Jean-Georges Vongerichten

His next venture, Vong, paid homage to his passion for the spices and flavors of the East. Using over 150 different herbs and spices to create his take on Thai-inspired French cuisine, the menu at Vong impressed critics, earning another three-star review from The New York Times for his "explosive flavorful food". In an adjacent space to Vong, Vongerichten also opened The Lipstick Cafe, catering to the midtown business crowd and serving breakfast and lunch in a casual, upscale setting. The Lipstick Cafe has since closed. In November 2009 it was revealed that Vong was closing at its longtime location indefinitely after it decided not to renew the lease.[7] Vong was the inspiration for the name of the main antagonists in a popular series of Star Wars novels. A Del Rey Books executive noticed tea from the Yunnan Province on the menu, and combined the two names to create the alien species Yuuzhan Vong.[8]

Vongerichten and partner Phil Suarez have formed a new company, Culinary Concepts by Jean-Georges, with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. and Catterton Partners, a consumer-focused private-equity firm which will own, operate, manage and license restaurants in Starwood properties as well as freestanding concepts not attached to the hotel giant's lodging outlets. The deal calls for seven Spice Markets and other concepts worldwide. The total number of eating destinations could total 56 with this contract. The first to open were two Spice Markets at the W Hotel in both Atlanta and Istanbul, respectively

In March 1997, Vongerichten opened Jean-Georges restaurant in the Trump International Hotel and Tower, earning a four star review from The New York Times less than three months after opening, and the "Chef of the Year Award" from John Mariani at Esquire. Jean-Georges Restaurant also received a three star rating from the Michelin Guide, an accolade held by the restaurant until 2017, when the restaurant's rating was reduced from three stars to two.[9]

Frank Bruni of The Times said it offers "accessible elegance," providing "classic French indulgence with a contemporary flair." The restaurant trades "the richness of traditional French cooking for a different kind of intensity," he added – it eliminates "thick sauces and embraces oils and broths, preferring them for their lightness and for the way they release their scents, like the perfume of lemon grass that rose from a bath of Asian herbs and seeds around a delicately baked lobster tartine."[10]

A year and a half later, Vongerichten opened a second Vong in the Knightsbridge area of London, earning a three-star review and the 1996 vote for the Evening Standard's "Newcomer of the Year". In September 1997, he opened Vong in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Hong Kong, which Robb Report awarded "Best Restaurant in the World" award in 1998. A fourth Vong in Chicago, partnering with restaurant corporation Lettuce Entertain You and Geoff Alexander to become VTK (Vong's Thai Kitchen) in 2002. This change was to make the signature Jean-George style available to a wider audience at a more accessible price point. All three additional Vongs, including VTK, have since closed.

Vongerichten followed with The Mercer Kitchen, opened in July 1998, in the stylish Mercer Hotel in SoHo. This venture features an American-Provincial menu and ‘communal’ style tables in the open kitchen area.

Jean Georges's Prime Steakhouse opened in Las Vegas' Bellagio resort in 1998 [11] The steakhouse serves dinner nightly and offers guests patio seating overlooking the Fountains of Bellagio. It is rated Four Diamonds by AAA and serves up 750 varieties of wine[12] paired by certified sommeliers. Prime also features rare cuts of beef such as Kobe A5 and Wagyu beef from Japan.[13]

In 2004, Vongerichten opened Spice Market (Southeast Asian street food) in NYC,

Perry Street in 2005 (French-American) also in NYC.

Chambers Kitchen in Minneapolis opened in 2007.

In 2008, Vongerichten teamed up with the Matsushita Brothers from Tokyo to open Matsugen. Matsugen's cuisine focuses on Japanese Soba dishes, but also serves sushi and other items, including shabu-shabu and sukiyaki.

Vongerichten opened his newest steakhouse in December 2008 atop The Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. With fare consisting of steaks and seafood, the restaurant has received 4 stars from the Arizona Republic[14] and is regarded as one of the top 3 steakhouses in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area.[15]

In November 2009, Vongerichten opened Market in Boston's W Hotel, inspired by the casual, simple elegance of the setting, Jean-Georges has created a relaxed menu that emphasizes fresh, locally produced ingredients. Emphasizing comfort and creativity, the menu reinvents classic dishes with eclectic flair, allowing guests to try new flavor combinations and explore spices from other regions, all while remaining close to home. Dishes crafted with seasonal market ingredients and local fish, can be selected from enticing categories on the menu such as Simply Raw, Fish, Meat, and a Market tasting menu to enliven the senses and satisfy any craving. Market closed in December 2013. Co-owner Culinary Concepts of New York stated through spokesman Max Buccini: "Due to the rising costs of labor in the hotel landscape in Boston, it became increasingly difficult to operate."[16]

Vongerichten opened a restaurant at the Hotel Shangri-La Vancouver, a luxury hotel that Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts opened in 2009. "Market by Jean-Georges" is the first collaboration between Shangri-La and Vongerichten and is the chef's first involvement with Canadian or west coast dining.[17]

Vongerichten opened a namesake restaurant inside Aria,[18] a casino resort hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. The restaurant features A-5 grade Kobe beef from Hyogo prefecture in Kobe City, Japan, which makes it one of the eight restaurants in the United States to feature the beef.[19] In May 2017 the Las Vegas steakhouse underwent a two-month renovation. The restaurant made its second debut in July 2017. In addition to an updated ambiance - table side charcuterie service and new craft cocktails are now featured at Jean-Georges Steakhouse.[20]

The Paris Café opened on May 15, 2019, along with the opening of TWA Hotel at John F. Kennedy International Airport[21] serving retro type meals similar to meals served on TWA flights when Trans World Airlines was using TWA Flight Center.[22]

Jean-Georges first vegan restaurant is ABCV in Manhattan.[23] The Infatuation rated it 8.5/10 and named it one of NYC's best new restaurants of 2017, writing that "they aren’t out to make a vegetable into something else. There’s no cashew cheese, and nothing is labeled as a 'steak.' They just source great vegetables at the green market and make them into something delicious.[24]