Jean-Georges

Born and raised on the outskirts of Strasbourg in Alsace, France, Jean-Georges' earliest family memories are about food. He was expected to take over the family fuel business but early on displayed a preference for cooking. After a three-year apprenticeship at Auberge de L'lll, stints under the tutelage of famed chefs Louis Outhier and later Paul Bocuse, Vongerichten returned to serve Outhier, opening restaurants for him in Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Geneva, Lisbon, and London. It was this experience, especially the time in the East, discovering unfamiliar foods and exploring unknown markets, that has most influenced Vongerichten over the years. The chef combined this exotic influence with his Alsatian unbringing and created an indefinable, yet signature, cuisine. Armed with this eclectic, global sense of flavor, Vongerichten has opened a string of immensely successful restaurants. Born in 1957, Vongerichten is constantly active, with a number of projects always in the works.