Chef Matt Baker

Chef Matt Baker (@Chef_mbaker) Chef de Cuisine @OccidentalGrill and Chef/Owner @WellFedGroup

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What sets Chef Matt Baker apart from others in his field is his consistent passion for cuisine. In his life, food and dining have always come first. His obsession with food started early. During holidays in Houston, Texas, he assisted with preparing cookies and pies with his Grandmother, which led to an enthusiastic enrollment at Johnson & Wales University in Miami, Florida. After spending time in the kitchens and wine rooms of South Beach, he fulfilled his urge to travel and in 2009, landed the opening Executive Chef position at Krish in Singapore. It was at Krish that Chef Matt began making a name for himself, being named by Time “The Country’s Hottest Chef” and by Timeout Singapore as “Singapore’s newest splurge worthy restaurant.” With a short stint at Minibar by José Andrés, Chef Matt settled in with Robert Wiedmaier at Brasserie Beck where he was the Executive Sous Chef in the fall of 2011. The summer of 2012 brought him to The Occidental Grill & Seafood as the Chef de Cuisine. With him, he brought a reenergized menu with items including a Salt-Crusted Porterhouse Steak for two and a Pan Roasted Yellow fin Tuna with Fennel Pollen. Where he excels at this longtime D.C. landmark however is his exciting and intricate daily specials, where he utilizes the freshest ingredients by establishing relationships with local farmers and purveyors. Paying tribute to both his Texas and South-East Asian routes, Chef Matt’s taste for the adventurous and inspired is seen and tasted in his food. He takes plating like a contemporary artist, free-flowing ingredients on the plate like a blank canvas. This young Chef’s talent will only continue to grow in Washington as his fervor for inspired flavor and dining experience develops