Carl Foronda

Carl Foronda did a lot of camping throughout the early days of the pandemic. “I really got into cooking over the fire,” he says, explaining one reason why he believes his job as Executive Chef at International Smoke was meant to be. Foronda has embraced the opportunity to craft craveable dishes that advance the concept’s wood-fired, globally influenced imperative. The Double Duck Wings on the brand’s happy hour menu is a perfect example.

Foronda begins by curing the wings with salt, sugar and jerk seasoning. “The process allows the jerk flavors to go deeper into the duck.” But he says that the real star of the dish is a mango-habanero glaze that balances the fiery jerk flavor. The wings are served with “green seasoning,” a proprietary herb purée he characterizes as clean and herbaceous. “It creates a palate cleanser between bites of the juicy, sweet and spicy duck wings,” says Foronda. “The dish sells well— there’s no other like it.”