entire food world. Food is a family. Food brings people together. Coming in and joining this whole operation as well as just the whole Prairie Street family in general, has been a really incredible experience.
Photo Courtesy of: Prairie Street
Elliot: Tell me how at this age did you get into this? How did you build a following?
Yossel: It all started I grew up on a college campus, which is definitely a little different, not so typical. And that’s really kind of where it all started. I got to meet, you know, entrepreneurial type people, people studying, people wanting to do good things. And I think that that's really where I kind of got that push in the beginning.
And then, from the culinary side, I got it from my mother. My mother loves cooking. She makes everything from scratch: breads, cheese, I mean like really everything. So that's really where I fell in love with cooking. And then, at the Chabad house, we’d have, you know, hundreds of students Friday nights and over holidays. So that's kind of where my love for it all kind of began.
And then from there, I eventually moved to New York and I started working in some restaurants, some food trucks, and took a little leap into some Michelin-starred restaurants.
And that's kind of really where I again, started learning the basics, real technique, and the different ways to use things, different ways to look at ingredients, look at dishes, how to plate, all these different aspects that go into the whole picture of creating a meal—creating a culinary memory and experience for my clients today as well as just in general for anyone.
Photo Courtesy of: Yossel Backman
Elliot: At Prairie Street, we're very focused on the quality aspect. How did you make the transition from being a volume chef to being super sophisticated for only 20, 30 people at a time, at next level, in effect kosher Michelin star? How did you make that transition?
Yossel: What I always loved about the food industry in general is hospitality. That's what I grew up with, right? The Chabad is always about inviting anyone and everyone in, you know, just helping people out. So it's that hospitality, that service. And, as I was developing myself and developing my pallet, I realized more and more that when you do the larger scale, that hospitality and service kind of get lost, diluted. It's about putting out the buffet, putting out the meal, putting out the food as opposed to ‘how can I make this a incredible, thoughtful, beautiful and delicious experience for the client? For the guest?’
It's all about the intention behind it, right? And for me, the intention is always the hospitality creating that incredible experience for someone to walk away and be like, ‘wow, that was incredible.’
Elliot: I think we're trying to do the same things, which is, it's not just a meal, it's not just to satisfy you, it's to wow you. It's to have an experience that you've never had before.
Yossel: It all starts in the beginning, right? Even before the logistics, it starts with a phone call or a meeting of really getting to know them and building a connection, building a relationship. And that's super important, you know, so that when I get to the kitchen and I'm presenting a dish, I'm not just, you know, a chef in the kitchen or as I like to call it, I like to be a chef in the dining room, you know? It's an exclusive experience.
Photo Courtesy of: Prairie Street
Elliot: Exactly. And I think that's what makes you extremely unique, that it's the whole experience, the grand experience. And it sounds similar to my job, you have an infinite amount of logistics to deal with. Especially if you're going to a brand-new location that you've never been to, for sure, that must be a little stressful to do that. But the clients don't feel that stress and all they know is when they get there everything is smooth and still.
Yossel: Everything is perfect. And that's my entire goal and that's my purpose essentially is to create these experiences where A to Z they have nothing to worry about. All they have to do is go on vacation and have an incredible time and spend it with the people that they're going on vacation with and just simply enjoy.
Elliot: That's fantastic. I think it's just amazing the work that you do, your disposition and how you're doing that. You're showing consistent quality, which is our mantra here. Thank you so much for taking A Walk Down Prairie Street with us. And let's get back cooking.
Yossel: Let's! Thank you.
This interview was recorded during a recent filming on location in Hollywood, Florida.
Click here to watch THE FULL INTERVIEW.
Feature Photo Courtesy of: Yossel Backman