Co-owner and chef of San Francisco’s Atelier Crenn, Dominique Crenn is a passionate LGBTQ+, inclusivity and sustainability activist
As part of its pre-announced awards programme, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants has named French-born chef Dominique Crenn as the proud recipient of its 2021 Icon Award. The coveted Icon Award celebrates an individual who has made a significant contribution to the restaurant industry worthy of global recognition, and who has used their platform to raise awareness and drive positive change. Apart from earning the title of The World’s Best Female Chef in 2016, Crenn has become a symbol of empowerment and hope, going above and beyond her job scope to inspire change in society.
Having adopted her parents’ keen interest in all things food, the San Francisco-based chef moved to the US at the age of 24 to embark on formal training. Driven by passion and grit, Crenn’s talents were quickly recognised; she became the first female executive chef in Jakarta, Indonesia, where she headed the kitchen at the Intercontinental Hotel. Her return to San Francisco saw her working at the acclaimed Luce. In 2011, her dream came true in the form of Atelier Crenn, her debut restaurant in the iconic city.
A beautifully designed interior with a philosophy to match, the establishment is centred around the theme of ‘poetic culinaria’, Crenn’s belief in storytelling through her dishes, each of which has its own narrative. Within mere months of its opening, Atelier Crenn was awarded its first Michelin star. This achievement was nothing short of a momentous one as the following year, Crenn became the first female chef in the US to oversee a two-starred restaurant, making her an inspiration in a largely male-dominated industry.
See also: Michelin Guide Singapore to Hold Virtual Awards Ceremony in September 2021