What were your favorite foods growing up?
My mom's roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Walt's hot dogs: these like 4-inch long mini dogs griddled until the casing had that snap, with a soft white mini hot dog bun, brown mustard, chopped raw onions, and the best freakin' meat sauce in the planet (with the homemade German potato salad).

When did you decide you wanted to be a chef?
My friends were the ones who suggested I attend cooking school to become a chef. The first time I actually knew that I would enjoy being a chef was the day we made Tarte a l'Oignon (Alsatian onion tart) in Level 1 when I was a student at the FCI. Love at first bite.

Where and when did your career in food begin?
My first job/internship was at Aquavit. The career services department at The FCI had put me in touch with Aquavit and I left a message on the kitchen voicemail. Marcus Samuelsson called me back personally the next day. The next day I trailed at the restaurant. The first thing the sous chef handed me was a case of artichokes and asked me to turn them down to the hearts. Thankfully we had learned about artichokes in class the week before. My hands were not as strong and practiced back then, so they were in a bit of pain by the time I got done. The sous chef came over and stuck his finger in the lemon water bath holding all of the artichoke hearts, poked around, pulled a few out of the water to inspect and said, "Nice job. Do you want to come back tomorrow?" So my career in food began with a case of artichokes.

If you didn't become a chef, what would you be?
Ha! I always imagined it'd be nice to be a florist. But I have a black thumb. My previous career was in fashion. I was a professional seamstress and samplemaker. I also studied fine art. So I think I may have pursued that avenue a little more.

Who or what has shaped your cooking the most over the years?
My very first mentor, besides Marcus, was the Chef de Cuisine of Aquavit, Nils Noren. Nils pushed me everyday, especially when I begged to be on the hotline after 8 months in garde manger. He gave me homework, like writing menus, which he would then critique. He then gave me put in charge of the cafe upstairs and I was writing the weekly specials, putting my own ideas on the menu. What a gift for a line cook! Nils is once again an influence in my life as he has taken position as the Vice President of Culinary at The FCI, so it has been a pleasure being able to work with my first chef again. Besides just Nils, the wealth of experiences I've had and the numerous chefs that I have been able to meet and work with over the years has had a tremendous influence on me. My job at The FCI including coordinating the chef demonstration program which would host chefs from all over the world, such as Andre Soltner (our Dean of Classic Studies), Ferran Adria, Martin Yan, and Thomas Keller. I have learned from all of these people, and also my coworkers. Plus that whole Top Chef thing...


How would you describe your cuisine?
New American with Global influences. Because I have been so fortunate to work with a such wide variety of chefs from all over the world, I am versed in a multitude of cuisines such as Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Korean, Vietnamese, Indian, French, Scandinavian, Mexican, Spanish, Caribbean, Greek, and Italian, to name a few. I cook every year in Oaxaca, Mexico with my friend Louise. I like my food to focus on bold flavor combinations and beautiful presentation.

What influences your cooking style and particularly the menu at your restaurant?
As like most chefs, I am dedicated to making sure my menu is focusing on the most seasonal ingredients and of course sourcing those ingredients locally when possible. Interestingly enough I am about to begin work on a new project that will take me outside of my box, or rather white tablecloth culture.

What are your favorite culinary weapons in the kitchen?
My Masanobu knives, a spoon, offset spatula, tweezers, and a side towel.

What is your favorite secret ingredient?
Well, pork product isn't exactly a secret. I always have bacon, or a hunk of lardo and/or guanciale in my fridge. Pork product and the other thing is star anise. Love star anise.

What is the one rule or value you try to instill in all of your staff?
Enjoy what you do. Have fun with it. It's not rocket science, you're cooking and you're feeding people, hence enriching their lives and their diet and making them happy. That, and "teamwork". And "work clean".

What qualities to you look for when hiring cooks for your restaurant?
I want cooks who are eager to learn, and have an honest passion for and curiosity about food. Someone who knows how to listen and take direction is always what every chef is looking for in a line cook.

What was your worst restaurant disaster?
It wasn't my restaurant disaster per se, but I have lived through some pretty crazy kitchen situations including flood, fire, and the Ansel system going off at noon into all the mis en place on the line.

What is your least favorite food?
Tuna salad sandwich. I will go running in the other direction.

What are some recent dining and culinary trends you have been observing?
Small plates, tapas style eateries. Also, with the current economic trend, many pricier eateries are reducing their costs, which are reflected in the menu and ingredients, and offering prix fixe menus. Whenever there is a recession there is usually a return to comfort foods and street foods such as the humble hamburger, definitely getting its time in the spotlight right now.

When you are not eating at your own restaurant, where are you eating?
Momofuku Ssam Bar, Paladar, Inoteca, Daikokuya, as often as possible. I've most recently had the pleasure of dining at Jose Andres's restaurant Bazaar three times in the past few weeks. Absolutely delicious on all visits.

What was the most spectacular meal you have ever had?
My 24 course Tour de Force at Trio when Grant Achatz was the chef. I trailed in the kitchen earlier that week and made every effort not to taste anything while I was there because I wanted to experience it as a diner.

What is your best cooking tip for a home enthusiast?
Keep cooking and do it as often as possible. Most home cooks cook from recipes but understand that you can make substitutions and be really creative. That's what cooking's all about. And don't forget to taste everything as you go. Don't wait until something's done cooking to find out if it needs salt (another tip: don't be afraid of salt!).

What do you eat when you are home?
I eat vegetarian usually at least two days out of the week, believe it or not. Lots of whole wheat pasta, veggies, etc. I'm in Los Angeles right now but I can tell you what's in my fridge in NY: 2 blocks of tofu, nonfat Greek Yogurt, a wedge of Parmigiano Reggiano, 1/2 lb of Edward's Virginia bacon, 2 Vidalia onions, a head of garlic, one bunch of cavalo nero, 5 araucana eggs, yuzu juice, 1/2 cup bacon fat, parsley, mint, basil, and rosemary, 2 green apples, 3 plums, white miso, vanilla rice milk, organic skim milk, a stick of butter, 1/2 a link of Palacios chorizo picante, baby arugula, grape tomatoes, 1/2 a kabocha squash, 3 Japanese turnips, vanilla beans, 3 lemons, 4 limes, 1/2 gallon orange juice, and some other nonsense and condiments.