ICE at 50: For ICE Alum Dan Segall, "Bigger Isn't Always Better" — But Cheffing In Bali Is

If you need more proof that the life of a chef is anything but boring, just look to Chef Dan Segall's illustrious, globe-trotting career.

Segall, who grew up in New England, graduated with a Culinary Arts diploma from ICE in 2002. Soon after, he made the pivotal choice to move to Singapore for an externship at The Regent Hotel, eventually securing a full-time position there as Chef de Cuisine. His choice to go global led to a series of high-profile leadership jobs in some of Asia’s most sought-after culinary destinations, from Singapore to Hong Kong to Beijing.

Over the span of almost 20 years, Segall has traveled to as many countries, earning a stellar reputation for his unique East-West style of cooking along the way. His journey has been as dynamic as the cosmopolitan Asian cities he’s lived in and no two jobs have been the same, be it leading one of Singapore’s top restaurant groups, consulting for exclusive fine dining kitchens in Beijing, or working R&D for a multinational pizza restaurant chain.

But life in the far East is not all hustle and grind. Segall currently lives in the picturesque beachside town of Berawa in Bali, Indonesia where he is Executive Chef at . Here, he manages a team of 10 to produce a dinner menu of globally-inspired dishes like Peking duck Bolognese and salmon tartare tacos for a jet-setting clientele.

We caught up with Segall to ask him about life after ICE and cheffing in Asia. In the Q&A below, he gives clear-eyed advice to school hopefuls and shares the one book any chef worth their Maldon Sea salt needs to own.

*The following interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

ICE: In your own words what you consider to be your biggest professional achievements?

Chef Dan Segall: My jobs as opening Executive Chef of ZUMA Hong Kong, the 2nd ZUMA outlet in the company’s history, and opening Executive Chef of Ku De Ta, now called Ce La Vi, at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. Then becoming the Group Executive Chef of Refinery Concepts in Singapore, which has 12 outlets.

ICE: To what factors do you contribute your success so far?

Chef Dan: Always acting like I was the boss, even if I had bosses to answer to. Always taking personal responsibility for every dish of food served at any of my outlets. And never blaming my team for our mistakes, but making sure ‘the buck stops’ with me.

ICE: When did food become something that you wanted to pursue professionally?

Chef Dan: Growing up I had a passion for cooking and music. I would cook with my mom and listen to jazz music in the kitchen. My parents were pescatarians and so, liking meats, I began preparing my own meals at age 11. I started working in the business when I was 16, but still pursued an education in theatre. It wasn’t until I was living in New York [City], working at a deli in Brooklyn, and living through [September 11th] that I finally made the decision to be a professional chef. I was part of the team that opened the first working kitchen at Ground Zero, just four days after the attacks. It was a few days later that I met Josh Capon, then of Canteen, who gave me a job on the spot.

ICE: What do you like about working as a chef in Asia? How is it different from working in the States? 

Chef Dan: The access to interesting, exotic, and fresh ingredients coupled with the vast differences in cuisine experienced just by traveling an hour or two in any direction makes cooking in Asia an endless learning experience.

ICE: What does a typical day look like for you now? What do you love most about your work?

Chef Dan: My current job was 100% a lifestyle choice. Over the years I have slowly been pulling back from major pursuits in the F&B industry to focus on other things. I was doing private cheffing in Colorado for about a year when Todd English rang me up and said, 'Bro, would you move to Bali for me?' I had been visiting Bali over 20 years and was quite comfortable to move there... and out of the snow. I enjoy living in Asia and in the tropics. I enjoy my mornings at the gym, time with my partner and kids, and living a very laid-back lifestyle. So here in Bali I run a small team of 10. We are open six days for dinner. It's a swanky place that morphs into a nightclub after dinner service.

What I love most about what I do is training local talent to develop them into better chefs and preparing them to leave the nest and get bigger and better jobs — much like Josh Capon did for me. Here in Indonesia, the pay disparity between locals and expats is borderline disgusting. Their salaries are so small so any chance I have to train up a younger chef and help enable him to move up is incredibly rewarding. I’ve always prided myself on the fact that many [members] of my team over the years have moved on to do greater things.

ICE: What would you say to people looking to follow a career path similar to yours?

Chef Dan: Some of us are just built for this type of work; it’s either in you or it’s not. And one needs to figure that part out — fast. Go to the chef at your favorite [restaurant] and ask to work in the kitchen for two weeks — for free. If you then want to pursue a path in restaurants, you might be built for it.

For those who want to come to Asia, do what I did and come undercover. I came as an intern with 11 years of experience and proved my way into a hotel job. I thought I was going to leave New York for six months... that was 23 years ago.

ICE: When you think of ICE, what is the first word that pops into your mind?

Chef Dan: Vocabulary. I had been cooking for 11 years before I went to ICE. Getting an education in culinary arts gave me a working vocabulary and the physical understanding of what those words meant so that I could be a useful worker. I would not have progressed so fast if every time a chef asked me for mirepoix, or bechamel, or a chinois, or duxelles, I had to look it up or shyly ask a colleague.

ICE: What drew you to ICE?

Chef Dan: It was the feeling of a team, that esprit de corps between the instructors, students and staff. I really felt everyone was in this together.

ICE: Transitioning out of culinary school, was it easy? Did ICE help you make that transition? What did you learn at ICE that has helped you in your career?

Chef Dan: I had been working in restaurants for years before ICE so there was not much transition. Before I joined ICE, I started working at Canteen. I used to wake up at 7 a.m., ride my bike from Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn up to 23rd Street for an 8 a.m. class start. At noon, I rode down to Washington Square Park, chained my bike to my leg and took a nap before my shift at Canteen from 2 p.m. until close. I’d then ride back across the bridge to Brooklyn. So the daily grind of giving all you had to this business was instilled in me from the start. But most importantly, all my ICE chef-instructors knew what I was doing and encouraged me every single day.

Also, going to Karate classes with Chef Mike Schwartz helped to remind me that as much as we put in, we should always make time for ourselves in other ways too.

ICE: Is there any single lesson that you learned at ICE that you still use in your work today? Maybe a recipe writing hack, a time management trick?

Chef Dan: Mayonnaise. Learning about emulsified sauces led me to Harold McGee’s book On Food & Cooking and I use lessons from that book every single time I cook. A smarter chef is a better chef and the chefs at ICE made sure I left smarter.

ICE: Do you have any advice for people who are considering culinary school?

Chef Dan: Spend your 20’s preparing for your 30’s. Spend your 30’s preparing for your 60’s. Have a plan. Build a career, slowly. It can be easy to move up the ranks very fast, like I did, but it left me puzzled about what was the next right move and I made some mistakes. Bigger isn't always better.

QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS 

Favorite kitchen tool? Robot coup.

Salty or sweet? Salty.

Favorite food holiday? Thanksgiving, of course.

Favorite food city? That’s tough…Kobe or Bangkok

In order of preference, cook, bake, eat? Eat, cook, bake.

Favorite cuisine? Japanese

Go-to “easy” recipe? Buta-kakuni (Japanese braised pork belly).

Go-to “wow” recipe? My linguini vongole, which has a few secret ingredients.

Most frequently used non pantry essential ingredient? Miso

Summer, spring, fall or winter, which is your favorite food season? Really depends on the country, but safe to say Autumn.