About

Chef Rob in Dubai

Welcome to the new aGreatChef.com blog. This offers a new opportunity for me to interact with my restaurant guests, cooking class students, returning guests to my website and those who find my recipes in the search engines.

I have been a chef for over 22+ years, graduating from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco and the Royal Thai school of the Culinary Arts in Bang Saen, Thailand. Over the years I have worked with some of the most prolific chef’s around, including but not limited to Bradley Ogden (Lark Creek Inn), Jeremiah Tower (Stars), Mark Franz (Stars), Clifford Pleau (ex-Disneyworld), Paul Luna (ex-Ritz Maui), Charile Ayers (ex-Google), John Chiakulas (Scoozi), Joe Decker (LEYE) to name a few.

Here is the “official” bio…

Culinary phenom Robert Conaway was born to cook. But more than merely cook, Conaway was born to “create” with food. Globally trained and traveled with experience that spans continents, Conaway is a true “chef’s chef” bringing his intrinsic love of the culinary arts and encyclopedic-like knowledge of edible ingredients, that would rival some of the most famed foodies in the world to the opening team of one of United Arab Emirate’s newest dining hot spots, West 14th New York Prime @ the Oceana Hotel, Spa and Beach Club on the trunk of the Palm Jumeirah Dubai.

Since returning from Dubai he is currently working on two of his own projects,  Meekong Street Kitchen his ode to South East Asian street food and QuickFire, a quick service pizza, salad and craft beer joint as well as consulting for a few Southern California restaurants and pubs.

At an early age, the budding young chef kept his Grandmother company in the kitchen – and himself out of trouble – by helping her create recipes and cook meals that were revered by family and friends for many years. This intense interest in food was the catalyst for his enrollment in California’s influential Culinary Academy in San Francisco. While attending, Conaway competed in the Livermore Valley Food & Wine Educators Experience where he was selected as a Finalist for the program’s Talent & Technique competition.

After graduating, Conaway began honing his skills at several noteworthy California restaurants including Stars in San Francisco, Blue Chalk Café in Palo Alto and the iconic Lark Creek Inn in Larkspur, where he worked under the tutelage of famed Chef Bradley Ogden. As his notoriety grew, so did the offers and Conaway left California to work alongside Chef Paul Luna at popular Scoozi! Italian Restaurant in Chicago. Missing the surf, sun and natural abundance of California’s regional produce, Conaway left the windy city, returned to the Bay Area and eventually landed at San Francisco’s Steelhead Brewing Company as Executive Chef.

Even though an apt pupil of his craft, Conaway constantly sought knowledge. He left California to embark on an international culinary exploration that drew him to many parts of Europe, Asia and the South Pacific. While immersing himself in the cuisine and culture of Thailand, he applied for and was accepted in the prestigious Royal Thai School of the Culinary Arts in Bang Saen. Upon graduation, he became acquainted with world renowned Chef Peng Teng of the Furama Resort in Da Nang, Vietnam and accepted a position working side by side with Teng as Executive Sous Chef for the resort’s western restaurants and food service operations.

After his successful run at the Furama, Conaway returned to California, landing in San Diego as Executive Chef of downtown’s Aubergine. Wanting to share his knowledge and experience with other eager culinarians, he began teaching courses and workshops for Big City Chefs Cooking School where he guided and advised aspiring home chefs today. In 2008, he then went on to open the Glass Door Restaurant and Lounge, one of San Diego’s dining hot spots atop Little Italy’s bay front Porto Vista Hotel.  A 21st century chef and highly sought after restaurant consultant, Conaway took his vast wisdom and culinary vision to the masses – online – creating AGreatChef.com, a Web site dedicated to offering visitors his ingenious acumen, in-home cooking classes, worldwide culinary tours, free recipes, blogs, Q&As and a personalized online cooking store.

Conaway’s delectable cuisine and lineage of top restaurants have been reviewed by a host of international food critics and epicurean magazines and he’s been featured on several Internet sites and morning news broadcasts. Currently chefRob is working on launching his South East Asain street food concept, Meekong Street Kitchen. Meekong or MSK as it is sometimes referred to is a a restaurant that blends street food, street art and street vibes like no other. chefRob is currently promoting MSK thru pop-ups in the soCal (Los Angeles and San Diego) areas during the summer of 2012. For more information on the pop-ups and Meekong Street kitchen check out Meekong.com.

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Thanks again for stopping by and I hope you enjoy the new blog.

Best,

chefRob