Chef Ca-el
Chef Ca-el Oberon Seebaran has come a long way from dabbling in his mother’s kitchen. Now at 39 years old, he owns The House of El, a locally-influenced, catering company which does fine dining as well as more casual food styles. With more than eighteen years of professional culinary experience, the former Chef de Cuisine (head chef) at both the Hyatt Regency’s Waterfront Restaurant and Chaud Café, is more focused on giving his customers a memorable experience than the popularity of being a chef.
When I was a child, I didn’t like to eat. I never wanted to try anything new and my mother struggled to get me to eat much of anything. I remember one time, she made lentil peas and I cried for nearly six hours. I was also a weirdly germophobic child. I preferred to play alone in my room rather than go outside and play with others. It was difficult to live in a world that I found so chaotic.
As I got older, I developed a love for cooking. I loved making food the way I wanted to eat it. Not that there was anything wrong with the way my mother cooked. In fact, she was always in the kitchen creating new things and finding ways to get me to eat. I really appreciated her efforts. I guess I just had my own ideas about food, so I started experimenting and bringing my ideas to life.
In my teenage years, I read a lot and did a lot of research about food (and as a professional chef, I still do). I wanted to work in the best places with the best chefs. That ambition opened a whole new world of opportunities.
After secondary school, I applied to a new programme at TTHTI (Trinidad and Tobago Hotel and Tourism Institute) called the Apprenticeship Diploma Programme. It was a scholarship programme, which was ideal because at that time, I knew that my family would not have been able to afford to pay for tertiary education. I called TTHTI almost every day for a year, just to ensure that they didn’t forget me and that they knew how serious I was. Out of 600 people, ten were accepted. I was one of them. That was the start!
I’ve always had support from my family. Initially, my father believed that only women cooked. But when he saw my dedication, he warmed up to the idea. As I got older, I was the one doing most of the cooking at home. My mom would also volunteer me to cook for church and office events. This made me even more creative and gave me an opportunity to practise. Due to God’s grace, I never felt hindered. Yes, things were hard at times, but because of how I treated and respected people, they were always willing to give me a chance so I did my best to never disappoint them.
While studying, I was able to train and work in many top local food establishments. After the TTHTI programme, with my Associate Degree in hand, I worked at some really great places like A la Bastille, St. Kitts Marriott Resort, Benihana, Hyatt and Chaud Café. I also participated in many culinary competitions and did cooking demonstrations on television.
Three years ago, after gaining rich experiences while working for others, I took the leap and started my own business in east Trinidad with my wife. As an entrepreneur, I’m happy to be able to find more of a balance between my work life and family life. I also have more opportunities to experiment freely.
Over the years, I have been blessed to be able to work with a lot of people who taught me a lot. My mother was my first cooking teacher: she introduced me to a lot of culinary techniques that I still use today. I am grateful for her and how she unconsciously introduced me to this world. Professionally, I admire and am fortunate to have been mentored by Chef Debra Metivier, Chef Alexis Ottley, Chef Joe Brown, Chef Khalid Mohammad, Chef Fernando Franco and Chef Vincent Pellegrini.
In the same way that I have been mentored by some of the great chefs in Trinidad, I believe that others can also. The opportunities to connect with these people may be scarce but you just have to be in the right place at the right time to get them. My mentors have not always been either black or male, but they were there and willing and I took the opportunity to learn.
It is important as you grow and develop in your career, to connect with others who have the experience in your field of choice. This is an amazing opportunity for growth which shouldn’t be overlooked.
There are many ways to reach that career path!
Think hard about what you enjoy; not only what sounds good or sounds more lucrative. Secondly, research, research, research: this is key. Find out more about what you like, the types of careers that use what you like as a skill and what you can do to get to that end goal. When I was growing up, chef work was not as publicised and as ‘sexy’ as it is now. I had to do the research to find a place for myself to do what I liked and earn a living.
Lastly, go after it. There are many ways to reach that career path. Yes, going to school is the better option but if you can’t, do know that experience is also a great thing. Finding people in the field and asking to be an apprentice (sometimes for free) can go a long way in opening doors.
Chef Ca-el says he is committed to “giving my customers the best culinary experience so that they will not only want to come back but they will also have a greater appreciation for good food.” He told MENtions, “you see, anyone can make something to eat, but when food is done properly, it gives you an experience, it is not just a meal. This is why, I continue to try to present food beautifully and to practise hospitality with all of my clients, no matter how small the job may be.” You can check out The House of El on Facebook and IG.
(Originally published in July 2020 on Facebook and IG)