About Chef Asif
INTRODUCTION
Chef Asif R. Syed is an Indian American chef who has received multiple awards for his extraordinary culinary talent. He has appeared and excelled on several nationally televised shows such as “Guy’s Grocery Games” in 2015, “Cutthroat Kitchen” in 2016 and “Beat Bobby Flay” in 2018, Chop of the Mornin' to Ya in 2018. On “Beat Bobby Flay” Chef Asif was celebrated for beating Bobby Flay in a culinary showdown with his signature dish of Tandoori Chicken. In, 2019, Chef Asif successfully conducted a dinner at the James Beard House called “Innovative Indian Cuisine by Chef Asif", making him a James Beard featured Chef.
CHEF ASIF'S COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Chef Asif has been living and working in Southwest Florida for over 20 years. Over the years, Chef Asif has become an active member of various charities like the Harry Chapin Food Bank and the Humane Society Naples where he was able to raise $40k at this year's "Dancing With the Local Stars". His deep commitment to the community has been expressed also by his annual breakfast to firefighters in honor of 9-11 as well as helping and feeding the community in the aftermath of 6 hurricanes.
Furthermore, Chef Asif has been deeply involved with the local Seminole Tribe, cooking for the natives in the past 19 years and establishing a wellness program in 6 Reservation Senior Centers across the state of Florida.
Chef Asif is a big advocate of sustainability and traceability, working closely with local farmers to ensure his ingredients are from sustainable sources. Because of his advocacy in sustainability and traceability, he was selected to be one of three local Chefs showcasing sustainable cuisine at a James Beard curated dinner during the NapleNEXT event in March 2019.
CONTRIBUTION TO SOUTHWEST FLORIDA'S CULINARY LANDSCAPE
After 10 years as the Executive Chef at the Hilton Hotel on Marco Island, Chef Asif took a courageous step in opening the first Indian Restaurant in Naples, Florida on Dec. 21st, 2015. Back in 2015 the culinary landscape in Southwest Florida was dominated by steakhouses and Italian restaurants. 21 Spices by Chef Asif impacted the culinary landscape tremendously and helped open the door to more ethnic culinary concepts.
Since the early 2000s, Chef Asif has trained over 100 culinary interns and professionals, helping them develop a career in the hospitality industry.
