Dominique Crenn Presenting to Dominique Crenn, Executive Chef of Luce at the InterContinental San Francisco, the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association Award of Distinction in the Epicurean Arts was a distinct pleasure. One immediately discovers a woman with passion and love for her skill and profession.
Presenting to Dominique Crenn, Executive Chef of Luce at the InterContinental San Francisco, the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association Award of Distinction in the Epicurean Arts was a distinct pleasure. One immediately discovers a woman with passion and love for her skill and profession.
Growing up in Versailles, France, Dominique was exposed to a family that celebrated fine dining. She says her introduction to appreciation of the culinary arts came from her mother. In Dominique's case, her political father was also involved in fine-tuning this passion. “I learned to appreciate the subtle nuances and unique flavors of great cuisine, as we would dine at one, two and three star Michelin Star restaurants with his best friend, a well-respected French food critic.”
At age eight, Crenn told her mother that she wanted to be a chef and her mother smiled. Before starting college, Dominique traveled throughout Europe, learning various cooking styles and the ingredients from each culture.
In 1988, Crenn moved to San Francisco to begin her formal training. When asked why she came to America to study when France has the Bocuse Institute and Le Cordon Bleu, she replied: “I came for love and then loved the city. I love France, but in the United States, you have more opportunity as a female chef to advance based on your skills. The U.S. offers so many opportunities.”
Dominique remained in San Francisco for nine years while building an impressive resume. She worked under Jeremiah Tower and Mark Franz for over two years at Stars. Later, she gained more experience at Campton Place, 2223 Market, and the Park Hyatt Grill. Crenn then moved on to become Executive Chef of the Yoyo Bistro at the Miyako Hotel for a year, and received an impressive 3-star review in the annual Access San Francisco book.
Crenn said, “It was a difficult choice to accept the opportunity to move to Indonesia in 1997. I was going as the first female Executive Chef at the InterContinental Hotel in Jakarta. This was in a country that was not used to women in that position. I was to train the 30+ women to become chefs. This was my first experience working with people who had next to nothing. The personalities and emotions of so many women in the kitchen with 19-hour days, seven days per week, were challenging. I repeatedly told them they could learn. I would say, ‘If you have passion for what you do, it's about learning. Both passion and learning inspire.' And even though I had to leave sooner than planned, due to political turmoil, it was an experience I'm grateful I had. I hear from these women and I know how much I touched their lives and they touched mine.”
Dominique returned to San Francisco as Executive Chef at the Manhattan Country Club. Members, dignitaries and celebrities equally recognized her culinary talent. It did not take long before she was catering events for personalities such as Vice-President Al Gore, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Juliette Binoche, Sidney Poitier, Sharon Stone, Cindy Lauper and the Japanese and Egyptian Ambassadors to France.
John Mariana of EsquireMagazine named Crenn as Chef to Watch in 2007. The following year, he changed her desigination to Best Chef of the year 2008. Dominique was a recent contender for Food Network show, The Next Iron Chef, to be aired early 2010.
Crenn's continual, consistent outstanding talent garnered a Michelin star for Luce in October, 2009. Many know the value of a Michelin star, some don't. There are approximately 10,000+ Michelin star restaurants, worldwide. In 2008, there were only six women listed as Michelin star chefs, now there are ten. In discussing how this happened, Crenn replied, “The e-mail I received said they had been watching me and my different achievements for quite a few years. I had no idea I was being considered. Since I'm French, this means so much and my mother and the rest of my family are so pleased.”
Dominique's menu at Luce emphasizes high-end artisanal, sustainable, and seasonal New American cuisine. When you try it, you discover unexpected and diverse influences. Her dishes exemplify her belief that imagination and originality are the most important aspects of cooking. “Having had the opportunity to observe and learn from some of the most beautiful cultures in the world throughout my life, I reflect these experiences in my cuisine by marrying diverse flavors and natural ingredients together to please the palate.”
Crenn is an advocate of organic, sustainable local produce and ingredients and was the driving force behind A Moveable Feast. This series of six dinners in six months paired local chefs with local farm produce and honored CUESA (Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture). This program launched at Luce and its proceeds were donated to CUESA. Dominique hopes to repeat the series in 2010.
When asking Crenn about her favorite cooking utensil, her response was unexpected. “A tamis is my favorite, as I love to strain.”
As for method of cooking, she uses sous vide (in French, this translates to “under vacuum”) whenever possible. The kitchen at Luce is fully equipped to maximize the benefits sous vide offers. In addition to explaining the benefits of this type of preparation, Dominique was quick to share her favorite book on the topic, Sous-Vide Cuisine by John Roca. She was gracious enough to go through it and share some of the exceptional results.
When someone is fortunate enough to hear Crenn talk about her passion, her talent, creativity and passion shine through. When tasting her creations, it is easy to understand why she was recognized with a Michelin Star for Luce.
Esquire Magazine named Luce as one of twenty Best New Restaurants in November, 2008. Robb Report Magazine named Luce as one of seven restaurants in its Best of the Best for 2009.
Dominique Crenn is a star and she is still rising. Her career will be one to watch for outstanding accomplishments.
For more information, call Wagstaff Worldwide at 415 274-2510.
