[Chef de Cuisine Chef Patrick Ponsaty
Mistral’s Chef De Cuisine Patrick Ponsaty has cooking in his genes—literally. As a fifth generation French Chef, Ponsaty spent his childhood in France working in his father’s restaurant, Cochon de Lait or “The Suckling Pig,” preparing traditional French recipes. Chef Ponsaty continued the family legacy, graduating from culinary school and training in a variety of Two-and-Three Star Michelin Restaurants in France and Spain. He soon received recognition for his skills, being awarded “Best Hotel Chef in America” by the James Beard Foundation and “Best Young Chef in Spain” by the Spanish Culinary Council.
Moving to San Diego 13 years ago, Chef Ponsaty applied his culinary abilities as Chef De Cuisine at some of San Diego’s most beloved restaurants including Bernard’O and El Bizchoco at the Rancho Bernardo Inn, where he received plenty of positive recognition including a Mobil Five-Star rating at El Bizchoco. Now as Chef De Cuisine at Mistral, Ponsaty was kind enough to sit down with me so I could gain insight into his current venture.
How did you come to work at Mistral?
My friend worked at LOEWS Coronado as Executive Chef…they were looking for a Chef de Cuisine and the rest is history.
Did you make any changes when you arrived at Mistral?
Yes! When I arrived I changed the personality of the food, adding flavors from Southern France and the Mediterranean.
I noticed that Mistral features a kitchen garden. Did you implement this garden? Are you a strong proponent of Farm-To-Table cuisine?
No, I did not start the kitchen garden but I use the bounty from it in all of our dishes. It is a large part of the cooking because I am a strong believer in using the freshest ingredients possible. We make sure to use sustainable ingredients including locally sourced seafood and local beef. As the saying goes, you “never get sick eating organic.” I want to bring this experience to diners.
Do you have any favorite dishes on the menu at the moment?
There are too many to choose from, but I love the Steamed Santa Barbara Blue Prawn and Sautéed Wild Sea Bass.
In comparison to your experience cooking abroad, how does the culinary culture of San Diego compare?
It’s definitely getting better. The way we cook here [ in San Diego] is getting very similar to how we cook in France.
Since your menu is seasonal and fall is fast approaching, what changes are you making?
For the fall menu we will use more roots, vegetables, and venison, in addition to adding rustic dishes to the menu.
Despite Chef Ponsaty’s humble demeanor, he brings innovation and enthusiasm to every dish he prepares. Using fresh and bold flavors, he hopes to bring diners the traditional culinary experience that he grew up with, while keeping with contemporary trends. Ponsaty offers diners a hint of adventure without having to travel to an exotic location— simply walk into Mistral and you will find your own little piece of a Mediterranean getaway.
Review By Jaclyn Castello
SanDiegoRestaurants.com
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