By Maria Darbenzio
Chef Roblé Ali, best known for Bravo’s reality TV documentary series Chef Roblé & Co, is continuing to make his mark on the food industry. Over the years, thanks to his passionate dedication to cooking, he has prepared meals for many A-list stars, started a successful catering company, and has now ventured into the realm of beauty. With his new fragrance Clique by Roblé, he’s expanding his brand beyond the foodies.
Celebrity Interview with Chef Roblé
Although developing a perfume may seem like a strange departure for a chef, his fragrance, which he created with master perfumer Frank Voelkl, includes scents of ingredients from his recipes. “When you smell the perfume, you first get a sparkling citrus top note, and that’s based on one of my signature cocktails that includes blood orange, lime, and tequila. It’s called the Chupacabra,” he explains in our celebrity interview. “Once it settles in, there’s a rich dessert note there, and that’s another one of my recipes called the French Toast Crunch. It’s dessert French toast that’s crusted in cornflakes, and it has drizzled honey and hot Nutella and chocolate dusted with some powdered sugar. It’s cooked in brown butter, so it’s really rich and multidimensional.”
Related Link: Giveaway: Smell Great with Clique by Roblé
Much like filming a reality show or cooking in the kitchen, creating a fragrance takes a lot of time and dedication. It took over a year of extensive testing to narrow it down to just one scent. To test the final two options, he gathered a group of women — and a few men too — to share which one they liked best. “The other one is really good too, so who knows? We might do something with that one day. Right now, we’re just focusing on rolling out Clique by Roblé,” he shares. “I just want to get it in front of people. It will sell itself. It’s something I’m really proud of, and we got really good feedback.”
Bravo Reality TV Star Shares Dating Advice
Chef Roblé imagines this scent being something for everyone, whether it’s being worn for a day in the office or a date night at home. When it comes to wowing your special someone with a home-cooked meal, he suggests finding out what he or she likes. “I wouldn’t do a whole bunch of guessing. You can put all this energy into something you think is nice, but what if that person doesn’t like red meat? Or maybe they’re allergic to shellfish, and you just made a lobster bisque,” he explains of his dating advice.
Related Link: ‘Food Network’ Host Claire Robinson Says, “Food Is the Key to Passion”
As for his own date nights, the “single as a pringle” chef states that he would rather just go to a restaurant. This approach allows him to focus completely on his date and their conversation instead of running around and cooking during the evening. He may be single at the moment, but he’s not one to look for a relationship and love. “If you look, it doesn’t come. Whatever happens, happens,” he admits. Still, he knows what he wants in a partner: He says his perfect woman is “good looking, has good morals, and smells delicious.”
Being a celebrity chef means meeting a lot of people, both famous and not, during his travels. Over the span of his career, Chef Roblé has prepared his signature dishes for the likes of Michael Jackson and his crew, Britney Spears, and President Obama. Plus, he’s had the opportunity to cook alongside Mario Batali on The Chew. “He’s my all-around favorite chef out there, and I got to work with him,” he excitedly reveals in our celebrity interview. “That was definitely a memorable and great experience for me.”
Related Link: Mario Batali Shares His Tips for Cooking at Home on Date Night
So what’s next for the former reality TV star? He’s in the process of coming up with concept and location ideas for restaurants, one on the West Coast and another one on the East Coast. They’re still in the development stage at the moment, but be on the lookout for more news over the next couple of months.
Besides the restaurants, he’s also in the process of developing a line of wines — perfect for your next date night. There may even be some more television time in his future, but for now, he says he’s too busy traveling to commit to filming. We’ll all have to stay tuned to see what the chef does next!
To stay up to date with Chef Roblé’s projects, follow him on Twitter @ChefRoble and www.facebook.com/ChefRoble/. Don’t forget to enter our fragrance giveaway!
