subject: How Ahmad Khawaja Gave Up Medical Residency To Follow His Dreams [print this page] Food today is not just for comfort, to fill in empty stomachs but it is also about plating, design, innovation, and heart. Ahmad Khajawa, just dreamt of opening a small food house in New Jersey but he ended up having 2 other branches because people loved his recipes of steak, burgers, and even chili cheese rice bowls. Not only that, it is just affordable making it a haven for most of his costumers.
Ahmad Khawaja was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah in a small home of 5. His mother, an American was a teacher in middle school, while his father, half American is a doctor. Since he was young, he admittedly loved watching cooking shows because he said there is something in them that makes him happy. Growing up, he and his sisters would cook and try out experiments on different foods found in cooking books their mom used for family dinners. But his father, wanted him to become a doctor
He was a brilliant school boy with above high averages and he also loved science but cooking and experimenting on food has always been his favorite. Ahmad Khawaja's family then moved to Princeton because his father taught in their medical school.
He took a pre-med course and eventually entered med school. Medicine has always been good to him and he gets a high score but during his residency, he called it quits and went to study for a culinary school. His father was angry and couldn't accept what he did but he fought for it. Thus, he never asked anything from his family in paying for his tuition. Instead, he worked as a food server in a restaurant and then he became a sous chef. The restaurant he used to work in specializes in Mediterranean cuisine with Asian infusion. He continued to work there and soon enough, his father accepted and realized that it his Ahmad's dream to be a chef. He then supported his son and after he graduated from culinary school, he helped him in putting up a restaurant.
Initially, Ahmad Khawaja thought of making a Mediterranean inspired restaurant. But his love for steaks, burgers, hot dogs and even spaghetti overpowered his Mediterranean training. He then experimented on the ingredients and put up a small restaurant along New Jersey. Soon after, people come rushing in everyday to get their daily dose of burgers where big and juicy patty on topped with melted cheese and homemade chili sauce.
