Craig Koketsu fostered his passion for precision, knowledge and flavor by working with acclaimed chefs from diverse backgrounds at some of America’s top restaurants.

Koketsu began his culinary career at Stars in Palo Alto, California working with renowned chefs Jeremiah Tower and Joyce Goldstein. After moving through all the posts in the kitchen, he received the distinction of being named banquet chef for all private events at Stars, which allowed him to create intricate and innovative dishes.

As Koketsu learned about the luminaries of the culinary world, he realized that a move to New York City was crucial to work with the chefs he admired. Once in New York, Koketsu landed the position of chef de partie with Gray Kunz at the famed restaurant Lespinasse. Chance intervened when the young chef was afforded a rare opportunity to work with another remarkable talent, Christian Delouvrier, who replaced Kunz after his departure from Lespinasse. Koketsu stayed on Delouvrier’s new team and became poissonnier, which was the post he held when Lespinasse earned a four-star review from The New York Times. A year and a half after the review, Koketsu was honored with the highest position in Delouvrier’s kitchen, chef de cuisine. Koketsu was selected to create the culinary concept and menus of Quality Meats, which he executed with a great respect for classic dishes, transformed by his creativity. With the transition of Park Avenue Summer to Park Avenue Autumn, Koketsu shifts his focus to showcasing autumn’s flavors using techniques like roasting and braising.

Park Avenue was named among the top best new restaurants of 2007 by The New York Times, New York Magazine and the New York Observer. New York Magazine also named Koketsu among New York’s top up-and-coming chefs.