Arnold Eric Wong was born to be a chef. The native San Franciscan began getting comfortable with sautéing, blanching and braising as a teenager in the gourmet take out section of his family’s upscale neighborhood grocery store, the Ashbury Market. Little did he know that these humble beginnings would result in a career leading the pack in innovative San Francisco-style cuisine.
The Ashbury Market, founded in 1956 and located in San Francisco’s famous Haight-Ashbury district, was one of the city’s first European-style food markets, and in many ways it was the model for trendy markets of today. During it’s heyday it was the one-stop-shop for locals in search of ultra-fresh produce, a knowledgeable and skilled in-store butcher, gourmet delicatessen, and, in the late 70’s introduced an upscale wine department with an impressive selection of boutique wines. Through the years, Wong, the youngest of five siblings working at the market, remained immersed in the emerging food and wine culture while pursuing a degree in Architecture. Thus, it was no surprise that he ultimately cast aside his blueprints to follow a culinary journey.
In 1986 Wong attended the California Culinary Academy. While at the academy he was making pastries for the newly opened Silk’s at San Francisco’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel, and prior to graduating he’d secured a position at the renowned Masa’s restaurant. The following year began as opening sous chef at Pacific Heights’ Café Kati.
Nights at Café Kati left Wong’s mornings available for him to focus on keeping the family’s business progressive. In 1994 he did so with his brother, Richard by launching a small wholesale bakery, which was founded in response to the daily lines of customers waiting for fresh-baked scones from the market’s two small ovens. In it’s first week Skones supplied over 1,500 scones daily to bay area coffee shops and fine food stores. Renamed Raison d’etre in 1997, the company now bakes out of a 5,000 square-foot San Francisco warehouse and offers an expanded line of pastries to 150 outlets.
1995 brought the opening of Eos Restaurant & Wine Bar. Eos, the name for the greek goddess of dawn, implied a natural progression of change and new beginnings. Eos, in latin, meaning “east” was the introduction of eastern ingredients to western and thus the Asian Fusion cuisine of EOS. In 1996, Wong was named one of the five “rising star” chef’s under 30 by the San Francisco Chronicle.
After long delays in late 2000, Wong open the doors of the greatly anticipated Bacar Restaurant & Wine Salon with former EOS wine director Debbie Zachareas. Bacar, latin for wine goblet, celebrates the pairing of a modern San Francisco Brasserie menu and an unparalleled wine program.
Today, Wong spends his time between the three ventures and is currently working on a cookbook for Eos and bacar.
