One of the most popular features of life in an Erickson community is the food! That’s because Erickson’s executive chefs have a reputation for creativity and culinary expertise.
Now they’ve opened their kitchens to The Erickson Tribune. With each issue, you’ll have the chance to meet an executive chef from the Erickson family who will also share a favorite recipe.
Mohammed Bayan
Chef de Cuisine
The Oak Room Restaurant
Cedar Crest, Pompton Plains, New Jersey
Mohammed Bayan “inherited” his place in the kitchen at a young age, and is now the Chef de Cuisine at Cedar Crest’s newest restaurant, The Oak Room.
“My mother got me started with cooking. There were six boys and six girls in my family. When my older sisters married and left the house, my mother moved me into their place to help in the kitchen. I really enjoyed it though,” Mohammed says.
He enjoyed it so much he decided to pursue cooking as a career. He attended Jordan Culinary School before immigrating to this country in 1975. He has held various jobs in dining services, and even had his own restaurant in Dallas, Tex., for five years.
“I’ve been working part-time at Cedar Crest since day one, but I finally decided to go full-time when the new restaurant opened. I liked the atmosphere here and the company. Erickson really looks out for its employees, much more so than anywhere else that I’ve worked,” he explains.