Today we’d like to introduce you to Asia Lester.
Asia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’m a chef in Atlanta. My journey is pretty interesting but this is still only the beginning. At ten years old, I baked brownies. I wasn’t too much into baking pastries and cakes but the only thing I did love was to bake was brownies because they have always been my favorite dessert. Not only did I make original chocolate brownies but I baked candied brownies, you name it, I baked it. Some examples are Twix, Snickers, Reese’s, S’mores and more tasty flavors. I couldn’t work because I was too young so I started selling my brownies around the city & it was called “ Asia Masia Brownies “. I’ve always been in the food industry, at 16 my first job was Jason’s Deli. From there, I moved to Brusters, McDonald’s, Zaxbys and started working my way up.
After graduating from high school, I did a year of culinary school & that’s when I knew that food was my passion and my dream was to become a chef! I acquired more skills in the kitchen once I started working as a line cook at the Cheesecake Factory. Working at the Cheesecake Factory definitely strengthened my skills of time management, multi-tasking, plating and flavor profile. I then branched out and started my own business which is now AsiaCooksAtlanta. Most of my clientele comes from social media such as Facebook and Instagram. My biggest client thus far has been catering for the Atlanta Monarchs. As a 20 years old entrepreneur, I am already a force to be reckoned with in the food industry. Ultimately my dream is to open up my own restaurant chain!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It hasn’t always been a smooth road. I have stumbled across many challenges but I’ve always come out on top. Some obstacles that I’ve had to face was learning pricing to make sure that I always profit, the fear of rejection. I had to learn how to be confident in myself and in my work, knowing that I’m putting out a good product. As well as figuring out how to deliver multiple plates all over Atlanta while still keeping the food fresh and warm.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I’m a chef in Atlanta. My specialties are my chicken and shrimp Alfredo pasta, Asia’s Louisiana Chicken Pasta, my loaded potatoes and my salmon plates. I’m very proud of how far I’ve come in such a short amount of time, especially with me being only 20. What sets me apart from others is I season every piece of all of my food individually and all of my sauces are made from scratch. I also make sure that when I cook each plate it’s from the heart as if I’m cooking for myself.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up as the middle child, I was a spoiled brat. That didn’t get in the way of me excelling in school. From the very beginning, I was always an AB student, I never really had to study in order to make good grades. I’m actually a really shy person unless I really know you. I did go through a spell of being a fighter, yes pretty girls fight too, lol. I had some growing up to do. I learned how to cope with situations better. What interests me is spending time with my daughter and family. I love shopping, I love anything that cost money lol. I’m a real girly girly. Outside of cooking, I love lashes. I actually took a lash class and will be starting my own lash business as an additional stream of income.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 470-461-4935
- Email: asiacooksatlanta@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com\_asiacooksatlanta
- Facebook: www.facebook.com\Asiacooksatlanta
Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
