Chef Jose Aleman is driven by the pursuit of perfection. This ambition has led him to “always push myself, I want to be the best at everything I do,” and has been the primary motivating force in his rapid rise through the ranks in the competitive Las Vegas culinary scene. As the Regional Chef de Cuisine for BOA Steakhouse, Sushi Roku, and the soon-to-open Katana, Chef Aleman’s supreme precision and attention to detail serve him well, and promise an uncompromisingly extravagant experience for visitors to any location.
Chef Aleman knew from an early age that he wanted to become a chef. He started working as a dishwasher in a restaurant in Chicago at age fifteen and quickly moved up the ranks, becoming a lead line cook within seven years. Moving to Las Vegas, he took the position of lead cook at Eiffel Tower and was soon promoted to sous chef, where he stayed for three years. He left Eiffel Tower to help celebrity chef Kerry Simon open Simon Kitchen and Bar and worked there for two years before being invited to open BOA Steakhouse as executive sous chef. Another year of hard work at BOA led to his promotion to chef de cuisine, and soon after, regional chef de cuisine for the Innovative Dining Group. His goal is to become the Executive Corporate Chef for the Innovative Dining Group, a lofty but by no means unreachable goal in light of Chef Aleman’s near meteoric rise within the company.
Chef Aleman’s perfectionism is well-suited to the BOA Steakhouse menu: his keen palate and deft maneuverings of the dichotomous French and classic steakhouse traditions make for a sublimely decadent culinary reinvention. His favorite ingredient, foie gras, is a tell-tale indicator of the indulgent nature of the BOA cuisine, as is his favorite dish on the menu, the Signature Surf and Turf, that boasts Australian Lobster Tail, American Kobe, foie gras, and truffles for a dish that you “can’t go wrong with; it’s the best of the kitchen.” Chef Aleman’s reverence for ingredients isn’t relegated only to the most extravagant, however. He believes that “perfection is very important with whatever I make, with any dish” and above all, seeks to create dishes that “showcase the clean flavors of the ingredients I work with.”
Despite this emphasis on perfectionism, Chef Aleman places little importance on the culinary provenance of his employees: “I don’t care where they come from or who they are. I am looking for young, green talent. What’s most important is that the person is hungry to learn; that’s what I’m looking for.” This hunger for learning is at the core of Chef Aleman’s philosophy. While he is always striving to be the best, he recognizes that the achievement of perfection is not nearly as important as its constant pursuit: “Never think you’re the best because when you think you’re the best, you stop learning. It is important to stay hungry.” One thing is clear: Chef Aleman’s tireless hunger for perfection certainly makes us all hunger for more of his delightfully satisfying dishes at BOA Steakhouse.