A Quickie With Cedric Vonderichten
He's popping up in Miami until May, catch him while you can
When your father is a world-famous chef, cooking is literally in your DNA. But running a successful restaurant? That takes more than just a good bloodline. That’s why Cedric Vongerichten’s success is especially impressive, as he’s forged his own path in the culinary world with his hit restaurants Wayan and Ma•dé. Rather than going the French route, he’s gained acclaim for his worth with Southeast Asian flavors, teaming with his wife Ochi, whom he met at the Culinary Institute of America.
The gastronomic power-couple have brought Wayan to popups in Aspen and the Hamptons over the past year or so to rave reviews, and now bring the French-Indonesian restaurant to Wynwood until May. We sat down with Cedric during his opening week, and he told us about his childhood in Burgundy, and what he’s cooking when he’s at home.
Name: Cedric Vongerichten
Position: Chef/Owner at Wayan
Nickname: My last name is a little long and some people have hard time to pronounce that, so when I was a kid and a teenager it was V-O-N-G-E. In French, Vonge.
Childhood leftover memory: My grandmother in Burgundy, would go foraging for mushrooms nearby in the forest. And she would make this like Beef bourguignon, her own style with chicken. And it was just way better the next day or the following days. We would even eat it for breakfast with eggs the next day or two.
Favorite restaurant to take leftovers home from: I like to take leftover from steak houses, general . There’s always some leftover beef and I use it the next day for a little breakfast. I was at Strip House in New York last night, but there’s a lot of great places.
My last meal would be: I love Japanese cuisine. So maybe like this awesome shabu shabu or a spread with udo, sashmi , uni, kobe.
What music is playing in your kitchen? During prep time, I would say it’s a mix of Afro pop, Afro house. But when it’s service time, there’s no music playing. I mean, you can hear the music from dining room, but we focus on execution.
What do you wear at home in the kitchen? At work I wear whites, outside I wear black.
What is your favorite thing about the Miami restaurant scene? I love the energy. All of (the restaurants) have such different style of cuisine. But they all have this fun energy. And people eat later there, which it’s a little different than New York City.
What is your least favorite thing about the Miami restaurant scene?
It was very frustrating finding Asian products. Sure, you can find some type of chilies or things like that, but very specific items that we’ll use. Like makrut lime leaves. Or Even regular red Thai chilies, we’d spend weeks and weeks to ask all around. And we are actually shipping some over from New York City
After work, what do you drink? Tequila on the rocks. I like Casa Dragones, because it’s not too sweet.
What is your go-to kitchen tool? For recipes, we must have a Vitamix. But Microplane is another one that is needed for what we do or what I like to do.
What are your go-to spots in Miami? I know that’s an institution, but we like to go there maybe once a week or every other week with the kids, it’s Joe Stone Crab. Perhaps to just get my fix of seafood. In the neighborhood, there’s so many great places like Uchi. There’s this place ice cream place next to us called V-Gelato, and I was blown away by that place. Another cool place we like to go after work is an Italian place called Sparrow. And Sunny’s is pretty awesome.
Favorite thing to cook at home: I love to do a super simple one pan roast chicken, with some butter in a cavity, herbs, salt, pepper, olive oil, garlic, onions, potatoes, carrots, splash of white wine, a little stock. Like golden skin, juicy with the potatoes absorbed all the juices and the vegetables underneath it. I love that.
If you weren’t a chef, what would you be doing: I would be in music? Yeah. I don’t know why, but yeah.
What advice would you give aspiring chefs: Be practicing and be patient. I messed up a lot of stuff until I eventually get it and then, then it just becomes natural. You don’t mess up anymore. But it took a lot of practice, a lot of fuckups still up now.
You can reserve a table at Wayan right here.