BBH LA Special: Feeding Hollywood

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Feeding Hollywood means sometimes swallowing your pride, but for chef Yossi Machluf it was a matter of following an instinct to be the best at whatever he does. Machluf's accession within the rarified world of event catering began in 2003 when he moved from Israel to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a salsa instructor. But, after a catered event where the food was just... bleh, Yossi decided he could do it better. So he did. He started his own catering business, working for years building a name for himself. He’s catered film sets, music videos and crafted recipes to please Hollywood’s most finicky palates.

“I love that the expectations are higher in Hollywood, the taste is more expensive,” says Yossi about cooking for Hollywood. It certainly makes for some great stories. Like the party that ended with a well known porn star stripping down and jumping into a hot tub. Or a ten thousand dollar job with the caveat of presenting each dish in its most rustic form. Yossi made the forks out of wood and filled bamboo cones with tuna tartare. And then there was the paleo power lunch where he almost lost a finger slicing pounds of Brussels sprouts. Yossi adds that every Hollywood party doubles in size. The other night he was supposed to be cooking for 35, but he lost count at 80. So it's no shock, when asked where he likes to eat out in L.A., Yossi replies, “I just got done feeding 1,600 people this month, I don’t have time to go out.”

The simple, clean, yet expressive flavors Yossi creates are what make his food so memorable. Lucky are those who get to wine and dine on Yossi's bite-sized masterpieces; for the rest of us it's simply a feast for the eyes.