FYIDC | THE DISH
THE HUMBLE CHEF Having achieved executive chef status and a Forbes five-star rating by the age of 35 gives Chef Chris Jakubiec plenty of bragging rights, but don’t expect him to act on it. B Y L A U R A WA I N M A N | P H OTO S B Y TO N Y B R O W N
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nyone who has ever enjoyed the food at Plume, the Jefferson Hotel’s signature restaurant, can thank Executive Chef Chris Jakubiec’s mother. Plagued by a child with a notably picky palate, she now gets full credit for his “original love and affinity for cooking.” “I may not have appreciated or eaten everything she made for me growing up, but now, doing what I do, I can truly appreciate what a terrific cook she was,” Jakubiec says. “To this day, I can still remember what her roasted chicken — which she cooked in a terra cotta pot with potatoes, carrots and onions” — smelled like.” Jakubiec, who attended New York’s French Culinary Institute, also vividly recalls his mother’s lobster ravioli with sauce Americaine, which she sold during the holidays at her deli/catering company. As a high school student, he would help her before and after school; she would make the fish and scallop mousse while he folded in the lobster meat. “There were days I’d have to bang out 500 of those raviolis for holiday orders,” Jakubiec says. That part-time job was great training for his future career as executive chef of Plume, where Jakubiec whips up specialties that include lobster Thermidor, diver sea scallops with squash mousseline and Thai curry Moulard duck. Plume prides itself on providing each guest with an intimate and personalized experience and there has been no lack of demand for the chef ’s food, particularly since the restaurant was awarded the coveted five-star rating from Forbes Travel Guide this fall. The designation
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has not been bestowed on another dining establishment in the District since 2000 and it is a distinction it shares with only 31 other U.S. restaurants. “I was totally dumbfounded and in shock when I found out,” Jakubiec says. “The general manager called the food and beverage director and me into his office, which isn’t totally uncommon, but I was still wondering what was going on. He sat us down, handed us the letter announcing the rating and I said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’” The Connecticut native was quick to spread the accolades around, as he credits “a real team effort” leading to the rating. Mom would also be proud to know that her son is still as family-oriented as he was raised, as he seleced his recent nuptials as one of his biggest personal accomplishments to date. “Ten years ago I wasn’t sure marriage would happen. I didn’t know if I’d find anybody who would put up with me for as long as my wife has, or if I’d have enough time outside of work to have a social life and find love. But our wedding was definitely one of the highlights of my life.” Though he has much he could brag about, don’t expect to see this accomplished chef walking around his dining room, greeting guests, as he says he didn’t get into the business for fame and fortune. “I’m no celebrity,” Jakubiec humbly explains. “At the end of the day, my job is to make sure everything is coming out of the kitchen at the correct temperature, properly seasoned and with the right garnish on the plate. I can’t effectively do that from the dining room. A chef ’s place is in the kitchen.”
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