Executive Chef Jason Gethin started working in kitchens as a teenager. "I was 16 years old and I needed money," he says of his first job in St. Louis, Missouri. He worked on and off in restaurants for the next five years, during which time he moved to Tuscon, Arizona, enrolled in college, and graduated with a degree in environmental science.
When he graduated, he realized he didn't want to work in an office environment, so he decided to go back to school: culinary school. He enrolled at the Culinary Institute of Louisiana, and then moved to more schooling at Johnston and Wales in Charleston, South Carolina. Of his years in the classroom, he jokes, "I went the doctor route, but I became a chef."
After graduating, Jason embarked on a career that would immerse him in Southern Cuisine. "I trained throughout the south," he explains of his various positions at restaurants including the Charleston Grill and the Harbor Club in Charleston, and Drakes in Baton Rouge. He describes the cuisine he worked with as French-inspired and Southern cuisine.
Of his 1999 move to San Diego, Jason credits his wife. "She moved for me to Baton Rouge, so it was my turn to move for her." He lined up a job at Roppongi restaurant in La Jolla before arriving. "I wanted to try Asian [cuisine]" he says of his shift from Southern food, which he explains was partly driven by the lack of Southern restaurants in San Diego.
After a year as Sous Chef at Roppongi, Jason accepted a job as Sous Chef at the Cohn Restaurant Group's the Prado. He stayed at the Prado for several years, before accepting the position of Executive Chef at Mister Tiki Mai Tai Lounge. Here, Jason returned to working with to the flavors of the Pacific, and once again finds himself enamored with the flavors and ingredients of Asian cuisine. "You get to use different ingredients that you don't see every day," he says. He particularly likes working with lemongrass, ginger, and chiles because of the flavors they impart.
Jason's love of the exotic is reflected on the menu, but so is his foundation in Southern American cuisine. He recently re-conceptualized the restaurant’s menu, offering a completely new array of creations that combine exotic flavors with comforting, familiar ingredients. Dishes that explore the fusion of American and Polynesian flavors include Ginger Teriyaki Chicken Wings, Edamame Ravoili, and Wasabi-Crusted Filet Medallions.
The new menu was a long time in the making—Jason describes the process as a series of "baby steps"—but is something Jason is ultimately proud of. He says "we now have the chance to put out a nice menu and be proud of everything we're putting out."
Of all the dishes on the new menu, Gethin's favorites are the Star-Anise-Braised Beef Short Ribs and the Pan Seared Jumbo Scallops, two dishes that embrace the menu's philosophy of marrying mainland American ingredients with Polynesian flavors. He also likes the Goat Cheese Wontons, a dish that has been a menu staple since day one. I "can't take it off," he says of the dish, indicating its popularity with longtime guests.
Overall, Jason is quite happy at Mister Tiki. He particularly likes the hustle of downtown, and being in the center of everything that is going on in the vibrant neighborhood. Of course, as much as he likes the hustle, he also likes to relax once in a while. On his few days off, he says you can find him relaxing on the couch at home, or playing with his dog, an 80-pound husky/lab mix.