It was chaos with people running around everywhere, but he closed the door and called people behind the counter, offering food, drinks, hugs and soothing words, he said.
“You are all under my roof,” Srouji said, “and it is my job. I offer my body for you because it is tradition. Once you come to my house, you are my responsibility.”
Robinson said she had never been treated so well in a restaurant before, and once it was safe to leave, J. Albar, a member of Aviva's marketing team, Imprint, walked the mother and daughter to their car. Albar urged Robinson to save his contact details so the Aviva team could treat them to a free meal and make up for the frightening experience.
Later that night, Robinson mentioned her daughter's interest in cooking and shared the couple's social media account, “HappilyRooted,” which has amassed nearly 300,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok. In the videos, Robinson often shows Nash, known as Chef Yam, creating new recipes, grocery shopping, and having girls' nights out. After learning of Chef Yam's talents in the kitchen, Albar pitched Srooji the idea of inviting Nash back for a cooking day together, and Srooji loved it.
Chef Yam is quiet-spoken at first, but her face lights up when she starts talking about cooking, and people lean in a little closer to hear her explain her recipes, as she sits on a high-top stool at Aviva by Camille's Midtown location. With Srooj and her mother sitting across from her, Nash was reminded of why she started cooking: She wanted a change from the rotation of meals her mother made every week.
“Mom, she…” Nash carefully considered her next words, “I got tired of that food and had to make something new,” she said with a chuckle.
Now, Nash cooks dinner most nights, and Robinson is in charge of breakfast because her daughter isn't a morning person.
Robinson said she noticed Nash's interest in the kitchen from an early age, but “I think giving her the opportunity and freedom to go into the kitchen and cook independently has really helped shape her into the person she is today.”
Nash started cooking seriously about a year ago. Her first recipe was hibachi-grilled salmon, and salmon quickly became her favorite ingredient. She makes salmon dishes at least once a week, from salmon pasta to salmon with honey.
Credit: J. Alburl, courtesy of Imprints
Credit: J. Alburl, courtesy of Imprints
I almost forget she's 12, especially when we talk about omega-3s or when I explain how she avoids corn syrup by reading the ingredients on everything she buys, like when she was looking for maple syrup and almond butter without additives a few days ago. She also avoids food colorings, which means she hasn't eaten candy in two years.
Nash became more interested in nutrition after one of her teachers educated her about unhealthy ingredients in processed foods, and she began eating fresh fruit every day and frequenting farmers' markets with her mother.
When Srouji spoke with Nash over the phone for the first time, he was immediately impressed by how much she “understands food.”
Sruj started cooking when he was the same age as Nash, but after the traumatic event that brought them together, it seemed like a bit of a coincidence: Sruj invited Nash to cook with him in Aviva's kitchen, and the two met to make gluten-free pasta with salmon.
Nash said she loved cooking with Chef Camille. He taught her how to use new spices, like saffron, and how to grill salmon on a flat-top grill, a technique she hopes to try soon. She also remembers how he made sauces with real tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes. He also taught her how to cook with olive oil, which is now all Robinson and Nash use at home.
Srouji would occasionally offer suggestions to Nash on how to elevate a recipe she was planning, like adding tarragon to her honey-glazed salmon or topping her oatmeal pancakes with blueberry compote with chopped pecans.
“You can see that she's eager to learn and has a passion for it,” Srouji said. “Once you show her how to do it, she does it.”
“I take instructions very seriously,” Nash agreed, “because I don't want to screw up and I want to learn how to do it right.”
Though she finds inspiration for what to make online, she rarely follows recipes to the letter — she usually tastes as she makes it, and if she makes a mistake, she works her way through the dish without measuring cups — and, like Srooji, she doesn't write the recipe down afterwards.
Despite their 57-year age difference, the pair see eye to eye when it comes to food and are in perfect sync in the kitchen: Srooji likes to sing while he cooks, and Nash will do a little dance when a recipe turns out particularly well.
Credit: J. Alburl, courtesy of Imprints
Credit: J. Alburl, courtesy of Imprints
While Nash has plenty of time to decide on her career path, the culinary genius said she wants to be a veterinarian because she loves animals and wants to give them a happy life. She plans to combine these two passions by opening an animal shelter where pets can spend time outside and eat meals fit for kings.
She says she already feeds her Pomeranian-poodle mix a “premium” diet that includes ingredients like salmon oil, eggs, beans, carrots, and quinoa, and she also tries to feed her dad and the dog healthier meals when she's with him, though it's still a challenge.
Like Chef Camille, who is well known in Atlanta for the friendliness and love he shares with diners at his restaurants, Chef Yam has a knack for feeding those around him.
Credit: J. Alburl, courtesy of Imprints
Credit: J. Alburl, courtesy of Imprints
She hopes that other kids will watch her videos and be inspired to experiment in the kitchen and try things different from what they normally eat at home.
“Just mix it up,” she said.
And despite the frightening incident on their first visit, Aviva by Camille quickly became their favorite place to eat.
“One time, she came in here all mean,” Nash said, “but after she had the food, she was so happy, taking videos and dancing.”
Robinson couldn't deny it. “That's how you know food is good,” she said. “You feel it from the inside.”
