Chef Andrew C

Cooking with heart, joy, and bold flavor — always in service of making people happy.

“There can never be too much food — only not enough stomach.”

Chef Andrew believes food is one of the most powerful ways to bring people together. What he loves most about cooking isn’t just the craft — it’s watching how food makes people feel. From eyes-closed smiles to the unmistakable fork-shake after a first bite, those moments of pure joy are what fuel him.

One of his favorite memories comes from Valentine’s Day while serving as Executive Chef at a small wine bar. After creating a special prix fixe menu, his staff couldn’t stop reporting back about guests doing little happy dances in their chairs as they ate. For Andrew, those reactions are the highest compliment a chef can receive.

Born and raised in Bellevue, Washington, just outside Seattle, Chef Andrew also spent several formative middle-school years living in Beijing, China. Growing up in a half-Chinese family and later marrying a Korean woman, Asian flavors are deeply tied to his fondest memories. His cooking often celebrates bold contrasts — tender and crunchy, rich and light, comforting and surprising. If something is meant to be crispy, Andrew believes it should be the crispiest version you’ve ever had.

Andrew’s culinary journey began unexpectedly. After dropping out of college, he took a job at a ramen shop and fell in love with restaurant life. That passion eventually led him to attend the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY during COVID, where he further refined his skills and technique.

Some of Andrew’s most meaningful food memories come from making dumplings — folding hundreds with friends in a dorm kitchen, or with family every Lunar New Year. Those same smiles followed him through his early restaurant career, including his first ramen shop with an open kitchen, where seeing diners’ reactions sealed his fate as a lifelong chef.

Most recently, Chef Andrew served as Executive Chef of the 1915 Wine Cellar in Poughkeepsie, NY, where he created the menu, ran the charcuterie program, and developed weekly specials, soups, and pastries for the attached café. During his tenure, he led several standout events, including a surprise proposal dinner, a highly acclaimed Valentine’s dinner, and a paired wine dinner for the Ricasoli family, renowned Italian vintners.

When he’s not in the kitchen, Andrew enjoys singing karaoke, playing Dungeons & Dragons, embroidering (yes — really), and yelling at cooking shows with his wife. He has no pets yet, but dreams of one day adopting a cat.