By Julliana Bravo
“When one door closes, another opens,” goes the saying. For The Stanwich Club executive chef Corey Chow, that didn’t seem to hold true at one point in his career. The door had closed at Alan Wong’s in Honolulu, yet the seemingly opened door was slammed shut.
Per Se, Chef Thomas Keller’s high-end restaurant in New York City, came to Alan Wong’s for a special event, and Chow felt as if this was his next call, particularly after head chef Jonathan Benno asked him to come to Per Se for a trial. Chow packed his bags and made the dream move to New York.
He did his stage, a chef’s interview that included three shifts, and a formal interview. At the end of the trial, the dream turned into a nightmare – he didn’t land the position. It was an ego check for Chow, but it also gave him the inspiration to keep studying and practicing. He spent four months cooking every day, practicing different techniques and studying cookbooks.
Such determination didn’t come from nowhere. Since he was young, Chow had set his mind on becoming a chef. When it came time for college applications, all he wanted to do was attend culinary school, but his parents advised him to pursue a bachelor's degree first. For Chow, it was good to have a backup, but he never lost sight of his dream. After completing his study of psychology at California State Polytechnic, he went to the renowned Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena.
When asked if he faced any unexpected turns at culinary school, Chow couldn’t think of anything; instead, what surprised him was himself. He made the honor roll and had perfect attendance.
“That hadn’t happened to me since fifth grade,” he recalls.
Out of culinary school, Chow landed the job at Alan Wong’s, where he specialized in Hawaiian cuisine. Though his initial trial with Per Se didn’t go in his favor, three months later, Chow was at home refining his skills and received a call from Chef Benno. This time, the door was fully opened with an offer. Chow spent 10 years at Per Se, climbing from sous chef to chef de cuisine.
After a series of events – including the pandemic and Per Se closing and re-opening multiple times – Chow made the difficult decision to leave Per Se in pursuit of “country” life. That brought him to Greenwich, Conn., and The Stanwich Club, where he had to learn more than navigating a new kitchen.
“I had no idea what an outing was, let alone a shotgun,” Chow laughs. But the team at Stanwich was understanding, and Chow wasn't hesitant to ask questions about his new setting.
Things have been slightly different at Stanwich compared to the big city for Chow. That’s led him back to the basics, perfecting a cobb salad, soups, wraps, and items for the snack bar. But he also has the freedom to use his experience in the kitchen and dial into his staff’s previous influences. Several chefs have come from restaurants specializing in different cuisines, such as chef de cuisine Esther Ha, who rose to executive chef at Momofuku Ko.
For Chow, making a dish doesn’t have to be complicated. He likes to take meals that remind him of his childhood, with an elevated version of Rice-A-Roni being one such dish he’s offered at Stanwich.
Chow’s skill set as a chef has developed every step of the way – through doors opened and closed. And now, he’s settled in nicely at The Stanwich Club, where he’s elevated the dining experience by providing simple yet elegant dishes for the membership.