Zach Lewison, of Union Bar and Grille and IV Fame, Bids Beijing Adieu After Snagging Dream Job in Guam
From his work as the opening chef at Union Bar and Grille, to his stint as culinary director at Kro's Nest, and his long-running work at the Irish Volunteer, few of Beijing's food and beverage scenesters have put in as much time, or left as much of an impact, as Zach Lewison. But soon the Florida-born chef will end his decade-long run in the capital and head to the Pacific paradise of Guam to work at its glitzy Dusit resort as the chef de cuisine.
"I kinda get the last laugh as a lot of my friends poked fun at my love of Hawaiian shirts and learning the ukulele but that's now gonna come in handy!" jokes the lanky, bearded, and ever-affable 37-year-old chef and father of two, who is clearly excited to take advantage of this new opportunity. He says he plans to "work my ass off, and become part of an amazing Thai company that I can grow with. In my research of Guam I have found it to be an amazing little island that has everything I love; food, passion, WWII history, and beautiful beaches. My wife and I are just thrilled and honored to get this opportunity to take our young family over there and enjoy it."
However, that enthusiasm is coupled with a wistful sense of nostalgia for the bustling Chinese capital where he forged much of his career. "I don't think a day will ever go by that I don't miss Beijing for some reason. This is one of the world's greatest cities and it keeps getting better by the day. The people who come from around the world and add to it with amazing ideas and concepts are stunning."
"I will definitely miss all my friends and all the people who made me the man I am today," he adds, citing George and Trish Smith of the Irish Volunteer as some of the colleagues and friends who will be toughest to part with. Lewison goes on to recall meeting his wife, Tobey, at the Rickshaw, who he went on to have two children with that were born and raised thus far in the capital.
Some of his other fondest memories include getting into a snowball fight with Big Smoke founder Gordon Kutli and F&B blogger Jim Boyce on dirty bar street during an atypically wintery period in 2009, watching the 2008 Olympic's opening ceremony at Aperitivo, and of course the day he became a partner in the Irish Volunteer.
He goes on to thank the capital as a whole, saying: "I know sometimes you are dirty, smoggy, and frustrating. Then I remember everything that you are: a big beautiful city that has given me everything that I dreamed of, everything that I ever wanted and things I never even thought was possible. I love you Beijing."
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Email: kylemullin@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @MulKyle
Photos: the Beijinger, courtesy of Zach Lewison
