Slower Pace, Faster Success

Chef Matt Pace slows down to reach new heights.

Chef Matt Pace found great success as a sought after chef of New Orleans. Now thanks to the DAFT visa, he brings his enormous talent and Creole food to Amsterdam. Here's his story about the joy he finds in his new life here.

Why did you decide to come to the Netherlands? 

Before I knew about the DAFT visa, I thought I had secured a job in a restaurant. But the IND (Immigration and Naturalization Service) had other ideas: they decided the job should be filled by a Dutch person. I then moved onto the DAFT visa and have been self employed ever since..

What has been harder than expected and what has been easier than expected?

Honestly, after spending three years in Germany before coming here it’s been pretty smooth and most things have been easier than expected. The only difficult thing is always remembering what needs to be filed or taken care of and when to stay in compliance, but so far it’s been ok and the few slip ups have been fairly easy to reconcile. 

What is the most interesting thing you have learned about (about yourself or anything you want to discuss)?

That I’m very resilient and adaptive. I literally knew no one and didn’t know anything about living here before I came and have made a good life for myself and built a solid chosen family in three and a half years. 

What one piece of advice do you wish you had been given?

A heads up on how competitive the housing market is and the range of scams people try to use to take advantage of desperate people looking for a place to live. It’s always the first thing I tell people I meet who are either new here or planning to move.

What’s the biggest difference you notice between your life here and your life in the US?

I’m still a hustler, but I take more time to “stop and smell the roses” here. I was always a little envious of people who could just sit on a bench or at the park and do nothing in the middle of the day until I did it myself and didn’t feel rushed or and didn’t feel an urge to be productive. I rarely if ever felt that way back home. The biggest difference is that I feel much safer here, especially in crowded places.

What is the best thing about your life in the Netherlands?

It’s different enough that I get that “whoa! I live in Europe” feeling, but also familiar enough that it’s not overwhelming to get by, especially in the beginning.

Any advice for making new friends and/or maintaining old ones?

I went to a lot of stand up comedy shows when I first moved here, and at least for me, just going to bars or casual restaurants even alone, as long as you look semi approachable someone will usually talk to you. There are a lot of cool apps here too that are all about making connections, I did a few dinners on one called Timeleft that were super fun.

Beyond the generic food, family, and friends, what do you miss most from the US?

Outside of those, not much haha. Maybe the overall vibe of specific cities like NYC and New Orleans, and being able to find little nostalgic things that are hard or impossible to find here and expensive to ship over.

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Find Chef Matt Pace:

www.chefmattpace.com

@booqoochef

@seventhwardsupperclub

Join his Seventh Ward Supper Club – New Orleans Modern Creole dinners – in Amsterdam June 25-27 at KookStudio De Laurier. Tickets here: www.seventhwardsupperclub.com