From Marine Corps to Master Chef: Scratch Test Kitchen’s Journey in L.A
Los Angeles, California–Chef Dorian Southall has proven that food is more than a meal—it’s a story. With Scratch Test Kitchen, he’s rewriting what private dining looks like in Los Angeles by fusing cultural roots, discipline, and creativity into unforgettable experiences.
Los Angeles is home to some of the most creative chefs in the country, and Chef Dorian is carving out his own lane with Scratch Test Kitchen, a private dining experience blending Southern soul, global flavors, and Marine Corps discipline. In this exclusive Q&A, the chef opens up about his early inspirations, the challenges of building his own brand, and how he turns food into storytelling experiences for his clients.
Q: What first sparked your love for cooking, and when did you realize you wanted to pursue it as a career?
“My love for cooking started in my mom’s kitchen. She had a way of making food playful and full of joy. She could take simple ingredients and make them feel special. I was hooked early, watching her move in the kitchen and sneaking tastes whenever I could. That was the spark.
The career part came later. I went into the Marine Corps first, and that gave me discipline and focus. But no matter what I did outside of it, the kitchen kept pulling me back. I realized I didn’t just want to cook for myself or friends—I wanted to create experiences, tell stories through food, and build something that would last. That was when it clicked that this was my path.”
Q: How did your upbringing or cultural background influence the way you cook today?
“My cooking today is really an extension of where I come from. Growing up in Los Angeles, I was surrounded by every culture you can imagine. You could hit a taco truck on one corner, grab Korean barbecue down the street, and still end up at a soul food spot before the night was over. Being in that mix gave me a natural curiosity to pull flavors from everywhere instead of staying locked into one tradition.
At home, the influence was different but just as important. My mom made cooking playful and soulful. She wasn’t stressing recipes or measuring spoons—she was chasing flavor and making sure everybody felt love when they ate. That gave me the freedom to see food as something alive, something you could bend and twist to fit the moment.
Put all that together and you get what I do today. Southern soul at the core, global flavors woven in, and a disciplined edge that keeps everything sharp. My plates aren’t just food, they’re a story of my life, my city, and the people who shaped me.”
Q: Was there a turning point that led you to become a personal chef instead of working in a traditional restaurant kitchen? Did you do both?
“Yeah, I definitely did both. Early on, I put in that time in restaurants and catering kitchens. That grind is like boot camp for any chef—long hours, hot kitchens, no excuses, just repetition and resilience. It sharpened my skills and gave me the foundation. But the flip side was that I started to feel boxed in. I was cooking somebody else’s vision, following somebody else’s menu, and I knew I had more to say with food.
The turning point came when I realized I wanted my cooking to feel like a direct conversation, not just a plate sliding out of a pass window. Private cheffing gave me that lane. I could bring my story, my creativity, and my energy straight to the people I was feeding. Instead of being one of many on a line, I got to be the storyteller, the curator of the whole experience.
It was also about freedom. The Marine in me still respects structure, but I wanted to build my own. In private dining, I control the narrative, I set the tone, and I decide how far I can push flavors. That’s where Scratch Test Kitchen was born—in that space of wanting to merge discipline with creativity and give people something unforgettable.
Q: What were some of the biggest challenges you faced starting out as a personal chef, and how did you overcome them?
“Starting out as a personal chef was tough because I had to wear every hat—chef, planner, shopper, even dishwasher—while proving the value of an experience most people thought was only for the rich. Without the steady paycheck of a restaurant, finances were tight, and the pressure of having my name on every plate tested my confidence.
I overcame it by leaning on Marine discipline, reinvesting every dollar back into my craft, educating clients on the value of what I offered, and staying rooted in the joy and boldness I learned from my mom and my city. Those challenges became fuel, shaping the depth and character of the chef I am today.”
Q: How do you balance creativity in the kitchen with the business side of running your own service?
“Balancing creativity with business is like running two kitchens at once—one for the soul and one for survival. The chef in me always wants to push flavors, tell stories through food, and play with ideas that feel risky, but the entrepreneur in me knows passion without profit is just a hobby.
