The Hunger: Jean-Georges Vongerichten

Though I've never been one of those food critics compelled to show up at a restaurant in a costume to fool the maître d', I agree it's beneficial for a reviewer to maintain anonymity. So when I was seated at my table on the cozy second floor of JG soon after its opening in 1997, there was no special fuss. No one there seemed to know I was the restaurant critic for New York magazine. I was simply one more obsessed foodie curious about the new restaurant's young chef.

Jean-Georges Vongerichten was born in Illkirch-Graffenstaden, a small town outside Strasbourg in Alsace, France, surrounded by a family full of cooks. His mom and aunts prepared lunch daily for the dozens of workers at the family-owned coal company. Though he loved to eat, lunch duty didn't ignite Vongerichten's passion for cooking. It happened almost by accident, as the aimless young man became as curious about restaurants as he was eager to escape entering the family business.

Jean-Georges Vongerichten first earned recognition for his innovative fusion of French and Southeast Asian cuisines as chef at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Bangkok. His time abroad—in Singapore, Hong Kong, London, and Boston before arriving in midtown Manhattan with a star splash at Lafayette, the former restaurant in the Drake Hotel—was, however, Vongerichten's debut as a chef.

A Culinary Empire Built on Curiosity

Now, an Upper East Side staple, JoJo's success set off a stunningly swift expansion of JG in its own culinary orbit. But what was uncanny and inexplicable was this: during a three-week period in the early 2000s as restaurant critic for New York magazine, I dined at his Spice Market, Vong, Nougatine, Perry Street, and Mercer Kitchen, yet each time I saw Vongerichten pop out of the kitchen—a day after Tom Brady cloning his dog yet somehow a far more confounding reality—how can this limitlessly gifted chef be everywhere at once?

From Alsace to 14 New York City Restaurants

Vongerichten insists he's the OG with no mutations or doppelgängers, matter-of-factly insisting, "You should know by now—I live to work." So relentless is that drive that Vongerichten's culinary kingdom has expanded globally to include some 60 restaurants, including outposts in Doha, São Paulo, Paris, Shanghai, and St. Barts. With plans to open more, and yet Vongerichten sits serenely at ease opposite me on a strawberry mousse pink banquette, a few weeks into the opening of ABC Kitchen, his newest contribution to the wellness in DUMBO, Brooklyn, as if he's just come in from paddleboarding in St. Barts.

"My family was big and always together. There were usually 15 sitting down to dinner and everyone cooked, so we never went out to eat. But for one celebration, my father took us to a three-star Michelin restaurant. The food—incredible, but more importantly, I discovered something I hadn't expected. I didn't know being a chef could be a job."

The Philosophy Behind the Plates

When asked about his learning curve, Vongerichten reflects: "I wasn't afraid. And I think it's because I'm fearless. I'm not sure why I'm this way. I'm not being arrogant, but I've never been afraid of a risk. I always find a way in. And since I was already an outlier in Bangkok, felt like nothing to lose. I was so excited at the opportunity to create without restrictions. I just do what I wanted. And people began to notice."

Unlike many of his contemporaries who rarely open multiple versions of the same restaurant, Vongerichten explains his approach: "Nobu is an extraordinary chef, but repetition isn't for me. I'm too curious about new tastes. More produce is readily available than ever. Fresh scallops arrive overnight from Hokkaido, freshly caught 10 to 14 hours from coastal towns. I find six different cut corners at the greenmarkets. Why get locked into a formula? I want each of my places to offer discovery, for me and especially for customers. I like to think they're as adventurous as I am."

A Life Lived at Full Speed

Vongerichten travels one week a month to his restaurants. "What are the most exciting food cities right now? Istanbul, Marrakech, Mexico City, Dublin and, of course, New York, London, and Paris go without saying. But it's not necessarily restaurants that excite me. Wherever I land, the first thing I do, sometimes even before unpacking, is head to the local greenmarket. And wherever I am, I gravitate toward spice, food from pushcarts, pubs, and corners. Some of the most inspiring ideas start with something I ate standing up in a market."

When traveling to multiple destinations, how much does he pack? "I haven't checked luggage in more than 20 years. I pack two pairs of shoes, two pairs of underwear, two socks, two chef's jackets, one sweater, one white shirt, and a blazer in blue or black or olive. I use the hotel laundry every day."

Does he ever stop, relax, exhale, sleep? "Yes, yes, yes. [Laughs] I enjoy my life. I have five grandchildren and spend as much time as I can with them. I'm so proud of my son Cédric, who with his wife Chili now have two restaurants of their own. [Vongerichten also has two daughters, Louise and Chloé.] As for me, I go to the gym every morning. Bali in St. Barts is only as close as I get to sailing anywhere: my happy place. Paddleboard and snorkel, take my shoes off and don't put them on for three weeks. I disconnect as best as I can except for one habit I cannot give up."