Chris Schloss - Executive Chef, Cin-Cin Wine Bar

A Los Gatos native, Chris Schloss has cooked in restaurants around the world and has now come back home to share his delicious global-inspired food.  His cooking philosophy is simple: 1) Use purveyors who love their product 2) Cook honestly and passionately 3) Let the ingredients shine.  That philosophy has brought him success at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Geneva, Switzerland; at Michelle Bernstein’s critically-acclaimed restaurant Azul in Miami; Asiate and Telepan in Manhattan and Stone Park Café in Brooklyn.  Trained at Johnson and Wales University, Chris is a distinguished visiting chef and member of the James Beard Foundation. 

How old were you when you started getting interested in cooking? How were you inspired to make it a career?  With my father being involved in the business (Birk’s in Santa Clara), I was trying ethnic food most kids at that early age were not accustomed to. I guess it was sort of a growing interest over time, but when I first saw the inner workings of the restaurant (the hustle and bustle, the camaraderie) I knew this was something I wanted to do. It's kind of like a second family to me.

What is your most memorable cooking experience?  Cooking at the James Beard House and once for Paul Bocuse.

Do you cook alone or with your family at home?  I cook for my family on special occasions or for guests, but my wife Saemi recognizes that I cook constantly at the restaurant and tries to give me a break from the kitchen on a daily basis.  I can't complain, though - she is a fabulous cook herself!  She cooks authentic Korean/Japanese dishes and is starting to modernize her Korean techniques into fantastic dishes. It's very inspiring to see her passion for food rival mine.

What is your favorite meal to cook at home?  Shabu-Shabu (Japanese hot pot), a dish to entertain without taking credit for because each guest does their part. It's a three course meal in one pot – you can't beat that!  A close second would be Bulgogi (Korean barbequed beef).

What was your favorite dish growing up?  My mother made unbelievable Thanksgiving pearl onions and apples.  It was a fine-tuned recipe that my whole family anticipated every year - even more than the turkey and gravy!

Why are you passionate about sustainable, organic and biodynamic farming?  I enjoy using products that my farmers and vendors truly love to produce, and with the trend toward sustainable, organic and biodynamic farming, that love is stronger than ever. Most chefs will tell you a great product makes your job easier, and I strongly agree – in fact, I truly believe the food tastes even better when it hasn’t been touched by any pesticides.  Not to mention that scientifically these products have much higher nutrient levels than non-organic foods.

Favorite food trend?  Artisanal Cheese and savory desserts - I don't usually indulge in sweets.

What is your favorite food and wine pairing?  I think an underrated pairing is red wine with seafood. Most people don’t automatically think of this pairing, but I think it's very effective with richly prepared fish and seafood, such as fish stews or dishes with saffron or herbs.  Light- to medium-bodied reds with good acidity, especially ones from cooler climate regions like France and Austria, complement many fish dishes.

What famous person do you look up to?  He’s not so famous, but I would love to have dinner with Harold McGee the author of “On Food and Cooking.”  It is about the actual science of cooking and my favorite go-to cooking literature.

What is your favorite local ingredient?  Sourdough.

Favorite restaurant city?  New York City. Having lived there for several years I am a little biased on this answer, but the diversity of ethnicities in New York provide such a mecca of flavor, tastes and ideas to each and every borough, neighborhood and block of the city.

Favorite local cheap eat?  Crab enchiladas/fish tacos at Dia de Pesca taco truck on Bascom Ave. in San Jose.

Favorite cooking show?  “After Hours” with Daniel Boloud on the MOJO Network - great food and chef stories.

What would you be if you weren't a chef or restaurateur? Travel writer.

What wine are you drinking now?  I really enjoy the new spectrum of wines in Austria. The grape varietals such as Grüner Veltliner, Blaufrankisch and Zwiegelt range from light to full bodied flavorful wines that will soon become new vocabulary to wine drinkers everywhere.