Chef Frederik de Pue: What’s on the Table Tonight?

We’re getting really excited about finding a home for our latest La Colombe cafe in Shaw, D.C. We also wanted to take this opportunity to get to know one of our future neighbors, owner and head chef of Table, Frederik de Pue. Table is a modern and seasonal restaurant conceptualized and realized by the chef himself. Chef Frederik was traditionally trained with experiences where he worked under Chef Alain Ducasse in Lyon and held the position as Executive Chef for the European Commission Delegation Ambassador.

His eye-opening, turning point was when he worked with Chef Yves Mantagne in Brussels. He certainly has the minimalist, less-is-more approach: “I think you always think about formation, color, texture, but sometimes it doesn’t take much to make a dish. Sometimes lesser ingredients make a dish much nicer.”

Starting with the facade of an effortless white rectangle and a modest logo, Table is designed with the same approach. “I like to keep things clean and organized,” he explained. Chef Frederik had his hands on every piece that went into the space while it was being built. “Each thing in the restaurant was hand-picked by me; there is nothing in here that wasn’t brought in the trunk of my car or truck.” The end result was the precise space for him to spotlight his culinary delights.

Chef Frederik has created the perfect space for the presentation of his dishes, like a gallery would be for works of art. As Tom Sietsema wrote in his article for the Washington Post, Frederik de Pue “turns a humble cut of meat into art you can eat.” Similar to art shows in a contemporary gallery, the menu constantly changes to stay updated and fresh. “It keeps us busy; we don’t want to be bored making the same dishes over and over again. The whole concept is trying to create a home kitchen, where you can come in and feel at home. In a way, you open the door, and you say, ‘Hey honey, what are you cooking tonight?'”

When we asked, “Do you drink coffee?” the chef responded with a succinct ,“Yes, I do!” However, his coffee ritual changes as often as his menu. He’s lucky enough to have all the equipment one can imagine for brewing, and he brews with a fresh method every morning, but the constant are La Colombe beans.