Jeramie Robison, who gained national attention as 27-year-old chef of Houston’s fine dining landmark, Restaurant Cinq at Hotel Colombe d’Or, has been named to head the kitchen team at Shinsei Restaurant in Dallas.
“We are thrilled to have Jeramie come on board,” said co-owner Tracy Moore Rathbun, adding, “Jeramie has great ideas for Shinsei and we have big plans for him.” Co-owner Lynae Fearing said, “This young chef has already accomplished a lot in a short time. We are confident that he will take Shinsei to a new level.” Shinsei opened in 2006 in the North Dallas-Park Cities neighborhood, serving hip, Texas-accented Pan Asian cuisine and sushi.
Robison, now 31, was named one of Top Five Rising Chefs in the nation in 2011 by Gayot.com, a widely respected dining and hotel guide. That same year he was one of six Rising Star Chefs of Houston, a prestigious award bestowed by Starchefs.com, a well-regarded restaurant industry website.
“I am fortunate to join such a tenured team,” said Robison of his colleagues at Shinsei. “There’s so much going on.” Plans include a redecorated upstairs dining room in time for the early March launch of Izakaya service, based on the Japanese after-work tradition of light snacks and a drink. The Izakaya menu will be available 5 to 7 p.m. weekdays.
Robison plans “to take a look at the core menu and do some freshening up,” with new emphasis on smaller plates for sharing. “I’ve got some ideas using different techniques that will excite people,” said Robison. “We’ll start gradually, trying out some specials. The ones that work will be incorporated into the menu,” he added.
Robison’s move to Dallas brings his career full circle. After getting a degree from Johnson & Wales in Denver, the native of Ruston, La., landed a spot at The Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas under then Chef John Tesar. It was his opportunity to learn to work in “a true French brigade,” the classic kitchen system where he could learn all the stations, from breakfast cook to saucier.
The aspiring young chef began his culinary career at age 16 as a dishwasher at Anthony’s Pasta & Seafood. After six months, “I got a shot at sauté (a cooking position),” recalled Jeramie, and he was hooked on a culinary career.
After four years at The Mansion, Robison went to New York City where he worked under famed chef Davie Burke at Fishtail. That’s when his cooking became seafood focused, a natural fit for the Cajun kid who grew up catching and cooking fish and seafood.
Robison was lured from New York to Houston by Chef Tesar who by then was opening a namesake restaurant in the Woodlands, an upscale Houston exurb. When Tesar’s venture folded, Robison landed on his feet at Cinq where the young chef is credited with breathing new life into what had been an aging dowager of fine dining. His innovative Creole-tinged dishes brought in customers and earned the young chef a lot of new customers and national acclaim.
From Houston, Robison joined the juggernaut that the Tyson Cole group of restaurants based in Austin has become. He was chef de cuisine at the Uchi mother ship on South Lamar. Uchi gave Robison his first in-depth exposure to Asian cuisine. “What I learned with Asian cuisine is how versatile it is…such a broad cuisine. I have fun intertwining Thai and Japanese,” said Robison. At Shinsei, he will combine his seafood and Asian expertise and experience to take this Park Cities favorite to new heights.
Robison and his wife, Janna, are the parents of a month-old daughter, Aniese.