I handle it by treating discipline like an ingredient: I budget my time, I price my menus with intention, and I structure my service so the business can sustain the art. That way, creativity isn’t choked out by stress—it’s fueled by stability. I remind myself that the more solid the business foundation is, the more freedom I have to cook without limits.”
Q: How would you describe your cooking style, and what makes it unique compared to other chefs?
“I’d describe my cooking style as Southern soul colliding with global swagger, all executed with Marine precision. What makes it unique is that it’s not just fusion for the sake of mixing flavors—it’s storytelling. I can take cornbread, kimchi, and smoked short rib, and instead of them fighting on the plate, I make them talk to each other like old friends.
My food has the comfort and heart of what I grew up eating, but it’s layered with the boldness of Los Angeles’ cultural mix and sharpened by that discipline I learned in the Corps. A lot of chefs can cook technique, a lot can bring flavor, but my lane is making people feel something when they eat—nostalgia, surprise, joy, even curiosity. That emotional connection is the sauce nobody else can duplicate.”
Q: What’s your approach to creating a personalized dining experience for clients?
“For me, creating a personalized dining experience starts way before I ever pick up a knife. I treat it like storytelling—I need to know the characters, the setting, and the vibe before I can write the menu. I sit down with clients, listen to their memories, favorite flavors, cultural roots, even the music they like, because all of that shapes how I build the experience.
Then I translate that into food that feels like them, not just me showing off as a chef. I’ll weave in seasonal ingredients, layer my Southern and global influences, and plate it with intention so it feels elevated but still warm. The goal is to make them feel seen and celebrated, like the whole night was crafted just for them. When I hit that mark, it’s not just dinner—it’s a memory stamped on their taste buds.”
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Q: Can you share one of your most memorable meals or experiences cooking for a client?
“One that sticks with me forever was a private dinner I did for a couple celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary. They told me their first date was at this little soul food spot in L.A. where they shared fried chicken, mac and cheese, and peach cobbler.
Instead of just recreating that meal, I elevated it and wove in pieces of their journey together. I did buttermilk-brined quail with a cornbread crumble to nod to the fried chicken, a truffle-smoked mac served in mini cast iron skillets, and for dessert, a deconstructed peach cobbler with brûléed peaches, bourbon cream, and a pecan crumble.
But the real magic wasn’t just the food—it was watching them light up as each course dropped, reminiscing about where they’d been and seeing their story told back to them on the plate. That’s when I knew I wasn’t just cooking dinner; I was creating a memory they’d carry for the rest of their lives.”
Q: Who or what inspires your cooking today?
My inspiration today is layered, just like the way I cook. My mom is still at the root—she keeps me grounded. Travel inspires me heavily too; every time I step into a new city or country, I’m tasting stories, learning spices, and figuring out how those flavors can dance with my Southern foundation.
Hip-hop and the culture also fuel me—the rhythm, the boldness, the unapologetic creativity. I try to plate that same energy. And honestly, my clients inspire me. Every story they share, every occasion they celebrate, it pushes me to create something that feels personal and one-of-a-kind.
Q: What do you hope people take away from experiencing your food, and where do you see your culinary journey heading next?
What I want people to take away from my food is more than just “that was delicious.” I want them to feel like they just experienced a story—something that connects memory, culture, and creativity all on one plate. I want them to walk away with joy, nostalgia, and maybe even a little surprise, like they tasted something familiar in a way they never imagined before. At the end of the day, it’s about leaving an imprint, not just filling a stomach.
As for where I’m heading, my vision is bigger than just being a private chef. I see Scratch Test Kitchen evolving into a movement—pop-ups, products, mentorship, maybe even a show that highlights not just what I cook but why. I want to build a legacy that feeds people’s bodies, minds, and spirits, and creates opportunities for the next generation of chefs who feel like their voice doesn’t fit the traditional mold. My culinary journey is about impact now, and I’m just getting started.
You can find Chef Dorian on Instagram @chefdoriansouthall or @scratchtestkitchen. You can also reach out to him via email at info@scratchtestkitchen.com.
