Pressroom
August 01, 2009
Chef de Cuisine Stephane Istel - Biographical Notes
Vancouver, BC – While he hails from Alsace, Chef Stephane Istel's career has taken him across France's culinary landscape to Savoie and the Côte d'Azur and internationally to the Caribbean and New York, before finally landing him in British Columbia. Stephane comes to Vancouver as Executive Chef of DB Bistro Moderne, which opened in December 2008 alongside Lumière under the direction of Chef Daniel Boulud. Stephane is at the stove of the new bistro that enters Boulud's restaurant family via a partnership with David and Manjy Sidoo.
For over three years, Stephane Istel has worked with Boulud in New York, following the example of his ingredient and seasonally driven cooking. "I have seen Stephane demonstrate a real care for his craft as well as the discipline it takes to cook at a consistently high level of quality," explains Boulud. Istel has been with Boulud since 2005, first as a lead Sous-Chef at New York's DB Bistro Moderne, and later as chef for Boulud's Feast & Fêtes Catering, working in each position for 18 months.
Now just past his 30th birthday, Stephane began cooking in his native Alsace at age 15. He headed south to St Tropez's Tahiti Restaurant at age 22, completing several summer seasons there, while cooking winters in the exclusive La Samanna Hotel and later Restaurant Michel Royer on the Caribbean island of St Martin. These seaside sojourns brought the young chef a great appreciation for seafood at its freshest. His
lingering fondness for delicate fish such as daurade and loup de mer along with his passion for the flavorful herbs and produce so abundant in Mediterranean cooking are proof of the region's lasting imprint on his cooking. Stephane credits his first mentor, Michel Royer, a "Maitre Cuisinier de France" for exposing him to these tastes and guiding him up the culinary ladder.
A brief stint at Chef Marc Veyrat's l'Auberge de l'Eridan on the Lake of Annecy would be Stephane's first experience working for a member of the prestigious Relais & Châteaux association and a Michelin starred restaurant. This would be his last stop in France before making his way to North America where a long-time friendship with Olivier Muller, chef at New York’s DB Bistro Moderne brought Istel to the attention of
Daniel Boulud. As a result, Stephane was initiated to the fast pace and exacting demands of a highly acclaimed New York restaurant.
Dedication and talent have earned Stephane the respect of Daniel Boulud and the chance to prove himself further as a chef at the helm of Vancouver's DB Bistro Moderne. "The quality of life that awaits me in Vancouver, combined with the great trust Daniel Boulud has placed in me are making for a dream come true. Now my mission is to practice my passion and my love of cooking, with all the incredible foods the farmers and fisherman of the region have to offer," says Chef Stephane Istel.
Contact:
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Georgette Farkas Director of Public Relations The Dinex Group 16 EAst 40th Street, 4th floor New York, NY 10016 T: 212.327.3434 |
Shalina Kajani SK Marketing 1331 West Georgia St, Suite 2605 Vancouver, BC Canada V6E 4P1 T: 604.801.5477 |
Stephane Istel, Executive Chef, DB Bistro Moderne Vancouver, British Columbia. Chef de Cuisine Stephane Istel comes to Vancouver by way of the New York kitchens of Daniel Boulud's Dinex Group restaurants, first as a lead Sous-Chef at midtown's DB Bistro Moderne, and later as a lead Chef at Daniel's elite Feast & Fetes catering division. Stephane worked side by side with Boulud and his extraordinary team, adopting the Boulud style of seasonally-driven, market fresh cooking. Stephane Istel is elevating the French culinary scene in Vancouver by producing plates with simple food in a casual atmosphere at affordable prices.