Deborah Scott
Executive Chef
Island Prime, Indigo Grill, Kemo Sabe

A native of Virginia Beach, Virginia, Deborah Scott attributes her diverse tastes and love of spicy, exotic foods to her strong creative mind.  She perfected her talent of pairing together different tastes in the graduate studies program at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park.  With plenty of knowledge and skill, Deborah quickly gained hands-on experience at the award-winning Clark Cookhouse and Whitehouse Tavern in Newport, Rhode Island.  She then moved on to be Executive Sous Chef for two years at Monterey Plaza Hotel’s Delfino’s On The Bay.

After moving to California in 1992, Deborah Scott opened the acclaimed Mediterraneo in Alpine.  Her cooking demonstrates a unique creative flair that has built a strong following of loyal clients.  More recently, Deborah introduced Indigo Grill to San Diego’s Little Italy.  She created the restaurant’s menu, operated both the front and back of the house, and developed everything from the logo to Indigo Grill’s unique décor.

In October 1995, Deborah met with David and Lesley Cohn about creating a restaurant with a southwestern influence and Asian flair.  Deborah Scott has since teamed up with the Cohns to launch Kemo Sabe in Hillcrest.  As the mastermind behind the menu’s eclectic Pacific Rim menu, she created a diverse menu of thoughtfully prepared dishes.  For starters, the Roasted Nut Crusted Fried Brie and Thai Fish Chowder, brimming with mussels, fresh fish, prawns and New Mexico chiles, are spectacular.  Popular entrees include the Tahini Chicken Salad with spicy Chinese noodles in a ginger-sesame vinaigrette, Mad about Moo with spring onion cake enchiladas stuffed with moo shu pork in a Szechwan peppercorn plum salsa, and the enticing Skirts on Fire, a char-broiled chili skirt steak smothered in onions and Mandarin-serrano relish.

Guests are pleasantly surprised by the exceptional attention to detail paid by Chef Scott to the presentation of food.  “I love to combine different textures on a plate and ad an element of creativity to the composition,” says Scott.  It’s not uncommon for a guest at Kemo Sabe to be served a plate of sushi and dim sum encircled by intertwining snakes made from oriental sauces and slivered vegetables.

Deborah declares that any food will taste good as long as it is put together and prepared correctly.  “It’s like a jigsaw puzzle.  Figure out what foods fit together and you’ll create a masterpiece,” says Deborah Scott.

Chef Scott's Celebrity Dine Around >>
View Event Schedule >>