Class of 2006 alumnus Mr. Darren Sayphraraj secures his cooking apron as he prepares for another busy day at his restaurant. The aroma of freshly-made broth and the sound of a knife cutting baby vegetables welcomes customers to a chic dining atmosphere.
“I have always had an interest in food and cooking starting at a young age,” Mr. Sayphraraj said. “I would cook Thanksgiving dinner for my family, but I never really considered cooking professionally until after college.”
After graduating from Temple City High School, Mr. Sayphraraj spent four years studying at UC Irvine. Later, he flew to New York to work at Michelin-starred restaurants such as The Modern, The Nomad and Dovetail.
Mr. Sayphraraj was chosen from a pool of applicants to debut his own restaurant, We Have Noodles, at Smorgasburg LA, an open-air market located in the Alameda Produce Market in Downtown LA.
Mr. Sayphraraj has made an appearance on the Food Network channel. He competed in season 14, episode seven of “Beat Bobby Flay” and ultimately defeated chef Bobby Flay with his hot and sour soup in the final round.
“The funny thing about the restaurant industry now and LA culture in general is that there is a focus on ‘celebrity’ or ‘brand,’” Mr. Sayphraraj said. “Going on ‘Beat Bobby Flay’ for me was a great way to market the restaurant as the episode aired very close to the opening date. In no way does my victory validate or a loss invalidate my career and the time that I put in to even be considered for something like that.”
Mr. Sayphraraj currently dedicates his time to running his restaurant.
“Taking a look at my process and journey from Temple City High School to New York to having my own small business, I am happy that I am still standing here today and my restaurant is open,” Mr. Sayphraraj said. “As far as We Have Noodles is concerned, we can go as far as we can within the parameters. It is hard to say what the future holds but as long as I have a creative outlet for myself you will be able to eat my food somewhere.”
TCHS School Newspaper