Ismael Whitehead joins the pass
![Ismael Whitehead, head chef at [CUISINE] Bangkok, at the pass of the open kitchen in Silom](/assets/journal/ismael.jpg)
There is a new face at the pass. Ismael Whitehead joined [CUISINE] in October as head chef, working alongside Franck Le Bayon, our culinary director and co-founder. If you sit at the counter this month you will see him running the line.
Where he comes from
Ismael is Italian-American. He was born in the U.A.E., grew up between the Middle East and Turkey, and spent most of his twenties in Japan. That is where he learned the craft, in Italian restaurants, bistros, bars and Michelin-starred kitchens.
- PepeRosso, Tokyo, Italian. Two years.
- Lurra, Kyoto, one Michelin star, creative tasting menu. Two years.
- Mezzaluna by lebua, Bangkok, two Michelin stars, French and Japanese. Two years as sous chef.
In his own words: "Italian, French, Japanese, Nordic: I have picked up something from every kitchen I have worked in, and a little of all of it comes with me to [CUISINE]. Cooking is what makes me happy. I want guests to feel that, the happiness and the fun behind the food, when the plate lands in front of them."
![In the dining room at [CUISINE]](/assets/journal/ismael-dining-room.jpg)
Why it fits
[CUISINE] has always been French-rooted cooking with a Japanese respect for the product: the raw bar, the dry-aged fish, the sauces that take a day to make. Ismael's years in Tokyo and Kyoto and his time at Mezzaluna put him exactly on that line. Italian technique on top of it is a bonus we intend to use.
An open kitchen is a particular place to cook. There is no wall and no pass window, so the head chef is in the room with the guests all night. Ismael took the job knowing that, and the counter is already where you will find him.
What changes on the plate
Nothing overnight. The menu you know stays. The R&D bench keeps running, and the next plates to come off it will carry his hand as much as Franck's. We will say so here in the journal when they land, as we did with the langoustines and the flatbread.
Come and meet him. We are open every day from 5:30pm to 11pm at No. 3 Saladaeng Road, third floor. Book a table on the reservations page or walk in and take a seat at the counter.