Iverson Guo: Why Crisp, Clean Flavors Matter More Than Overly Complex Menus

As part of our series about “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became a Restaurateur”, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Iverson Guo.

As a Chinese immigrant, Iverson Guo, Head Chef and Owner of Karma Asian Fusion, is extremely proud of the community he has built around his restaurant. The meaning behind the name Karma does not slip Iverson. The Buddhist concept of what goes around, comes around, directly reflects his mission behind bringing world-class cuisine to the suburbs of Massachusetts.

Not only does Iverson serve award-winning sushi, but he also works to serve his community. Karma continuously hosts non-profit events and is the benefactor of charity organizations in his award winning restaurants.Within the walls of Karma, Iverson has designed an atmosphere that embodies the communities that built him. Throughout Karma guests can gaze at authentic Asian-inspired art, including a focal piece hand-painted by Iverson’s own father.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to ‘get to know’ you a bit. Can you share with our readers a story about what inspired you to become a restauranteur or chef?

When I was younger and working in New York City Time square an upscale Asian Fusion Restaurant Ruby Foos and catering, I learned about the art of sushi from my mentors. Watching them turn cuisine into art, the way that they were able to balance flavors and create exciting dishes, really peaked my interest. Their artistic qualities were added to their dishes and that truly inspired me to become a chef.

Do you have a specific type of food that you focus on? What was it that first drew you to cooking that type of food? Can you share a story about that with us?

My focus is definitely centered around Asian fusion cuisine. It’s really an innovative version of East meets West, and I was automatically drawn to it. Taking Asian cuisine, complimenting it with the delicate flavors of France, it always seemed so intriguing. French flavors are as complex as Asian cuisine. This makes it an ever changing and dynamic task each time I create a new dish! I think that it is hard to pinpoint an exact story for this kind of influence in my life. It’s more of a feeling or experience. To watch a person’s reaction as each flavor envelops their senses is really what draws me to this kind of food.

Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that happened to you since you became a chef or restaurateur? What was the lesson or take away you took out of that story?

I think the most interesting story that happened to me since I started as a chef would have to be how the name of my restaurant, Karma, came to be. I was catering in Massachusetts for the New England Patriots and some players and guests had stayed late. I made them some of my specialties and it was them that encouraged me to open my restaurant and call it Karma. It might sound sentimental but that was when I realized I really had a talent people would want me to share with them. It was the spark that lit the fire.

Can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey? How did you overcome this obstacle?

Any new business owner faces difficulties when beginning. For me, it was even more difficult starting in a suburban town that didn’t have much diversity at the time. How could I advertise so that people will want to try something new? How would I explain Asian fusion to a community that hadn’t yet experienced it? I was pushing boundaries with the cuisine we were serving but that was the point. To push boundaries and open up minds. This was a nerve wracking time to say the least. I had a dream and I had to stick to it. Patience was a big part of overcoming this obstacle. It was a challenge to get people to try something new, but once they did, my food spoke for itself.

In your experience, what is the key to creating a dish that customers are crazy about?

In my experience, simply, crisp, clean flavors are the key. That’s not to say the dish isn’t complex. Take our Himachi Thai Basil special. It’s yellowtail, Thai basil, and fried shallot in a homemade mignonette sauce. It is a complex sushi but the flavors come in crisp and clean. First, the tang of the mignonette hits your taste buds, then the spice of the Thai Basil joins in closely followed by the crunch of the fried shallot. That’s an experience our customers go crazy for!

Personally, what is the ‘perfect meal for you’?

The perfect meal for me is traditional with a new twist. I greatly appreciate my heritage and the cuisine I was raised on. Asian food is in a category all it’s own with its rich spices and diverse ingredients. Taking that foundation and adding European influence takes a traditional dish and makes it the perfect meal. Food that brings comforting nostalgia together with the alluring, enticing flavors of European culture. I especially enjoy dishes that incorporate seasonal truffle oils.

