November 2018 Featured Chef: Kriss Harvey

Clement Design® is known around the globe in the chef industry. We not only take pride in providing premium quality chef jackets, but also in the chefs who wear our amazing brand. From outfitting executive & pastry chefs to high-end restaurants, resorts & clubs nationwide, we love to see success stories from our Clement Design USA chefs.

Kriss Harvey is world class when it comes to the world of pastry and chocolate, not only is he dedicated and very hard-working in his craft, he is also a very humbling and professional individual. Through his years of experience and training under some of the most prestigious and well-known names in the industry Kriss Harvey is surely a chef you’ll want to get to know.

If you follow Chef Harvey on his Instagram you’ll notice he is very engaging with his followers. If you’re lucky you can catch him hosting a detailed Q&A on his story and answering questions about his life and chocolate. You can even find piping tutorials, a look at his kitchen equipment, or information on how to properly temper cocoa butter on his page. Formerly The Executive Pastry Chef at The Bazaar by José Andrés you can now find Chef Kriss Harvey fulfilling his chocolate dreams as Chocolatier at andSons Chocolatiers in Beverly Hills. andSons is a second-generation chocolatier formed by two brothers, a renowned pastry chef (Kriss) and a love of fine chocolate. Anyway, lets get to it, below you can find Chef Harvey answering some great questions about himself, andSons, and his passion for chocolate.

Q1: Was culinary school ever an option for you? Why or why not?

A: I tried going to culinary school but could not afford it. I have two brothers that are chefs and both graduated CIA (Mark in 1981 and Tom in 1991). I thought that was the only way I could become a chef so I was crushed to think that I could not reach my dreams. But a great chef attached himself to me at the Ritz Carlton Pentagon City named Sylvain Guyez. He is still with the Ritz Carlton Company at the Hotel Arts in Barcelona. He really gave me my life in pastry and to this day, I do something daily that he has taught me. A technique, philosophy, or even a reminder to be a better person because he was just the best guy to work with. Then I went to France and ran up a credit card or two for school and stage. It was worth every penny and I loved my experience.

Q2: We've seen you talk about racing numerous times on your Instagram, what drew you to racing and how did you end up pursuing pastry instead?

A: This is right up there as my favorite topic. I am a car crazed fanatic and I love speed and exploding engines. And going to an Indy Car Grand Prix track will change your life. But my mom never learned to drive and instead loved to cook and I loved her simple desserts and Italian cookies she made when I was a kid. If she ever took me to a race track as a kid, that would have been it. I would have been a racer.

Q3: andSons Chocolatiers has created a series called "Chef's Box No.1" that pairs rare ingredients and unique processes to create beautiful chocolate assortments, is there a flavor combination that you can call your favorite? What goes into creating these boxes?

A: This box will change over time as whims come and go through my mind. The first box was a feature of rare ingredients like the porcelana that we smuggled in from a cacao grower in Venezuela, and the almond paste from Provence that you just can't get here in the USA. My favorite one is the combination of Yuzu, Milk Chocolate, Lemon Verbena, and White Chocolate. It reaches umami and that is very hard to do.

Q4: How much have you enjoyed the transition to working primarily with chocolate?

A: I don't really miss doing pastry. I admire other chefs so much and I love seeing what they are doing. I tell people that the only reason I was in pastry was to be near and work with chocolate. It is the world's best food!

Q5: What do you think makes a great chef's jacket?

A: I love fashion and design and it is all about the small touches. I wear Clement chef coats every day. I have three styles. It is the stitching, the materials, the zippers and buttons, and the fit. You just look great in Clement and then you exude confidence! Plus, I have been wearing some of my Clement chef uniforms for four years and they are as good as the day I got them. You cannot wear other brands for nearly as long and stay the same.

We wanted to extend our gratitude to Chef Kriss Harvey for taking the time away from his busy schedule to speak with us and answer our questions. We highly recommend you check out his recent work on instagram and grab an exclusive Chef's Box No.1 from and-sons.com.