“Conner is the actual ideal of what we’ve been looking for,” Owen said. “Thoughtful food that is approachable.”
Eggplant adobo is a hearty vegetarian offering that is inspired by chef Conner Hinderks’ culinary training spent with a Filipino chef.
An English major becomes a chef
Hinderks didn’t set out to become a chef, but rather food kind of chose him. Growing up in Kansas City, he remembers his mom doing most of the very Midwest cooking, hearty dishes that filled you up.
When his father cooked, Hinderks remembers standing at his side taking in every moment.
After graduating from college with a degree in English comparative literature, he was on track to become a high school teacher. But it was a year he spent working at a pizza place that he said a “slow build” began.
He enrolled in a culinary program at a community college and got a job at a popular jazz club. The Phoenix.
It was a make or break moment and Hinderks was in deep.
From there he spent time in kitchens in Indianapolis and then after a life change he moved to New Orleans, finding himself at Maypop, a casual spot with a fine dining approach to food.
He spent five years there moving from line cook to chef de cuisine, soaking in each ingredient, each technique and learning the process of building flavor.
The menu is a culinary journey
The Little Secret menu is an expression of all those lessons. The menu takes inspiration from familiar items and adds a southeast Asian essence.
Little Secret’s steak tartare spins a classic approach with the addition of lime juice, lime leaf, fish sauce chilies and olive oil to bind.
A short rib curry melds braised beef with collards in a red curry broth and is served with Jasmine rice and potato chip furikake.
The aforementioned salad appears here in the form of thinly shaved cabbage, a mess of fresh herbs, a “funky Caesar” and a crumble of Rise Bakery breadcrumbs and fresh parmesan cheese.
The steak tartare at Little Secret is a take on the classic dish but gains added brightness and complexity with the addition of fresh herbs, fish sauce, lime juice and lime leaf.
“I really want to give you something that at its basis is familiar but with twists and turns that will keep you intrigued,” he said. “Whenever I put a new dish on the menu, I make sure to eat through the whole thing multiple times. The worst thig somebody can say about my food, even if they don’t like it — I don’t want it to be boring.”
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