CHEF: Executive Chef Christopher Lee assumed command of Aureole in December, 2008. To view his complete bio, videos and recipes, click here. A graduate of the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, Lee has worked in the kitchens of Manhattan's most renowned restaurants, including Daniel, Jean Georges and Oceana.
Lee, a New York native, earned two Michelin stars while serving as Executive Chef of Gilt in Manhattan and has also been cited as one of Food & Wine magazine's 2006 "Best New Chefs" and "Rising Star Chef of the Year" at the 2005 James Beard Awards for his work at Striped Bass in Philadelphia.
PASTRY CHEF: Pastry Chef, Jennifer Yee graduated with honors from London's Le Cordon Bleu with a Patisserie Diploma. She also holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Architecture from San Jose State University, contributing to her understanding of structure and texture, the underlying reason she likes to have juxtapositions on the plate – cold and hot; crunchy and soft. Chef Yee honed her skills at several Michelin-starred restaurants in the U.S. and abroad, including Gilt, Gordon Ramsay at the Connaught, and Yauatcha.
WINE DIRECTOR: Justin Lorenz, graduate of the American Sommelier Association and former sommelier of Jean-Georges Restaurant, oversees the wine list and provides regular staff education in all areas of service from wine pairing to varietal and regional characteristics.
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Most memorable bottle of wine? My first taste of Chambolle-Musigny. It was Roumier and it changed my whole perspective on what wine could be. The elegance, power, and grace of it really shocked me. I was a Burgundy convert from then on.
GENERAL MANAGER: Charles Pouchot