Foodie Chap With Executive Chef Ben Mattman of Level III

The son of a chef and restaurateur, Executive Chef Ben Mattman grew up in a home where bonding over a wonderful meal was a family tradition.
"My fondest memories start at the dinner table, where food brought us together to share moments big and small," says Mattman.

As the Executive Chef of the JW Marriott San Francisco Union Square, Ben views its signature restaurant, Level III, as a gathering place where people can savor delicious food and conversation in a relaxed, stylish environment.

"I want Level III to be a place where memories are made and the rich bounty of Northern California makes this idea possible. Our menu celebrates fresh seasonal ingredients sourced from local farmer's markets and artisan purveyors. The ingredients are the stars and my job is to help them deliver their best performance," he adds.

At age 13, Mattman began working at his father's restaurant, La Brochette, in Vancouver, Canada. Upon graduating from high school, Mattman moved to Switzerland where he received classic French culinary training and served a three-year apprenticeship at a hotel in Bern. He soon was hired by the esteemed Waldorf Hotel in London and catered to clients in its famous Palm Court and Waldorf Restaurant.

His career led him back to Vancouver. He worked at the famed William Tell Restaurant and then served as Executive Chef & Food and Beverage Manager at the Swan-e-Set Bay Resort and Country Club. He then accepted the position of Executive Sous Chef at the Renaissance Vancouver Hotel Harbourside in 2003 and, within two years, was honored with the highly coveted Marriott International ACE Rising Star award.

In 2006, Mattman was named Executive Chef of the JW Marriott San Francisco Union Square and introduced Level III Restaurant and Lounge. He also oversees banquets and in-room dining at the luxury hotel.

We met at the LEVEL III dining room for our Foodie Chap chat where Chef served a tasty dish for the season - Grilled Wild King Salmon. The recipe is below.

Enjoy the chat!

KCBS Foodie Chap Podcast:

(credit: Foodie Chap/Liam Mayclem)

Grilled Wild King Salmon
with Watermelon Salad, Crispy Hobb's Bacon and Poached Roma

Primary Ingredients:
- 2 x 6 oz. portion of wild king salmon
- 4 thin strips of crispy Hobb's bacon
- 1 head frisee lettuce
- 1 cup arugula
- 1 lemon

GRILLED LOCAL WILD SALMON

Directions
- Portion salmon, remove pin bones, leave skin on (You can easily remove the skin after grilling if you do not like it.)
- Season with salt and pepper, brush very lightly with olive oil
- Grill on all sides, move to a slow temperature part of grill and let it pull through to desired temperature
- Squeeze fresh lemon on top of salmon

MARINATED WATERMELON

Ingredients
- 2 cups of large cubed watermelon
- 1 tblsp lemon juice

- 2 basil leaves
- 3 leaves mint
- 1 tblsp white balsamic
- 1 tsp honey

Directions
- Cube watermelon, put in vacuum bag (or zip lock bag) with lemon, basil, mint, white balsamic and honey
- Place in refrigerator overnight

POACHED TOMATOES

Ingredients
- 4 ripe Roma Tomatoes, blanched peeled and deseeded
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 thyme sprigs
- 2 bay leaf
- 1 tsp whole black pepper

Directions
- Cut cleaned tomatoes into strips
- Place in a small pot, cover with olive oil, thyme, bay leaf and black pepper
- Poach in oven at 250 degrees for 20 minutes
- Remove and chill in fridge overnight

To assemble the entree salad, combine marinated watermelon and poached tomatoes and toss them with frisee lettuce and arugula. Top with grilled salmon and bacon and enjoy!

Recipe serves two people.

Enjoy!