At our Art of Cuisine Reception, taste your way through a selection of art-inspired appetizers. You'll have a chance to learn about what inspirations each chef drew from their chosen art pieces and vote for your favorite! Results will be announced during dinner.
OUR CHEFS:
Gerold Castro, Kawali Grill
Gerold Castro began his career with the Washington Athletic Club in 1993 as a dishwasher. There, he was trained in all areas of the kitchen, including the bakery. He was also a part-time dinner cook at the Seattle Hilton at the time and attending culinary classes at Seattle Central Community College. Gerold later became Executive Sous Chef and Executive Chef at the Downtown Seattle Hilton. In August 2007, he left the Hilton and opened up his own restaurant, Kawali Grill, which serves authentic Filipino and northwest cuisine. "Kawali" is a Filipino cast iron or clay frying pan.
Inspirational Art Piece: 
THU NGUYEN, Closeup View of Le Pont Des Arts
Alex Nguyen, Saigon Bistro
Alex Nguyen, at the young age of thirty-three, is the head chef at Saigon Bistro which serves traditional Vietnamese and classic French cuisine. Alex's parents opened the restaurant at its present location seventeen years ago. Alex attended college at the University of Hawaii for four years and worked at a French restaurant, learning French cuisine from Eddie Genhart, the head chef at the restaurant. When Alex returned to Seattle, he incorporated his knowledge of French cuisine into the menu of his family owned restaurant.
Inspirational Art Piece: 
GERARD TSUTAKAWA, Leap
Alan Dis Quan, Four Seas
Alan Dis Quan is part owner and cook at Four Seas Restaurant, which is a family-owned business since 1987. Al has spent much of his life in the restaurant business working in all aspects of the industry. His family has also owned Tai Tong Restaurant since 1935.
Inspirational Art Piece: 
BARRY WONG, Bok Choy on Red Lacquer
Christina Scholz, Ata Farm Foods & Urban Vines
Christina Scholz is the chef for Ata Farm Foods & Urban Vines wine shop. Ata Farm strives to use fresh, local, and seasonal foods in each dish. Working at the local farmer's markets one summer, Christina realized how exceptional our local food and produce are. She also realized how important it is to support the local farmer. She believes in challenging herself by offering a custom menu for each and every client. Her foundation for cooking comes from being traditionally trained by her Japanese mother.
Inspirational Art Piece: 
BENJAMIN MOORE, Palla Bowl
Rachel Yang, Joule
Rachel Yang believes that her most significant influence is her Korean heritage, which she defines as inherent in her cooking. A native of Seoul, Rachel moved to the U.S. during high school and enrolled at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City after college. With her heritage and training, Rachel helmed the kitchen at New York City's first Korean French restaurant, creating unique dishes that successfully bridged the two cuisines. After opening Coupage (now closed) in Seattle's Madrona neighborhood, Rachel and her husband/ co-chef, Seif Chirchi, found a long and awaited opportunity to open their own restaurant, Joule, in the Wallingford neighborhood. Joule means the unit of energy.
Inspirational Art Piece: 
LOUISE KIKUCHI, Raindrops in a Pine Tree at Night
OUR JUDGES:
Hsiao-Ching Chou
As the former food editor of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Hsiao-Ching has always tried to make cooking and eating more accessible, without sacrificing her belief that eating well is essential to a balanced life. She earned several writing awards, including the Bert Greene Award from the International Association of Culinary Professionals. She has been a guest on NPR as well as on an episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations on the Travel Channel. She was also featured in the PBS documentary The Meaning of Food. In her current role as partner at Suzuki + Chou Communimedia, she serves as a consultant to restaurant clients about public and media relations. Her favorite hat to wear is that of being mom to her two-year-old daughter, Meilee. Hsiao-Ching and her family reside in Seattle.
Nancy Leson
Seattle Times food and restaurant columnist Nancy Leson spent nearly 20 years waiting tables before trading her apron and corkscrew for a writer's notebook and keyboard. She joined the Seattle Times as lead restaurant critic in 1998 and today keeps her finger on the pulse of the local food scene on her Seattle Times blog, All You Can Eat. Nancy's Food for Thought radio commentaries air weekly on Seattle NPR-affiliate, KPLU.
Welly Yang
Welly Yang is the Creator and Executive Producer of the Asian Excellence Awards, broadcast annually to a nationwide audience. He is also an acclaimed Broadway performer, having starred in the original Broadway cast of Miss Saigon, as well as in musicals and operas throughout Asia and Europe. He has performed at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, and has soloed with Taiwan's National Symphony, Singapore's National Symphony, and the New York Philharmonic. He can be seen frequently on Taiwan's popular variety show Big Brother Entertainment Show, with Chang Fay, as well as on NBC's Law and Order SVU. He is perhaps best known to the Seattle community as the Creator and Co-Writer of the musicals Making Tracks and the Wedding Banquet, where he met his wife Dina Morishita.