Where does your inspiration for creating come from? Is there something that you turn to for a daily creativity boost?

I draw inspiration from people and cultures. I never settle for what I have but instead strive to think out of the box. This includes exploring how different cultures use the same ingredients to make wildly different meals. On a daily basis, a diverse population comes into my restaurant. As a chef, there is no greater inspiration than watching people of many backgrounds congregate and enjoy your food. Their energy and their reactions are a constant creativity boost!

Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? What impact do you think this will have?

I am always working on something new and exciting. Each restaurant I own has its own flavor or specialty if you will. Whether the menu is based on a traditional Chinese flare with a fusion twist or based on a more Malaysian cuisine with French influences, it’s important to me to keep creating unique experiences for my guests. I’m also very grateful for my success and because of that I make sure to show my gratitude by consistently working with the community whether it be donating lunches to first responders or raising money for local charities like Andover Cares. I think that this will create a stronger relationship between Karma and our communities which is always my number one goal.

What advice would you give to other chefs or restaurateurs to thrive and avoid burnout?

My advice would be to surround yourself with people that you trust. Many chefs and restaurateurs like to oversee everything because they are so passionate about their work. If you have partners or employees that care for your business the way that you do, you can actually enjoy your work instead of micromanaging. It’s a lot easier to say than to do and it’s a skill I’m consistently working on as well.

Thank you for all that. Now we are ready for the main question of the interview. What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started as a Restauranteur or Chef” and why? Please share a story or an example for each.

1. Always continue to learn. For example, I think that it is easy to get lost in the day to day business aspect of running a restaurant. It is consuming to say the least and leads to burn out and complacency if you are not careful. You should always push yourself to learn and evolve. Change and growth are always a bit intimidating but they are also extremely rewarding.
2. Surround yourself with diverse thinkers. I think it is nice to be surrounded by like minded people that are consistently agreeable. It is even better to have people in your career that challenge your ideas and force you to see things from a different perspective. This is how you truly find success.
3. Never underestimate a little elbow grease. Hard work is severely underestimated, especially in the instant gratification culture we live in today. If you are determined and you have a dream, the most important thing you can do is put in the work. When you feel defeated, try harder. When you get knocked down, get back up again and again until you can stay up. Nothing worth having comes easy.
4. Enjoy the little things. It’s very common for business owners to always see the bigger picture. What location is next? How is the style evolving? Has the business continued to grow at the pace we need? Don’t dismiss the power of enjoying the little things. If you’ve been busy running things, take a moment to put your chef hat on and make something special for a customer. Then watch them fill with happiness when they experience your food. Take a look at the families and friends that have gathered around your cuisine. See how it brings them together. These little moments of happiness will remind you why you are doing what you do!
5. Take a break. This business is not for the faint of heart. It’s a constant battle to stay new, stay relevant, keep your quality, be more efficient, just be better even if you’re doing amazing already. You can’t do any of that if you aren’t taking care of yourself. Find people you trust and allow them to take the reins every once in a while while you take a break. This doesn’t have to be a long vacation but even a day here, an hour there, can make a large impact on your performance.

What’s the one dish people have to try if they visit your establishment?

Our Salmon on Fire is a definite must try! It combines Japanese Salmon sashimi with truffle, citrus, and raspberries to bring an exciting, surprising flavor to the dish. It is set on a bed of flaming coffee beans which creates an interactive experience for our customers.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

It’s strange to see myself that way but I’m sincerely grateful for the recognition. If I could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, it would be a program to help other chefs make their dreams a reality. The program would include free classes to teach the entrepreneurial side of owning a restaurant, business strategy, and management. It would also help connect the chefs with Investors which they could pitch to after completing the program. Often times, chef’s have so much talent in the kitchen but their talent is overwhelmed by the different aspects of running a business. It would be amazing to see more chefs that are just starting out be able to access the resources they need to be successful.

Thank you so much for these insights. This was very inspirational!