Guest chef Kenneth Oringer at Restaurant Ikarus

In January 2009 at the Restaurant Ikarus: Kenneth Oringer

The American Dream

"Clio", Boston, USA

America really is a country of unlimited possibilities: where else could a former bodybuilder become governor, a former actor become president – or a dishwasher become the owner of five restaurants? The last example refers to Ken Oringer, who grew up in Paramus, New Jersey, and is today among the world’s best chefs. His style of cooking is not easy to describe, as it is not firmly rooted in a specific country. For this reason, his five restaurants, all situated in Boston, are fundamentally different in terms of cuisine, preparation, and presentation.

In “Clio”, French-American fusion cuisine meets Asia. Nearby “Uni” offers a truly one-of-a-kind experience for diners to enjoy unique Japanese fish flown in from Japan’s Tsukiji Market. “KO Prime”, a modern, intimate steakhouse, caters to guests who fancy a glorious cut of meat with an Argentinean touch. “La Verdad” has perfected Mexican cuisine, while “Toro” is the hottest tapas bar in the neighborhood. However, these five top eateries all have two things common: the chef behind them – Ken Oringer – and their location – the city of Boston.

The story of Ken Oringer’s career is a great illustration of why it sometimes pays to listen to your parents. Thanks to his father, Oringer completed a course at the Bryant College for Hotel and Restaurant Management before training as a chef at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. That way, Oringer not only learned what it takes to cook in a restaurant, but also to run one. After graduating, he trained under the watchful eye of one-of-a-kind chef David Burke at New York’s River Café and shortly afterwards landed a job as a pastry chef in the renowned Al Forno before moving to Le Marquis de Lafayette to work with Jean-Georges Vongerichten. There, he left a lasting impression as chef de partie and later as sous chef. In 1992, Ken Oringer went to the west coast, where he became chef de cuisine at Silk in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in San Francisco. His unmistakeable Asian style and his flair for combining unique ingredients soon made his name known all over the country.

In 1997, Ken Oringer first realized the dream of every chef: he opened his first restaurant, “Clio” in Boston, where the menu contains a wealth of delicious-sounding options that are almost impossible to choose from: take for instance Gently Grilled Kagoshima Wagyu Striploin with matsutake mushrooms, pine dashi and sticky rice “ball”, or Sweet Butter Basted Maine lobster with chanterelle mushrooms, fava beans and vin jaune d’Arbois. Any sweet cravings will be more than satisfied with options such as Milk Chocolate ‘Croustillant’ with tangerine emulsion, cocoa crumble and black olive.

A chef’s awards are always a reflection of his career, and Ken Oringer’s track record is certainly impressive. Clio is consistently ranked by Gourmet Magazine as one of the top restaurants in the country and continues to receive top ratings by Zagat year after year. Recipient of the 2001 James Beard American Express ‘Best Chef in the Northeast Award’, Oringer greatly enjoys being involved in a variety of international food conferences such as Madrid Fusion where he is often found alongside world-famous chefs such as Charlie Trotter, Thomas Keller, and Ferran Adriá. In April 2008, Oringer was victorious on Food Network’s “Iron Chef America” against Iron Chef Cat Cora in “Battle Coffee.”

Life writes the best stories – in this case, the story of a 16-year old dishwasher from New York who made Boston into a culinary place of pilgrimage. The fact that Oringer has never made up his mind in favour of one style of cooking is beside the point – his repertory is simply too extensive for him to confine himself to a single school.