Standing in his kitchen, Sleyrow Mason excitedly dons a bright red chef's coat with a patch on the front.

"Soulutions Southern Cuisine," it reads.

His restaurant, one of eight, will open with the Salt City Market in Syracuse in November.

He'll be the man when the market opens, but he wasn’t always the one in charge. His culinary roots began as a very young sous-chef.

“I started cooking with my mother at an early age, around 5 years old," Mason said. "She always had me in the kitchen grating sweet potatoes, measuring things, grating cheese to make mac and cheese.”

It wasn’t until his mother passed away in 2002 that Mason truly discovered his passion for cooking.

“As a way to get all my brothers and sisters together, I started cooking to keep the holidays and stuff the same," he said.

From there, he worked his way up in different restaurants around Syracuse. But as he was learning, he made sure to teach, just like his mom.

His daughter, Shalae, joins him in the kitchen, helping taste and season the beans and rice.

“She was around 3 years old when I started teaching her how to cook." Sleyrow said, handing his daughter chopped veggies. "I started her off cutting vegetables and peeling potatoes.”

Now 13, Shalae calls herself more of a baker than a chef, but according to dad, she’s learned a lot.

“She’s got skills that she won’t think about until she gets older," Sleyrow jokes. "Then she’ll remember.”

Family dinner is important to the Masons, and with Sley opening up a restaurant in Salt City Market, they’re excited to bring their tradition to the masses.

More than just family recipes, Mason said he’s looking forward to bringing soul food to people who have never tried it.