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Chef Jon Sears was raised with a love of cuisine, which honors his Hawaiian
heritage and reflects his taste for the exotic and the traditional. First introducing
Bay Area residents to his food creations in 1992 through his private catering
business, Epicurean Events, Sears moved on to open The Dining Room
Restaurant in San Mateo in 1999 emphasizing the importance of the “complete
dining experience.”
As a chef/owner, Chef Jon Sears’ dining philosophy goes further than simply fresh
ingredients, moderate portions, and a strong aesthetic sense. For him, cooking is
more than preparing food; it’s an expression that allows him to connect with his
diners. “My main objective is first to balance flavors and textures,” he says.
“Everything beyond becomes presentation. I totally devote myself to the guests,
focusing solely on the details of the dining production: service, lighting, music and
atmosphere - creating an experience just for them.”
At The Dining Room, Sears, a self-taught chef, struggled to balance his artistic
vision with business sense. His preference was to serve fewer diners, having every
detail conform to his specifications, rather than changing to a casual dining
concept with high turnover.
Acclaimed by the San Francisco Chronicle and the San Francisco Magazine for its
incredible wait staff, peaceful ambience and exquisite cuisine, The Dining Room
delighted customers for over four years before it closed, victim to the recession.
Sears now only produces private dinners and special events at The Dining Room,
along with his latest project, “The Drunk Monkey Gourmet Club,” where dining
enthusiasts can still get their fix every month for his thematic tasting menus.
The Drunk Monkey Gourmet Club is what fuels his passions. "It allows me to still be
creative and put on a show the way I intend for people to experience," he said.
Sears creates themes based on whatever strikes his fancy. It could be movies,
cultures or a color (such as a menu of all red foods). For example, "Foiellywood"
was a menu that was created in direct response to Senator John Burton’s bill to
ban the production of foie gras. Included were some of the following cinematically
concocted dishes:
"The Full Monty" -- Foie Gras Monte Cristo, French Ham, Dijon, Gruyere,
Huckleberry Preserves, Truffled Powdered Sugar; "Casablanca" -- ("this could be
the beginning of a beautiful foieship") Chilled Chervil Crab Salad, Moroccan-Spiced
Citrus Couscous, Golden Raisins, Pistachios, Pomegranate Syrup, Warm Clarified
Foie Butter; and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" -- John Burton's Sweet & Sour
Foie Gras (paired with Hawaiian pineapple wine).
“I feel it is my responsibility and duty when people dine with me to broaden their
culinary horizons. A dining experience can trigger a pleasant food memory, inspire,
or possibly even enlighten,” says Sears. “Food is the thing that connects us all. It
invites us to discover new cultures and rediscover our own. I think outside of film
directing, this has to be the greatest job in the world. It allows me to touch on all the
senses while having complete artistic control.”
"I have never seen myself solely as a chef," he continued. "I've always seen myself
more as a producer, hopefully creating moments that will become memories."