Chef Profile

Chef Kent Rathbun is the executive chef and proprietor of Abacus, Jasper’s and the newest concept, opening in 2009 — Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen, which reflects the dishes Rathbun likes to prepare for his own family.

Drawing on Southwestern, Mediterranean, American, Cajun/Creole and Pacific Rim influences, Rathbun developed a signature blend of flavors that became the foundation for many dishes at his first restaurant, Abacus, including his Ginger-Soy Glazed Baby Back Ribs. When discussing how to achieve umami in his globally-inspired menus, he says, “As a chef, one of the biggest challenges we face is figuring out how to balance certain ingredients to create this delicious taste we now recognize as umami, and Kikkoman Soy Sauce is that one ingredient we consistently use”.

Abacus has garnered numerous accolades, including a Mobil Four Star rating, a Four Diamond award from AAA, and induction into the Fine Dining Hall of Fame by Nation’s Restaurant News and a 2009 Ivy Award from Restaurants & Institutions. Bon Appetit’s Best of the Year issue for 2001 named the chef’s tasting menu a “Top Pick,” and USA Today cited Abacus as “One of the Top Meals Around the World.”