Chef Ressul Rassallat is not only a member of the American Culinary Federation, he is also versed in the world of wine and has passed the rigorous Court of Master Sommelier’s Certification course.
After graduating, he moved west to Los Angeles to showcase his culinary talents. There he found his first long term culinary home as Sous Chef to Ludovic Lefebvre at the five diamond, five-star rated, legendary celebrity hotspot, L’Orangerie in West Hollywood. Despite his undeniable success, he departed Southern California for Aix en Provence, to join 2 star Michelin Chef Édouard Loubet. As a culinary professional who adores supreme ingredients and always chooses to let them shine in his dishes, Provence proved to be true to the word farm to table.
At the end of his two year hiatus, he returned to Los Angeles as Chef de Cuisine for restaurants at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills, working under Executive chef Conny Anderson. He also gained additional international culinary experience staging in the kitchen of culinary legend Philippe Legendre at the renowned 2-star Michelin George V at the hotel’s historic landmark sister property in Paris, as well as exposure to the tastes, ingredients, and sensibilities of Asia by spending one year cooking at Four Seasons outposts in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Chiang Mai. While the former deepened his training in French technique, the latter opened him up to Asian sensibilities that are often reflected in the dishes he creates today.
In 2005 he accepted his first Executive Chef position, moving on from the Four Seasons and up to the Hillcrest Country Club, home away from home for the Los Angeles entertainment elite since 1920. This lead him to a greater opportunity and challenge as Executive Chef for all the restaurants at the Lodge at Pebble Beach, including the flagship XIX Restaurant. It was there that he met Pastry Chef John Hui who inspired him to try his hand at culinary competitions.
Naturally driven and eager to show his abilities, he gained a spot on the gold-winning US Team in two World Gelato Pastry Competitions, and also competed and won ten medals in the American Culinary Federation - six gold, two silver and two bronze. this secured another cherished honor, an invitation to cook in New York’s James Beard house.
In March of 2008, he played host chef to the greatest culinary talents of our time at the inaugural Pebble Beach Food & Wine Event. During the four day culinary extravaganza, Chef Rassallat, alone with his staff at Club XIX, hosted more Michelin starred chefs than have ever been assembled in a single place at one time. Chefs Alain Passard, Gerard Boyer, Thomas Keller, David Kinch and Jacques Pépin worked in concert with Chef Rassallat to create the events most memorable culinary creations. Rassallat’s talents shone brightly during the Pebble Beach Food and Wine Event and were featured in a subsequent feature article in the New York Times that stated, “At Club XIX, an elegant restaurant overlooking the course, the new chef, Ressul Rassallat, formerly of the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills, has revamped a French-accented California menu with prix-fixe dinners that can include anything from Foie Gras Ravioli to Braised Short Ribs with Truffled Potato Purée.
Rassallat’s expertise encompasses classic Italian, French and Western styles of cuisine, in addition to specialty desserts, breads and pastries. Incorporating surprising culinary twists to his dishes, Rassallat favors contemporary French cuisine with Mediterranean flavors from Sicily, Greece and Lebanon.
