Stella’s Caribbean

How Kemar Dawkins serves inspiration at Stella’s Caribbean in Brooklyn.

Photographer: Julia Gillard

Published: July 26, 2022

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Kemar Dawkins, sous-chef at Stella’s Caribbean in Brooklyn, NY.

New York,
Brooklyn

Every cook’s journey is unique and Kemar Dawkins, 37 is no exception.

Kemar is a native of Rae Town, a fishing village in Kingston, Jamaica, where he grew up eating freshly caught snapper and gravitated cooking at a young age. He first learned how to make dishes from his grandmother, who taught him how to cook rice, beans, and strawberry box cake. “That’s when the passion developed,” he says. Today, Kemar lives in Washington Heights, a lively neighborhood in upper Manhattan, and works as a sous-chef at Stella’s Caribbean in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

7:30 AM: Taking Sweet Time in the Morning

For Kemar, the start of the day begins with a moment of calm: soaking in the beautiful view of the George Washington Bridge from his apartment. Shortly after, rather than rushing, he eases into the morning with his fiancée, Jannefer Jaundoo, a nursing aide. “We just lay in bed and talk about anything,” he says. Finances, life, their intertwined future. They chat until it’s time for Kemar to shower, get dressed, and walk to the subway.

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http://One%20Americano,%20no%20sugar,%20no%20cream,%20to%20go.

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Top: In search of caffeine early in the morning.  
Bottom: One Americano, no sugar, no cream, to go.

Grabbing a seat on the A train with coffee in hand.

8:00 AM: Brooklyn-Bound and Buzzing with Energy

Kemar’s recipe for a great commute is simple: strong coffee, a good soundtrack, and a seat on the A train. The journey from Washington Heights to Stella’s Caribbean in Park Slope can take up to 80 minutes, but before heading underground to the subway, Kemar grabs a strong Americano coffee from a local bodega, just the way he likes it: “Just black.” Before he’s finished his coffee, he’s boarded the southbound A train, music soundtracking his commute. “Music relaxes me and gets me in the mood to work,” he says. Sometimes it’s Aretha Franklin or maybe Bob Marley, whose name is tattooed on his arm. “I just press play on my phone and whatever’s in my ears, I listen.”

The walls at Stella’s are covered in customers’ handwritten praise.

Fish, cleaned, prepared, and ready to be fired up. TK.

Kemar stirs a large pot of slow-cooked oxtail.

Getting every sweet kernel from a freshly boiled corn cob requires a steady hand.

A tray full of desserts on its way to the oven.

The walls at Stella’s are covered in customers’ handwritten praise.

Fish, cleaned, prepared, and ready to be fired up. TK.

Kemar stirs a large pot of slow-cooked oxtail.

Getting every sweet kernel from a freshly boiled corn cob requires a steady hand.

A tray full of desserts on its way to the oven.

9:45 AM: Every Great Dish Begins with Great Prep

As soon as Kemar arrives at Stella’s Caribbean—a cheery, family-run restaurant—he greets co-owner Duwaine Harris. Service doesn’t start until noon, but Kemar clocks in to prep meats, seafood, and vegetables. First, he focuses on the most time-intensive task: preparing oxtail, a staple protein in Caribbean cuisine. Trimming excess fat, seasoning, and cooking oxtail until it’s tender can take up to six hours. Afterward, he moves on to “the light stuff,” like blanching vegetables or making rice and peas. Every day is prep day. “We try to keep the food as fresh as possible.”

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http://Steaming%20hot%20takeout%20orders%20waiting%20for%20pick-up

http://Serving%20tables%20of%20hungry%20customers%20is%20always%20a%20balancing%20act

Every order goes out as soon as it hits the plate (first). Steaming hot takeout orders waiting for pick-up (second). Serving tables of hungry customers is always a balancing act (third).

12:00 PM: Keeping Ahead of Fast-Moving Orders

When the first orders of the day start rolling in, Kemar is already fired up and ready to go. By this time, his station is always fully prepared, because according to him, good service requires a stress-free environment. “Once a ticket comes in, I ask the server, ‘Are you ready for this fire?’ If they say yeah, then I fire the food rather than have customers wait 15 minutes.” Stella’s open air design places diners right next to the kitchen, and Kemar finds calm in being so close to the sounds and sights of customers enjoying their food. “I feel comfortable that the food is out and they’re enjoying it. I love making people happy.”

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Taking a quick breather to check in with a loved one.

5:00 PM: Breaktime, Where Not a Minute Goes to Waste

With Stella’s evening rush, breaktime for Kemar starts at 5pm and only lasts 30 minutes. But even though it’s his break, Kemar doesn’t give himself much downtime since there’s always something to do. “If I have time on my hands, I’ll go find something to do or prep food,” he says. He prefers tackling any pressing jobs for the dinner rush or preemptively tackling tomorrow’s to-do list. “If I get it done today, I don’t have to do it tomorrow.” If his to-do list is clear, he’ll treat himself to a protein shake from down the street or connect with his fiancée. “I’ll call her just to see how she’s doing at work.”

The last step to closing out: taking off the uniform.

8:00 PM: Cooling Down Before Rolling Out

As one of the first people to arrive for work at Stella’s, Kemar gets to clock out on the earlier side. But there’s one final task left: setting up the closing shift for success. About an hour before closing, he breaks down his station and soaks pots and pans. “When it’s time for washing, it’s as easy as one, two, three,” he says. Kemar plans ahead of closing time and slowly cools leftover food and sauces—a crucial step—before placing them in the refrigerator. “If you put them in the fridge hot, the sauces can go bad or you can destroy that fridge,” he explains. It’s yet another kind of prep work, one that allows him to leave for the commute home on time. “When it’s closing time, I’m done and ready to go.”

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Back on the A train again and it’s a straight shot home.

9:30 PM: Headed Home: Back to Washington Heights

Every shift at Stella’s is hard work and leaves Kemar wiped out. But that doesn’t mean his day is over. After a subway ride back to Washington Heights, he looks forward to his evening ritual of videogames and quality time with his fiancée, which usually means watching a movie together—her choice. “Happy wife, happy life, right?”