A longtime Wichita chef who left the profession is back, now heading YaYa's kitchen
Once a chef, always a chef.
Or, as Jeremy Wade says, "You can't keep a good chef down."
Two years after one of Wichita's longest-tenured and most-recognized chefs hung up his apron to pursue a food sales job with more reasonable hours, he's back.
Wade, whose long resume includes jobs cooking at many of Wichita's fine dining restaurants, is now heading the kitchen at YaYa's Eurobistro, the restaurant that's been open in Bradley Fair since 1995.
"I didn't like the sales thing too much," admitted Wade, 43.
Wade, who is the father of two young boys, had been working as the head chef at Siena Tuscan Steakhouse in 2015 when he accepted a job as a territory manager with Seattle Fish Co., a Denver-based seafood distributor. Those who knew Wade noticed that he didn't stay out of the kitchen much, though. He was spotted last year working at Georges French Bistro. (He was just helping friend George Youssef out in the evenings, he said.)
When YaYa's owner Ty Issa approached him about returning, he decided the time was right. Wade actually had worked as the head chef at YaYa's once before — from 2007 to 2009.
He said the restaurant is in much better shape now than when he worked there previously. Issa has done some much-needed updates and additions since taking over, Wade said, and he likes the way Issa runs the place.
"It was so chaotic when I was here the last time. It wasn't managed really well," Wade said. "But Ty's got a pretty efficient, organized and good crew in here now. They just didn't have anyone to teach them anything."
Wade had been a well-respected chef in Wichita for years. His resume included stints at The Candle Club, Lakeside Club, Uptown Bistro and Cibola. He also had a catering company and helped Meddy’s owner Alex Harb develop and launch the menu there.
He's about to launch his own new menu at YaYa's, he said, which will include several new pastas and appetizers with a Wade touch.
So far, he said, several of his old customers have come in to YaYa's to welcome him back to the kitchen.
"YaYa's has been around more than 20 years, and it's gone through ebbs and flows," he said. "I think me being back here will give people confidence to come back in."
This story was originally published June 21, 2018 at 9:36 AM with the headline "A longtime Wichita chef who left the profession is back, now heading YaYa's kitchen."