chef de cuisine

noun

chef de cui·​sine ˌshef-də-kwē-ˈzēn 

plural chefs de cuisine ˌshef(s)-də-kwē-ˈzēn 

: a chef who manages a professional kitchen

… chefs need chefs de cuisine to run their kitchens, from hiring and firing to choosing between chives and chervil as the garnish for a new dish. And some do a great deal more than that.

—Julia Moskin

And the titles change with each restaurant. The top chef might be called an executive chef or chef de cuisine. The second in command might also be known as chef de cuisine (if there's an executive chef) …

—Phil Vettel

Tony Bilson, who has had a succession of artistically successful but financially rocky restaurants in Sydney, has his name on the door, but Manu Feildel, the young chef de cuisine from France, does the day-to-day cooking, and he is good.

—Harvey Steiman

compare executive chef

Examples of chef de cuisine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For Sawa chef de cuisine Soroosh Golbabae, the market has become a go-to for both his restaurant and his home cooking. —Maria Yagoda, Curbed, 19 Dec. 2024

Cold temps will dull the flavor and result in a mealy or shriveled texture, according to Adam Stephens, chef de cuisine at Le Moyne’s Chophouse inside The Admiral Hotel in Mobile, Alabama. —Karla Walsh, Southern Living, 22 Nov. 2024

Author Ashleigh Shanti is the former chef de cuisine of Benne on Eagle and is currently chef-owner of Good Hot Fish in Asheville, NC. —The Bon Appétit and Epicurious Staffs, Bon Appétit, 10 Dec. 2024

Recently, Meteora founder Jordan Kahn and chef de cuisine Ki Kim hosted Mario Castrellon of Panama City’s Maito, which is ranked No. 6 on the most recent 50 Best Latin American Restaurants list. —Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, "head of the kitchen"

First Known Use

1798, in the meaning defined above