Background
Vongerichten, Jean-Georges was born on March 16, 1957 in Alsace, France. Arrived in United States, 1985.
Vongerichten, Jean-Georges was born on March 16, 1957 in Alsace, France. Arrived in United States, 1985.
He began his training in a work-study program at Auberge de l’Ill as an apprentice to Chef Paul Haeberlin. With this impressive three star Michelin background, Jean-Georges traveled to Asia and continued his training at the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok, the Meridien Hotel in Singapore and the Mandarin Hotel in Hong Kong.
Early exposure to Asian flavors in Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Singapore proved influential to Vongerichten’s developing style, which he finally unfurled in 1991 with Jo Jo. The restaurant, Vongerichten’s first, introduced New Yorker to his “vibrant cuisine”—which creates intense flavors and satisfying textures by eschewing traditional meat stocks for vegetable juices, fruit essences, light broths, and herbal vinaigrettes. The restaurant earned three stars from The New York Times and was Esquire’s “Best Restaurant of the Year” and cemented the young chef as a person to watch.
Vongerichten obviously didn’t disappoint. From Jo Jo, he went on to build a veritable empire, with the heavily Asian Vong to his eponymous fine-dining flagship, Jean Georges, which opened to a four-star review in 1997. And he continues to set the standard for sophisticated, progressive fine dining.
Throughout his career, Jean-Georges has published cookbooks reflecting his influential style of cooking, including Simple Cuisine (Wiley, 1990), Cooking at Home with a Four Star Chef (Broadway Books, 1998), for which he won the Best Cookbook Award from the James Beard Foundation in 1999, and Simple to Spectacular (Broadway Books, 2000). In October 2007, he released Asian Flavors of Jean-Georges, featuring beloved recipes from his restaurants Spice Market and Vong.
In 2006, Jean-Georges and Suarez partnered with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. to create an international, multi-concept restaurant and licensing business, Culinary Concepts Hospitality Group. This new business develops, owns, operates, manages and licenses world-class restaurant concepts created by Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Culinary Concepts’ current portfolio includes 10 restaurant concepts that are either existing or in development.
Jean-Georges has opened a number of new restaurants including The Inn at Pound Ridge by Jean-Georges, ABC Kitchen, ABC Cocina, Simply Chicken at Madison Square Garden, The Pump Room in The Public Chicago and Eden Rock in St. Barths. Most recently, Jean-Georges ventured to Roppongi Hills to open JG Tokyo, a 14-counter seat restaurant.
In 2007, Jean Georges executive sous chef Lia Bardeen was featured as a contestant on season 3 of Top Chef, the cooking reality competition on the Bravo network.
In 2008 it received a 18/20 “Excellent” rating. In 2009 it won the James Beard Foundation Award for outstanding restaurant.
In 2010, Jean Georges won the James Beard Award for “Outstanding Wine Service”.
In 2013, Zagat’s gave it a food rating of 28, the second-highest in the West 60s, and rated it the 6th-best restaurant in New York City.
Quotations: "I am inspired by almost everything from traveling to new places both around the world and in NYC, the change of seasons and cookbooks written by my peers. Everything I see and touch and taste will in some way impact my recipes ideas and restaurants."
Spouse Marja Allen; 1 child Chloe;children from previous marriage: Louise, Cedric.
