Born on St. Lucia, West Indies, Evelyn Paul spent her youth in the beautiful Islands of the Caribbean relocating to the United States to forge a career in the food and restaurant industry. Now a successful private chef in Atlanta, Evelyn offers her clientele a seamless integration of the striking island flavors of her culture and a generous dose of traditional techniques into her creative and healthy dishes.
Evelyn's intrinsic passion for food came early in life while watching her mother cook beautiful, healthful vegetarian foods for her family. Her love for food blossomed while working at some of New York City's most cutting-edge restaurants, including Match, Indochine and Thom. It was in New York that she met Marcus Samuelsson, executive chef of the famed Aquavit restaurant and now owner of acclaimed Red Rooster in Harlem. Marcus encouraged Evelyn to formally pursue her passion for food by attending culinary arts school.
In 1998, Evelyn enrolled in the Peter Kump Culinary Arts School, now the Institute of Culinary Education, in New York City. After leaving Peter Kump, she went on to launch her career as a chef by taking on the post of the full-time private chef to a prominent family in the United States Virgin Islands where she grew up. It was there that she was able to redefine her Caribbean-influenced fare to a myriad of palates using the classic and modern techniques she learned in culinary school, with a focus on health and wellness using locally sourced ingredients. Traveling globally with her families, she would often borrow from the local region to showcase native flavors in her recipes.
Evelyn continued her career as a private chef and honed her skills by training with such noted chefs as Douglas Rodriguez, Gary Robbins and Jonathan Eisman. As a private chef, Evelyn found that she could enjoy the freedom to explore and create healthful, flavorful and beautiful food without the budget constraints of a typical restaurant, and while sharing the hospitable nature native to her Caribbean culture in a home setting. With a slant towards what she calls "Caribbean global fusion," many of Evelyn's inspirations are drawn from her Caribbean roots where her grandmother taught her that food should be used to nourish and to heal. She enjoys using St. Lucian favorites such as ginger, vanilla, nutmeg, and the lush tropical produce and fish prevalent in the island's colorful fishing villages. Her style is the perfect culmination of her Caribbean background, steeped in its history of African, European, and Asian cultures, and the French sensibilities that she learned in culinary school.
An avid traveler, Evelyn continues to explore native culinary customs and loves incorporating the cultural traditions she experiences into her cooking. Evelyn affirms: "I study the flavors, colors and textures of each destination's delicacies. These elements imbue a distinct flavor in my cuisine that is unmistakable." Believing that food should tantalize all five senses, she has carved a niche for herself as the premier private chef to Atlanta's discerning dining families and A-list celebs. She takes great pleasure in recreating a five-star dining experience in the homes of her prominent clients.
Evelyn Paul has been featured in Jezebel Magazine, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, Daily Candy, CBS Atlanta, Points North as well as other publications and is the contributing food editor for Cotton Candy Magazine. Evelyn is also very active in her local community and is a board member for the Center for Children and Young Adults, an organization that houses and cares for homeless and abused children in Atlanta GA.
