Calling All Culinary Students & K-Food Enthusiasts

Chef Patrice Cunningham— Founder, Executive Chef, Tae-Gu Kimchi & Cooking with Patrice

Born and raised in Washington, DC, Patrice Cunningham is the founder of Cooking with Patrice LLC, which focuses on sharing her culinary passion and heritage for Korean-American cuisines. She started her catering business in April 2019. When the pandemic hit, she took the opportunity to focus on her dream goal of getting her mother’s kimchi recipe into the grocery stores. She is currently selling her kimchi products (Tae-Gu Kimchi) at several farmers markets. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from George Washington University and an MBA from Nova Southeastern University in Florida. Her long-term goal is to get her brand into all the major grocery stores in DC and ultimately throughout the country. In her free time she teaches a weekly kids cooking class on Zoom that focuses on healthy eating and cooking techniques.

Chef Xavier Deshayes — Executive Chef, Washington & Lee University

Before becoming the Executive Chef at the Washington and Lee University, Chef Xavier was the Executive Chef for the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center since 2001 overseeing the kitchens in one of the nation’s largest buildings, and the site for some of DC’s most notable meetings and special events, catapults. Chef Xavier is a socially responsible chef at the forefront of developing sustainable and environmentally conscious menus. Born in the restaurant business, as a young boy in Béziers, France, he developed a passion for his craft early in life. With formal culinary training and over ten years of experience in award-winning restaurants. What he loves about Korean food is its complex flavors and tastes from the layering of spices, diversity of ingredients and the variety of utilized cooking methods.

Chef Bradley Nairne — Executive Chef and Director of Food and Beverage Operations,
Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner

Chef Bradley joins Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner Center from the Grand Hyatt Washington D.C., where he served as the Executive Chef for 9 years. Overall, Bradley has been delighting the taste buds of Hyatt guests for more than 20 years!

He has worked as an Executive Chef and Sous Chef at the Hyatt Regency in Miami, Atlanta, Boston, and Washington, where he’s won countless awards for his amazing work. He has always been a huge fan of Asian cuisine and culture but discovered his love of Korean food while working at the Grand Hyatt Washington. Chef Bradley attended the Culinary School at Colchester Institutes, School of Hotel and Catering Studies and received his diploma in Advanced Professional Cookery. In his spare time, Bradley loves to spend time with his wife and son, cook delicious food, drink coffee from his English flag mug (because that’s where he’s from), and indulge in the best cheeses.

Robin Rhee — President, Rhee Bros Inc.

Robin’s expertise is in the Asian food import and distribution industry. Skilled in business planning, management, sales, strategic planning, and business development. He left his family’s Asian food distribution business, Korean Farm, and moved to Maryland to take over the responsibilities from his father at Rhee Bros., one of the largest Asian food importers and distributors in the US. Robin received a Bachelor of Science (BS) focused in Marketing and International Business from NYU. He is married with two sons and one daughter.