Soul Stirring

SETTING THE PACE: For Yusef Kone, Philadelphia was the place to start his cooking career: "New York was too fast and Indianapolis was too slow."

Far from his Ivory Coast origins, chef Yusef Kone finds a new home in Philadelphia's soul food nexus.

by Deborah Bolling

When Issoufu Kone arrived here from the Ivory Coast six years ago, he had never worked as a cook, nor had he even considered it. Today, though, the 32-year-old who calls himself Yusef muses that he’s now head chef at Bluezette, one of Old City’s most popular upscale soul food eateries. And, to his own surprise, he’s a natural.

"I never thought -- ever -- that I would become a cook," he says, sitting leisurely on a sofa in one of the color-themed dining rooms of the Market Street restaurant. "Back home, if you see me in the kitchen, it means I'm hungry. I never went there for anything else."

Born in Abidjan and raised in cities throughout the Ivory Coast, Yusef says that for 10 years he managed his dad's store while also living under his rule. He moved to the United States to show his father that he was capable of taking care of himself. With French as his native tongue, Yusef could have easily relocated to France. But he says learning English added to the challenge of living in the U.S. Once here, he decided to settle in Philadelphia because "New York was too fast and Indianapolis was too slow" -- plus his brother was already living here.

"Of course, I miss home," he says. "What I miss most is my family, and the way that we lived together. We lived and ate together every day. Here, you live and eat by yourself."

Yusef, tall and lanky with an easy smile, says that he hasn't been home in six years, pointing out that the $1,200 airline ticket has been an obstacle.

"People here don't know much about Africa," he says. "They think we live in jungles, but we actually have big cities. Unfortunately, though, most [Americans] will never get to see it for themselves because it's too expensive to go there. And the way Africa is portrayed on television, people think that there's disease everywhere and no food anywhere. But it's not really like that. It's beautiful."

When he first arrived in America, Yusef worked as a trucker, driving the big rigs because he says he "loved to travel." But when he came to Philadelphia, his brother suggested that he work at a restaurant. His first job was as a dishwasher at Cibo, a Chinese-French restaurant then on South Street. Seven months later, he landed a job at Zanzibar Blue, a popular restaurant and jazz club in Center City.

"During the three years that I was at Zanzibar, I went from being a prep cook to a line cook to sous chef," he says. "In life, sometimes if you want to do something enough, you focus and it'll happen."

Moving up the ranks at Zanzibar, Yusef says he kept an eye on the head chef, always watching to learn something new. During a tempestuous weekend at the restaurant, three members of the kitchen staff quit unexpectedly. Only Yusef remained. He says he called on a personal friend for help and the two became responsible for feeding the hundreds of diners that continued to patronize the establishment. For a solid month, they worked seven days a week, often 17 hours a day. Then, after an incident that he describes as unsettling, but won't discuss in detail, he quit. Two weeks later, Bluezette owner Delilah Winder hired him without hesitation.

"People didn't think I could leave," he says. "But I knew it was a good time -- and I'd have to say, it was a good decision."

At Bluezette, Yusef started out as sous chef. A year later he was promoted to head chef. Yusef has introduced some new items to the menu, including his own variations on oxtails and plantains, plus his special pomegranate sauce. He loves his job -- but there's just one small problem: He's Muslim, and pork, which his religion forbids him from eating or even handling, is currently a popular item on the menu.

"Next menu -- no pork," he says, grinning. "People will get to try something else, and they're going to like it. They'll find out how good it is."

On Feb. 15, Yusef will become a bona fide celebrity when he's featured on the Food Network in a special hosted by Al Roker honoring Black History Month. He says that when the show's producers called Bluezette's main office and learned that the new head chef was African, they insisted that he be on the show.

"I'm excited about it," he says modestly. "It's the first time I've ever been on television. I'm going to send a tape home to my family."

Eventually, Yusef says he plans to open his own restaurant, most likely in West Philly.

"I won't serve pork and I don't want to sell alcohol," he says. "Instead, I'll make and serve my own ginger juice and I'll also make flower juice -- it looks just like red wine, and it's good for your blood, too. I could never do that in Old City."

Bluezette, 246 Market St., 215-627-3866.