Sweet melodies in the kitchen

Mariselle Stofberg

They say the best way to win someone over is through their stomach. Throw in some soulful tunes and you will be able to conquer the world. Jovan Greyton is the head chef at Isabella’s Table in Windhoek. Not only is he a trained chef, but he is also a passionate musician who creates and produces his own music.

Greyton grew up in Windhoek, where the Namibian culture has been an intricate part of his life since he can remember. He completed high school at the Waldorf School where he believes he was given the opportunity to receive a holistic approach to education.

“They develop your skills as person, instead of simply focusing on your academics. I always knew I loved music and food and in grade eight I decided I wanted to pursue both fields.”

He had his first internship at Nice bar and restaurant when he was in eighth grade, where they offered to train him for free.

“That is where it all started for me. In grade 10 I had my first real job, which was also the worst job I’ve ever had. I was a cleaner at another restaurant, and even though that was horrible, I knew that was where everything was going to start. I just focused on what I wanted to achieve and kept going.”

After high school, Greyton travelled to Cape Town, where he worked for a few years. “I also attended the International Hotel School in Cape Town, which is one of the leading hotel schools in Africa. This is the sister school to the main school which is located in Switzerland, which is also a programme done by Gordon Ramsay. He is my role model in the culinary world, so I could not think of a better place for me to be,” Greyton added.

“After my studies I came back to Namibia where I joined Isabel Gamito at a restaurant called No.1 Steakhouse where I became the head chef at the age of 22. Here I realised that I was now the leader of a team that was much older than I was, and even though there was challenges, I rose above that,” he added.

“I later joined Isabel to travel to Portugal for a few months where I was taught more about Portuguese food, seeing that my training was mostly French. This was all in preparation for the opening of Isabel’s Table in Windhoek. I finally understood Portuguese food and we were able to establish an authentic Portuguese menu.”

To Greyton, food has a very special meaning. “To me food is like a canvas. We all eat with our eyes first, and that is why I see food as art where I can really express myself.” His favourite cuisine type is everything and anything Asian with the ultimate favourite being specifically Japanese cooking.

“On this journey in my career there has been times where I’ve felt alone, not knowing what I should do, but that is when I tried to remember the advice a friend of mine once gave me: Always show up. No matter the circumstances or the struggles, just show up. You need to start somewhere.”

The beauty of music

Greyton is also a hip-hop and R&B musician and mixes and produces his own music under the stage name J.Lucid. He is a part of a collective of artists who have been working together for a long time and music is an integral part of his life.

“Music has become a part of my personal life. The music lifestyle became my personal lifestyle and everything I do is music related. Music is something that has so many roots in my life. You need to find a way of putting fun and priorities in the same sentence, and that is what I’ve been doing.”

Greyton prefers savoury to sweet, but occasionally appreciates a bit of chocolate.

His favourite cooking shows include ‘Iron Chef’, ‘Chopped’, Jamie Oliver and anything with Gordon Ramsay and he loves the competition-based shows. His ‘Chopped’ basket for the main course would include a rack of lamb, dragonfruit, risotto and a banana.

“Not many people are aware that you can use banana and risotto together, because it can add a creamy element. You just need to know how to use it without it becoming too sweet.”

His go-to ingredients would be coriander, which is his go-to herb, basmati rice and a really good spice, especially something warm that can complement many dishes.

The dish he would have for the rest of his life has to be his mother’s tomato chicken. “I’ve tried a million times, but I just can’t get it as good as hers. The secret ingredient has to be a mother’s love.”

Greyton advises young people to never take the in-between stages in life for granted.

“This industry is very hard. It takes so long for you to reach that place you want. You are confronted by critique every day and you face so much adversity, but all that is worth it in the end. The in-between stages in life define you and where you want to go, so you can never slack or get comfortable.”