Chef Thomas Chen of Tuome - Biography

Growing up in a family of Chinese immigrants who owned a restaurant in order to survive in America, Thomas Chen knows what it’s like to be in the kitchen—the blood, sweat, and tears that come with it. And that is perhaps why his parents were adamant that he did not follow their grueling path. But, after pursuing an accounting career for four years, Chen knew it wasn’t his true calling. So, against his Ma and Pa’s wishes, he took night classes at The French Culinary Institute [now the International Culinary Center], while working day job. After FCI, he imbued his culinary prowess by staging and working through the ranks in New York City’s best kitchens—namely Jean Georges, SHO Shaun Hergatt, Eleven Madison Park, and Commerce.

Transitioning fully from accountant to chef, Chen followed his guts—and lifelong dreams—by opening Tuome in Alphabet City (Tuome is a Romanized pronunciation of his parents’ nickname for him: ‘Tommy’). Chen combined his passion for food with his Hong Kong roots and the techniques and precision he learned from formative years in professional kitchens. At Tuome, he focuses on developing the ever-global American palates, bringing surprises and new breadths to homespun classics.