Shant Halajian

Even as a child in Aleppo, Syria, Shant Halajian dreamed of spending every day creating new dishes and composing beautiful plates. He started by plating up his mother’s home cooking and then, before he could reach the countertops, he was helping the prep cooks at a family friend's restaurant.

Since then, Chef Shant has blazed his way through some of the most revered kitchens in America- including Thomas’ Keller’s The French Laundry and Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen set.

After moving to Los Angeles at age 10, Chef Shant continued to spend summers in Aleppo helping out at the restaurant until the Syrian civil war made that impossible. While managing the emotional toll of losing friends and family, Chef Shant found solace through food when he took a job at Carousel Restaurant; a nearby Armenian eatery. 

Originally hired as a dishwasher, by the time Chef Shant turned 18, he was promoted to Chef de Cuisine. Chef Shant knew he was ready to take his career to the next level. After enrolling in ICE’s Culinary Arts program, Chef Shant continued to work at Carousel outside of school before landing an externship at the three-Michelin-starred restaurant The French Laundry under Chef Thomas Keller. 

After nearly two years there, Chef Shant was brought on as opening executive chef at The Glenmark Hotel in Glendale, CA. Overseeing two different restaurants, Chef Shant and his team ran breakfast, lunch and dinner service with a menu covering American, Japanese and Italian cuisine. 

Chef Shant most recently competed in Season 23 of Fox’s Hell’s Kitchen with Gordon Ramsay, in a special “Head Chefs Only” competition.