The San Francisco Chronicle Rising Star Chef

THE CHRONICLE RISING STARS
-- Michael Bauer, San Francisco Chronicle

Every year for the past decade The Chronicle's Food staff has selected a crop of young chefs who we think will soon be stars on the national stage.…

ROBERT LAM
Restaurant: butterfly
Age: 31
Style: Pan-Asian

Robert Lam, Vietnam-born model student-turned-chef, is proud that he once got kicked out of a class at the Culinary Institute of America - a class on Asian cooking, at that.

"They did Asian cuisine in seven days; two days for China, one for Japan, one for Vietnam, and so on," taught by an old-school chef who believed chop suey was a authentic dish, Lam recalls. He couldn't stomach the insultingly simplistic approach and vocally pushed the boundaries, to the point that he was excused from the class.

Now, about half a dozen years after graduation, his 100-seat Butterfly and his New Asian-style cooking are getting attention.
Today the restaurant has a young, almost cult, following. Butterfly can barely keep up with the calls for reservations.
Lam's cooking stays as close to his roots as possible. His take on fusion is not a melting-pot style, where everything is equal and doesn't stay true to anything.

He calls what he does "Asian within Asian," pulling from Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, Japanese and Korean traditions. He traces his devotion to true flavors to his mother, who opened a Vietnamese restaurant, Vien Dong, in Garden Grove outside Los Angeles when the family landed in Southern California after the fall of Saigon. He was only 4 at the time, but the restaurant figured hugely in his childhood. It drew Vietnamese expats and funded Lam's, and his five siblings', education. His parents, professionals in their homeland, had to create life from scratch, without English, with six children and an extended family. But although the whole Lam family was involved in the restaurant, his parents did not envision, or even want, any of their children to continue the business.

Lam's father became the first Vietnamese to hold office in the United States when he won a seat on the city council of Westminster (Orange County). His brothers and sisters became "dentists, marine biologist, engineers - and me, I went into the restaurant business, not exactly what was expected," he says, chuckling.

He wanted to cook, but his parents said no. So Lam was sent to the University of San Francisco, where he majored in American history. "I tried to flunk out so I could go to culinary school," he reports, but his parents cut him a deal: If he would finish college, they would send him to culinary school.
Finishing college, he now admits, was the right thing to do. But he headed straight for New York and the Culinary Institute of America as soon as he could.

Moving back to the West Coast after graduation, he cooked to high praise at Brannan's Grill in Calistoga. When Butterfly came up for sale, Lam decided to "swim in the big pond," and bought it. The dream that was stoked in his mother's kitchen, the skills he learned there, its hibernation while he was in college, the hunger he found at culinary school and the streak of rebellion that informed it all have found wings at Butterfly.

Yet everything still harks back to his upbringing. "Someday," he says, "I'm going to reopen my mother's restaurant here."
- O.W.

Compliments
All of my guests told me that they have never had such great food at a wedding and that was including their own weddings, so that should tell you something!
- Georgia Buck, Beau Wine Tours

“The food was truly outstanding. … the presentation, taste, combination of flavors was a most memorable experience. Anyway, just glad we found you.”
—Valerie Ulrich, Special Events Manager, First Republic Bank

“I wanted to thank you for the “rock star” service you provided my colleagues and I last Wednesday. We had a terrific time and the food was wonderful. We definitely came away with having eaten a healthy amount of food. I hear we have another event at the restaurant this week. I am sure it will be great, as always. Again, thanks for everything and I hope to see you again soon.
Best Regards, ”
—Lori Y. Yamaguch, Franklin Templeton Investments

Senior Manager, Corporate Meetings & Events, Travel Services
“To the Butterfly Team:
A huge thank you from the Flying Lizard team for making our event so special. We had a fabulous time.
The food was fantastic, and the attention to detail from your team was very impressive. The service was seamless, the staff was gracious, and the team truly appreciated everything you did for us.”
—Yvonne Deggelman, Flying Lizard

“Catering from Butterfly Restaurant is like having a reserved section of the restaurant tailored perfectly for you and your guests. Chef Rob Lam always delivers on his promise of fine California Asian cuisine with a unique twist.”
—Sanford Marshall, Social Director, San Francisco Bay Club

“Not only have I been to butterfly several times, they
also catered my wedding. All of my guests told me that they have never had such great food at a wedding and that was including their own weddings, so that should tell you something! This will always be one of my favorite places!”
— Georgia Buck, Beau Wine Tours

“I want to express how pleased my friends and I were with our dining experience at Butterfly on Saturday, January 26, 2008.
The food selection was delicious and the presentation was beautiful. Our server Courtney was very professional and attentive to our needs. We will highly recommend your restaurant to our family and friends.”
— Carol Chin

“Thank you so much for a fabulous dinner last night!!! Everything was great!
— Sandra Taravella, Glaceau Group