COMPETITOR

Desert Dining AZ

HEAD COOK: Jordan Kiemele

COMPETITION: World Sandwich Championship

This Le Cordon Blew chef traded in fine dining for a life of crunching numbers, but Jordan's true passion has always been cooking up a storm in the kitchen. After excelling at culinary school and a Michelin-starred apprenticeship, he tried being a bean counter as an accountant. But Jordan quickly realized counting beans wasn't as fun as cooking them. So he dusted off his whisk and got back into catering, honing his skills, and developing new recipes. Now Jordan works as a process improvement consultant, helping streamline operations. Though he spends his days optimizing systems, his heart is in the kitchen crafting new recipes. His move to Arizona opened Jordan's taste buds to bold Mexican flavors. But nothing prepared him for the heat of competition - literally. He's competed twice at the World Food Championships, but his dishes flopped like a sad souffle both times. But Jordan has learned some valuable lessons about thinking inside and outside the box when conceptualizing dishes. From volunteers at church to touring rockstars, he's cooked for broad audiences, including a Grammy winner and former President. But Jordan's favorite customers are his lovely wife and kids who he cooks for every night. He starts each day with home-roasted coffee beans - the kitchen isn't the only place Jordan likes to play with fire!