Within one week chef Jesus Silva will break down two huge tunas, both for his restaurants and for SURF Seafood Competition, happening this Thursday, July 31.
But portioning out fish is just part of his job, and when not working the festival circuit you can find him busy at McGregor Square with Toro Ramen, and Golden Mill, where he runs the food program. And now, you can get a glimpse of his life as he takes over our Instagram stories on Tuesday, July 29.
The Chef
Silva started working in kitchens around the age of 10 or 11, he said, which came out of a necessity to help support his family. The chef grew up in Monterrey, Mexico, an area known for its grilling culture, and especially cabrito, or roasted young goat. For Silva, the first restaurant he worked in was focused on grilling chicken.
Eventually Silva went on to study electronics, which he didn’t take to. So, back in the kitchen he went, realizing he already found the path to his career. The chef took on a job at a Mexican brewing company, running the cafeteria for 1,500 employees. He did that until his brother had a bad accident in Colorado, which was how Silva ended up moving to the United States and Denver.
“I had to move here and we take care of him, he became quadriplegic after the accident,” said Silva, who knew no English or anything about living in the United States when he came here in 2002. Now, he speaks English and little Japanese and Vietnamese too. “It was interesting times, moving to a place where the language is different and the culture is different, it was an overnight change, it was pretty crazy.”
The chef quickly got a job working for Richard Sandoval and Tamayo, a place he admired for Sandoval’s smart take on running restaurants. Soon after, he went on to work at the now closed Mao Asian Bistro & Sushi Lounge in Cherry Creek.
“They built that restaurant, you have no idea how beautiful it was, it was something else,” said Silva, who loved working with “rock star” chefs from Asia. “Colorado didn’t see a restaurant like that in those days.”
Silva started working with chef Bryan Nagao, who inspired his love of Asian food. And, under the guidance of Mao’s founder Jim Sullivan, he grew his skills into the sushi realm.
Fast forward 36 years and that kid roasting chickens in Mexico now runs multiple kitchens in Colorado. In 2021 Silva started with Golden Mill in Golden, and now heads all the kitchens in the food hall save for Rolling Smoke BBQ and Happy Cones. He also operates Toro Ramen in Mile Post Zero, the food hall connected to McGregor Square. Soon, he said, he’ll open his own multi-concept space called District, launching soon off of Federal Boulevard and 104th Street.
The Takeover
Right before showcasing his skills with tuna at SURF, Silva will take us through a semi-normal day of his and give a sneak peek at what we can expect at the festival. But first, he starts his day at the Golden Mill early at 7 a.m. Once he’s settled in the food hall, he moves to McGregor Square to manage Toro Ramen.
We probably won’t see him with his two soccer-loving kids, 8 and 6, but we are hoping to get a glimpse of his two xoloitzcuintles, or Mexican hairless dogs.
But what you will for sure see is a chance to win a $100 gift card to Call Me Pearl, a SURF competitor that’s located inside McGregor Square. Many of you know the drill, but here’s how to win anyway. Make sure you’re following DiningOut Denver and Golden Mill, and McGregor Square on Instagram, and comment on the post. You get extra entries for every non-follower you tag.
