Slow Summer: Brandon JewThe Michelin-starred chef on cooking with the rhythms of summer.
Brandon Jew founded San Francisco restaurant Mister Jiu’s in 2015 with the goal to reshape the narrative around Chinese cuisine as being more than its reputation as takeout food. Now, a decade later, with the restaurant having received a Michelin star—and Jew the James Beard Award in 2022—it’s safe to say that his mission has been a great success. Here, Jew discusses how seasonal ingredients, local farmers’ markets and the changing temperatures of summer influence both his menu and his cooking philosophy.
Angie Sijun Lou: What rituals ground you in the summer?
Brandon Jew: I have been going to the farmer’s market religiously since I was a line cook at Quince’s 20 years ago. I go to the Berkeley market on Tuesdays and the Ferry Building on Sundays. It gives me a chance to talk to the farmers directly and learn the story behind their seeds, which helps me feel like I’m taking part in an ingredient’s story, long before it arrives at the diner’s plate. Plus, it allows me to support farmers who grow organic or biodynamic foods.
ASL: I like the emphasis on cooking as a form of storytelling.
BJ: My kitchen and I often discuss the sensitivity required to understand the layers of every ingredient, not only on an aromatic or taste level, but also on a historical and cultural level. Cooking is a form of artistic expression—every chef aspires to have a unique signature that they refine over time—but we are also responsible for transmitting the narrative of an ingredient. The chef is a point of continuity between the farmer and the diner.
ASL: How does the shift into summer change your approach to cooking?
BJ: I cook in alignment with the colors, shapes and textures of each season. The year is marked by continual transition and punctuated by two major transformations. The transition between fall to winter is a time when food becomes heartier and sturdier, when you move away from using lighter nut and seed oils and turn to animal fats and butters. Whereas the beginning of summer is when the root vegetable color palette—browns, oranges and off-whites—becomes adorned with splashes of green. The sprouts are still tender and fragile, but they should be visible on the plate. And, of course, the decline in the vibrancy of melons and tomatoes indicates that summer is coming to a bittersweet close.
ASL: Does San Francisco’s microclimate influence your cooking?
BJ: What I learned from cooking at Zuni Café was how closely connected your cravings are to atmospheric shifts. If you follow this synchronicity, there is a two-week period in the Bay that poses a special creative challenge. Nature gives us fall ingredients that are meant to be made into stews—parsnips, squash, celery root—but it’s still 75 degrees, and all you want is a salad. My kitchen staff and I strive to create lighter versions of these full-bodied ingredients.
ASL: What is your favorite summer staple?
BJ: When I was apprenticing in Bologna, the chef I worked for always geeked out on the smell of tomato stems. It’s not a strong scent, but if you train your attention, you can discern the quality and ripeness of the tomato based solely on the complexity of the aroma.
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This story was created in partnership with CHANDON as part of Slow Summer—a new series celebrating the simple joy of hosting friends with CHANDON Spritz. Please enjoy responsibly.
