Chef Ivan Dorvil, owner of the Nuvo Kafe restaurant, shares his culinary talents and love for Caribbean Cuisine with the North Miami community. The restaurant is located 13152 W. Dixie Highway. The Haitian chef who was once scolded by family members for wanting to assist with cooking has become one of the most sought after chefs by Hollywood’s elite. Learn more about the talented chef in this interview with Ivan Dorvil.

Islandflave: What was your first cooking experience?
Ivan: My first experience was when I was a little boy. Being from Haitian parents, cooking is not something they want their children to do. They want they children to be doctors and lawyers… Even though I have a degree in engineering, my passion was always cooking. I got my Culinary Arts degree in Canada then I came back down here.

Islandflave: Describe the food of your restaurant?
Ivan: It’s a very eclectic type of Caribbean cuisine.

Islandflave: What is the most popular dish on your menu?
Ivan: Our appetizer combo platter. It consists of coconut shrimp, small biscuits conch fritters and a salad for garnish. Also people adore the Pink Snapper Fillet and the Blackened Snapper.

Islandflave: What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
Ivan: Being close to the customers, communicating with them and seeing their reaction to the food I cook for them.

Islandflave: What do you dislike about being a chef?
Ivan: When customers complain about something they don’t have much knowledge about. I try to please them but sometimes you can’t win.

Islandflave: What has been the greatest accomplishment of your career?
Ivan: I feel that I have been successful because the appreciation this community has for what Im doing. I don’t measure success by money; I measure success by the appreciation I receive and being able to create.

Islandflave: What do you still want to accomplish?
Ivan: To make sure that Haitian cuisine gets to an international level. Compared to other cultures, Haitian cuisine stays very local. Being a chef and eating in many restaurants around the world, there aren’t many people that frequent Haitian restaurants and I believe there is a reason for that. I want to break that barrier and invite Anglos, Jews and other cultures to try Haitian food. There is nothing wrong with Haitian food, it’s just a matter of having someone who knows how to prepare and present it.

Islandflave: If you weren’t a chef, what would you be doing?
Ivan: I would be an Actor /Comedian.

Islandflave: What is your favorite type of food?
Ivan: I eat a lot vegetarian dishes. It’s a way to eat and stay healthy. If you don’t watch what you eat, you could actually kill yourself very slowly.

Islandflave: Who are some chefs that you admire?
Ivan: Here in Miami, Willis Logins. He is a young chef like me and I admire his work. Chef  Toigeau, he is a French chef that I worked with at the Delano Hotel. And Chef Allen, I like his work. He does a Caribbean/Haitian fusion cuisine that I adore and feel that’s where my cooking style is going but with my own style.

Islandflave: What distinguishes a great chef from a good chef?
Ivan: A good chef makes food that anyone could enjoy and that’s about it. A great chef is able to create something that other people can follow. A great chef will always leave a legacy for other people to follow.

Islandflave: What do you like to do in your spare time?
Ivan: Right now I have no spare time but if I did, I would like to travel, dance and do fun things.

Islandflave: Your restaurant is decorated with pictures of you posing with popular stars. How did you meet them?
Ivan: I am a private chef for a lot of stars. I was hired to cook for Seven, one of the top music producers in New York, and met celebrities who come to record in the studio and became their chefs. I’ve cooked for Janet Jackson, Lionel Ritchie, P Diddy, Chili from TLC and Pattie LaBelle.

Islandflave: What advice do you have for aspiring chefs?
Ivan: Stay focused, stay strong and keep creating.