Social media chef proves DOUBTERS WRONG
Rameish DeSouza amazed by crowd at restaurant opening
After much anticipation, last Friday social media sensation and chef Rameish DeSouza opened his long anticipated restaurant, Rameish Kitchen.
Speaking with THE STAR, DeSouza said prior to the opening, he was very anxious because he had only made the announcement a day prior.
“With the opening, mi just do one-day promotion because me did really busy a work pon other things. I wanted to push out a promo video about the opening in advance like about one week before the opening, but time ketch up pon me and me a say ‘Yow, mi need fi open’. So me just put together a video fast and quick and just post it and the next day was the opening,” he said. “Mi deh yah now and me just a hope fi the best ... and before me even open ... ,” his voice trailed off. “I opened 10 a.m. and from 9 a.m. people was coming.” DeSouza said he was not prepared for the hoards of people who descended upon downtown Kingston for the opening. Quickly shackled to the kitchen to try and maximise on the opportunity, DeSouza said he isn’t sure when the food ran out, but in the afternoon they had to resort to just selling everything they had at their disposal.
“We di have a good amount of food and the orders were just coming in, coming in, and we just affi a send out food. I don’t even know what time we finish but even when the food was finished you have people still coming like ‘what you have ‘cause we come a long way and you guys don’t have anything, so just give we what you have’. We did have some lobster in the fridge that I wasn’t planning on selling but we just did affi fry dem and sell. Mi sell everything inna the restaurant, every single thing,” he said.
DeSouza, who shot to prominence with his cooking demonstrations on social media, expressed appreciation for all the support.
“When I see them [customers] in person, I can see the happiness in their eyes, the people that are proud of what I am doing. People tell me say them come all the way from St Ann, Westmoreland just fi come try the food and this isn’t even a big dine-in restaurant. It’s just a take-out restaurant. Even today people a come a say they come for their birthday to try the food and I’m saying ‘wow people really a prioritise the spot’, so me really love and appreciate dem,” he said.
DeSouza, having been the head chef and organiser of Friday’s activities, told THE STAR that he is not the type of person who goes on social media to prove anything.
“When me hear people say this or say that, mi a the last fi reply or even say nothing because me know weh me know and the truth cannot hide. Me feel good. Me feel like this is a big accomplishment because even when me just come about and want to open my dream restaurant, a lot of people did not believe me. So now mi just feel good and mi have a lot more restaurants to open and mi have further fi go,” he said.
Rameish Kitchen operates from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Mondays to Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays.
“Right now I’m coming up with a standard menu, just one steady menu that people can expect anytime of day,” he said.