On July 8, friends and supporters of one of Denver’s top chefs gathered at 909 Bannock St. to celebrate the newest venture from culinary mastermind, Chef Daniel Young.
HAMBA will highlight Young’s European training in Escoffier cuisine, with elite food and beverage dining experiences and four-star concierge service for residents living above its location at The Parq on Speer. The ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the beginning of a new journey for the celebrity chef, who is planning an official opening by the end of 2024.
Feeding Colorado’s Elite
Known throughout the city as “Chef D,” Young launched his first restaurant, “Jive,” in 2020, at the height of his 40-year career. He’d spent 16 years as a private chef, nourishing members of the Denver Nuggets and Denver Broncos teams, and catering to distinguished clients around the country. Jive was the first dinner house in the vibrant and artistic Golden Triangle neighborhood.
When the Coronavirus pandemic forced city governments to issue mandatory shelter-in-place orders, Young turned his attention to the nutritional needs of frontline workers, delivering fresh-cooked meals to hospitals throughout the Denver Metro area. Sadly, Jive was not able to sustain the shutdowns, joining thousands of shuttered restaurants across the nation.
Young tried to rebound from Jive later in the pandemic, opening two restaurants in Denver’s historic Five Points neighborhood: Moods Beats Potions (MBP), which has since closed; and the urban breakfast, lunch and brunch eatery, Mimosas.
Mimosas survived the pandemic, and remains a city favorite, with vibrant decor, hearty meals and a large selection of classic brunch-inspired bubbly beverages.
In 2022, he was selected to design a menu concept alongside concessions management group, OTG, which develops and operates over 350 restaurants, retail markets and food halls in ten airports across the country.
“Sunset Loop,” now under construction in Denver International Airport’s newly-renovated Concourse B, will feature healthy, locally-sourced cuisine with farm-to-terminal offerings; a 30-seat bar serving regionally-inspired cocktails and Colorado craft brews; and a 67-foot grab-and-go market for travelers.
As he works to bring his newest venture to life, Young is eager to display his renowned skills to Denver residents and visiting guests.
A New Way to Dine
Cloaked in traditional, chic Mediterranean designs, HAMBA will host in-home dining services, resident mixers, wine-pairing dinners and personalized cooking classes from the chef himself. Residents at The Parq will enjoy an express breakfast menu with grab-and-go juices, fresh-baked pastries and hot sandwiches; and an express lunch menu with salads, soups and grab-and-go entrees.
Classic brunch service will feature southern fare and home-style menu items, and the HAMBA dinner service will offer unique opportunities to RSVP for the “Chef’s Table,” with an interactive experience hosted by Young. The menu will be infused with locally grown, grass-fed cattle, grain-fed poultry and produce prepared in-house by trained culinary professionals. Wild caught fish and seafood from sustainable waters will compliment an extensive list of domestic and imported wines.
The staff at HAMBA will undergo extensive training, with food tastings and wine pairings taught by a certified sommelier, bringing Young’s vision for a fine dining house to life.
HAMBA Means GO
HAMBA is a name carefully selected by the exclusive chef due to the significance of its meaning. Used as a directive to “Go” in the South African Zulu language, Young says that the moniker represents his intention to close out his 40-year cooking career while transitioning into another realm of culinary influence.
“I went through the hard knocks of learning how to cook. I went through an apprenticeship program with the American Culinary Federation, and eventually I got certified as the youngest member to ever be inducted into the Orange County Empire Chefs Association in California,” he says. “I was trying to shut it down years ago. I wanted to pass the torch, so to speak, but there was no one I was seeing in the industry that had the same passion, the same drive and the same knowledge that I had.”
In an increasingly technological and entertainment-focused age, he hopes to inspire the next generation of aspiring chefs through creative media opportunities. He is also focused on continuing to develop a stylish line of luxury, Italian footwear, while pursuing ventures that allow him to step out of the kitchen and into a new age of brand development.
“I have to think about my golden years and being able to physically enjoy them. When I say I want to retire, I don’t think I’m ever going to just stop. I want to have control over my career so that it’s not a job anymore and it’s all about the joy of cooking.”
While the Zulu interpretation of HAMBA can be used in a way that repels fellowship, Young says that his use of the word is the direct opposite.
“When I select names for my restaurants, I really don’t look for much substance when it comes to the name’s meaning – it’s more the sound, and a feeling. Having done numerous restaurants in the city of Denver, I wanted to appeal to the now-crowd,” he laughs.
“Some would say it has a negative connotation. In the Zulu language, some would use it to say, ‘Go away!’ But, this is a very personal restaurant for me. This is like my swan song out of Denver – it’s really important to me. So when I learned about the word, I decided that any negative vibes or ill intentions can just HAMBA! I plan to really enforce that with my staff. It’s all about love and harmony, and bringing something positive to the Denver community.”
Anticipating HAMBA’s grand-opening around New Year’s Eve, the community showed up to the ribbon cutting ceremony in an endearing show of support, embracing Chef D as he prepares to serve up something special.
