FROM L.A. to LE BERNARDIN
At age 27, Chef Thomas Raquel was tapped to become pastry chef at Eric Ripert’s three Michelin-starred Le Bernardin.
Raquel’s precocity is nothing new; he picked up cooking quickly while learning from his grandmother, and the Los Angeles native graduated from high school at age 16. At the time, Raquel took what he believed to be a brief detour from studying medicine to enroll at the California School of Culinary Arts.
Raquel was drawn to the demanding precision and delicate nature of working in pastry — and after some time at LA institutions like Lucques, AOC and Water Grill — he never looked back.
Upon graduating from CSCA, Raquel flew to Paris to stage under another prodigy: World famous pastry chef Pierre Hermé, the youngest person to be named France’s Pastry Chef of the Year.
In 2008, Raquel moved to Chicago to accept a position at L2o, where chef Laurent Gras profoundly influenced his style of bridging modern elements with time-honored technique.
Four years later, Raquel accepted a post as pastry chef at two Michelin-starred Acadia, where he directed the pastry program before accepting the pastry chef position at Le Bernardin.
STYLE
Chef Thomas Raquel’s style is influenced by his travels and experiences, but strongly informed by an obsession with seasonality. This carries over into his unparalleled commitment to finding the absolute best ingredients at top-of-season.
AWARDS & HONORS
10 Best Pastry Chefs, Dessert Professional Magazine (2015)
Rising Pastry Chef of the Year, Jean Banchet Awards (2014)