After studying architecture at UC-Berkeley, Pichet Ong eventually made it to New York and worked as a chef with Jean-Georges Vongerichten from 1998 to 2004, cooking at the restaurant 66 (shout out to Sex and the City) and Spice Market, located in the then up-and-coming meatpacking district. Soon Ong established himself as one of the city’s most innovative pastry minds, weaving the flavors of Southeast Asia into classic French desserts. He also low-key popularized the salt-and-caramel flavor pairing that is now ubiquitous. We discuss it all in this lively conversation.
Also on the show, Anna talks Austrian food with Markus Glocker, executive chef at Augustine and chef-owner of Bâtard. They talk about intricate Viennese pastries and messy, comforting spaetzle.
Matt Rodbard is the editor in chief of TASTE and author of Koreatown: A Cookbook, a New York Times best-seller, and Food IQ: 100 Questions, Answers, and Recipes to Raise Your Cooking Smarts.
