Located at the UVI 13D Research and Strategy Innovation Center on the Orville E. Kean St. Thomas campus, the student-run Wild Sage Restaurant & Bistro has recently relaunched. Under the leadership of Chef Tinashei Phillips, better known as “Chef Karma,” they are offering a wide variety of new flavors and fusions on their menu.
The UVI Center for Excellence in Leadership and Learning (CELL) was established over 20 years ago and is centered around providing professional development opportunities to students through various economic development programs. Their culinary program specifically features the following:
-
Chef instructors with real-world experience
-
Hands-on classes and workshops where you learn by doing
-
State-of-the-art professional kitchen
-
Internships and apprenticeships
-
Up-to-date industry trends and certifications
-
Community engagement opportunities and partnerships
As part of a two-week internship at the end of the culinary program, students work at the Wild Sage in order to get hands-on experience that cannot be gained from the classroom. UVI CELL Director Suzanne Darrow-Magras noted that in addition to learning from Phillips on the culinary side, “students take turns learning in the front and back of the house … from prepping food to mopping the floors to serving the customers.” She emphasized how important it is for the students to not only experience the glamorous parts of the culinary world but to also understand the additional factors that go into running and operating a restaurant.
Phillips, originally from St. Thomas, was brought back to the islands from South Florida as a consultant to assist in revamping the restaurant and the culinary arts program. “We really want to put UVI on the map with yummy, healthy, and nutritious food while still maintaining the flavors of the islands, so that is what we are working on right now,” Phillips noted. The restaurant offers a variety of fusion dishes, such as Hibachi-style tacos and bao buns, mixing Japanese and Caribbean fusion.
“We live in a tourism-based location … and with the economy being so tight, people want to know they are going to get good service and a good experience, so we really pride ourselves on making sure that students are able to deliver that upon graduation. We want to make sure that our students are workforce-ready with experience that can allow them to make a living wage,” Darrow-Magras told the Source.
The Wild Sage Restaurant & Bistro is open from Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information on their menu offerings, go to the Wild Sage Facebook Page.
