A Chef's Journey: Passion, Perseverance, and Plate perfection with Brandon Heim

Brandon Heim exudes an unwavering passion for his craft as a Chef, tirelessly perfecting his skills over the years. Each plate reflects not just his culinary expertise but also the dedication and fervor he pours into his work. From the infusion of exotic flavors to the selection of premium ingredients, his love for his craft shines through. For him, it's not merely a profession but a lifelong dedication, transcending the label of a mere "chef" or a job—it's his life's masterpiece.

Brandon Heim pictured above wearing Born Rival’s “Creators Cap”

How do you employ creativity and innovation into your work and go about showing your creativity, and vision, and how does diversity play a role in this too?

“Tons of research, sitting down and reading cook books then taking those core ideas of the dish, then from there adding in other ingredients or putting my own spin on the dish; I always like to think outside of the box. With so many different spices from different cultures you can take that main idea or ingredient like a protein and from there put it all together.” 

“This also includes a lot of trial and error, trying new things and old things to see what I like; traveling to Mexico is huge, going twice a year to take in different flavors and look into foreign foods to help expand and learn new things for myself.’’ 

“With different seasons comes different ingredients and diverse changing ingredients that you will have to work around to figure out, especially in New Jersey you find a lot of things not being in season and that can bring up some struggles but allows for diversity in the work I and my crew create.”

How do you keep up with new trends in the world, and how do these trends shape your work and creativity? How do you balance tradition with your own creativity and menu/food creation?

“Trends are not for me, I stay true to myself and create what I want to create; cooking the food I would like to eat.”

“I like my dishes to be authentic in ingredients but not in technique, putting my own spin on something that's traditional allowing for those dishes to come through but have them be my own with adding in or changing something about the dish.”

What made you want to open your own restaurant?

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. After years of working at Cardinal and then working at the Butchers block mastering what I love to do, Connor Halpin and James Murphy, my two best friends, decided it was time to open up our own place.”

“We all worked at Butchers Block together. It was something we always talked about doing, and once we all left it was something we continued talking about and wanted to do. In this same location I worked here with a man named Todd who asked me if I’d open up a pizza shop with him but once it got real he didn’t want to keep up with it, so I immediately called the landlord Mr. Mancer to acquire the building for what is now “Buoys”, it's something I’ve always just wanted to do, go to school, open a restaurant.”

What does it mean to be a chef, and how do you identify as a chef?

“I hate that word, chef. For me I don’t do this for accolades or for that title, I just view myself as a cook who loves what I do. I cringe when people call me that. - With my wife being pregnant with our first child it's become much more than just being a “chef”.”  

What inspired that? How has family and people around you molded you into who you are today?

“Olivia, my wife's dad, Rich. He was a sick cook. I was going to school for political science which just was not it, and he pushed me to enroll in culinary school. When he passed I continued doing it, essentially doing it for him and keeping that passion alive, and wish he could see it today, knowing that he would be here everyday, I keep my passion alive.” 

Was this always the dream?

“Yea! It was never out of the picture, go to school, work, open a restaurant, the craziest thing about it is I don’t view this as a job, I get to wake up and walk over the bridge, cook sandwiches with my best friends by day, then cook dinners by night”

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Brandon Heim is a dedicated culinary artist who consistently strives for excellence in every dish he creates. His commitment to pushing the boundaries of flavor and technique is matched only by his genuine love for the craft. His creativity and attention to detail infuse every dish with a unique blend of flavors that excite the senses and leave a lasting impression. Whether he's experimenting with new ingredients or perfecting a classic recipe, Brandon's culinary creations reflect his love for the art of cooking and his desire to share that joy with others. His enthusiasm for his craft radiates in every bite, ensuring that each experience is nothing short of extraordinary.