Chef Jason Howard is a man on the move; his passport has more stamps than Carmen Sandiego’s. Though Howard is “Barbadian-born and Vincentian by descent,” he has travelled the world pushing the limits of his culinary prowess. He’s worked in European Michelin-star restaurants and was a part of the James Beard House 2017 Iconoclast Dinner Experience, which honours leaders and chefs of colour. He darts around the globe from his home base in London, consulting restaurants and hotels.

His work takes him to far-flung and exotic locales, but he never forgets his Caribbean roots. Howard makes it a priority to mentor and mould young Caribbean chefs. Currently, he’s the chef-in-residence at Le Vendôme restaurant at Charela Inn in Negril, where he has young Jamaican chef-to-watch Haleem Card by his side, learning and fine-tuning skills. On Valentine’s Day, Chef Howard will be teaming up with another local culinary whiz, André Cooks, for a special Valentine’s menu.

During the residency, Chef Howard’s primary role is to assist the hotel’s chefs and cooks in elevating plating techniques and exploring broader uses of local produce. However, his take on modern Caribbean cuisine has resulted in a few new menu items. Yes, Thursday Food got an exclusive taste test.

The Caribbean King Crab salad has a beautiful Scotch bonnet dressing that though surprising at first, dissipates with bites of fresh crab meat and local greens. But it’s the bites of pickled star fruit (jimbilin) that make this dish sing. Texture is a crucial element of any well-composed plate and the salad has soft, crisp, chewy, and firm — it was like eating a poem.

The seared sirloin with Scotch bonnet béarnaise, demi-glace, sauteed callaloo, balsamic onion, roasted root vegetables and fondant potatoes is the sort of dish that will cause an otherwise ebullient table to fall silent. All one’s energy is directed to the physical sensations that this dish causes.

The seared snapper with an unctuous coconut-curry sauce is served atop a heaping bed of sauteed in-season local veg and a schmear of pureed callaloo. Before leaving the kitchen, the dish is drizzled with scallion oil. Every flavour in the dish is easily identifiable. But what may cause astonishment is how Howard has deftly finessed each flavour.

It’s always delightful to meet an unapologetically proud Caribbean chef. Cooking has been a lifeline for Howard. It has lifted him out of homelessness and given his life purpose. He wants other chefs from the region, whatever their background, to experience the possibilities that a culinary career offers.

He’s always responding to social media messages and finds time to share ideas, educate, and uplift. Cooking is his roadmap to success. Where is he going, you ask? “To bring the Caribbean its first-ever Michelin star.”

Enough said.