All Things Hip Hop Episode #1

Born in Cairo, Egypt, and raised in Ellensburg, Washington, Chef Michael Mina has enjoyed a love affair with the kitchen, creating memorable dining experiences for guests from a very early age. Chef Mina’s epicurean journey began in 1987 at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. During those 18 months of formal schooling, he spent his weekends sharpening his natural talents with hands-on experience in Charlie Palmer’s kitchen at the upscale Aureole in New York City. At the start of his career, Chef Mina was presented with the opportunity of a lifetime with then-executive chef of the Bel Air Hotel in Los Angeles, Chef George Morrone. The two were asked to develop a concept and create a menu for an upscale seafood restaurant in San Francisco – the city Chef Mina had dreamed of calling home one day. Welcomed to San Francisco by a major earthquake his second day in the city, he was unfazed and went to work immediately under Chef George’s direction. Chef Mina dedicated himself to creating a complete