As the premier personal chef in the NJ/metro NY area, Chef Mark McLean is constantly asked what is his style of food.  His answer always remains the same, pre-empted by a moment of thought where he strokes his chin, looks up and to the left, and responds: “AWESOME”.  That always garners some laughter, but Mark stays serious and says “I cook awesome food.  Period”. 

 

Mark did not attend culinary school, but he always cooked at the colleges he attended for his friends and roommates.  Mark did not train to make the eloquent sushi rolls that he frequently features on his appetizer menus, but his clients could care less.  He loves to talk about food like it is a baby – all his special baby -- that should be nurtured and cared for, held and presented with love.  Chef Mark explains his dishes to eager guests in the simplest fashion, withholding the jargon of brines, marinades, and vast combination of acids and aromatics that surely provide the complexity they will taste.  Instead, he chooses not to scare them, but rather assures everyone that a lot has been done to make this one of the best “<insert ingredient here>” that they ever will try, and that he loves presenting it to them right now. 

 

“Understand that for me, cooking is a well-thought out process.  It involves part trial & error, a good amount of skill, but most importantly great experience and lots of love.  Combine these things with great ingredients and your dishes will shine”.

 

Chef Mark has amassed an incredible amount of experience in the short time he has cooked professionally since leaving the stress of Wall Street.  He has cooked for multiple high-wealth clients, was hired to cook for the Mayor of Johannesburg, South Africa while visiting NYC, and is steadily being tapped for dinner parties for the various “who’s who” of the area.  He also is the personal chef for two professional athletes, providing a functional cuisine for their rigorous training/competitive lifestyle.  As a former college athlete and coach, Mark uses his know-how of competitive athletic training to create dishes that are beyond healthy, all while never sacrificing flavor.  None of this matters, however, because Chef Mark McLean has created Remarkable Cuisine to represent his style of professional cooking to anyone who may need his service.  And since every event and client receives a menu that is thought about and designed by Mark, know that you will receive the same detail, knowledge, quality, and overall love in your food that has made Mark McLean the professional chef that he is today.

 

A few of Chef Mark McLean’s notable quotes:

 

“Salt and pepper.  Okay add more salt and pepper.”

“Did you taste it?  Do you like it?  Let’s make it loveable now.”

“Good?  That’s mediocre.  Let’s go for awesome.”

“I take man simple cooking processes and do them well so the result is one really great complex dish”.

 

 

Some of Chef Mark McLean’s favorite ingredients:

Diver Sea Scallops     Arctic Char    lamb anything    NY Strip

Fresh Tagliatelle    Chuck Roast    Swiss Chard    Cauliflower