Laos to Manhattan to Honolulu

‘JJ’ Luangkhot’s path to pastry chef and bistro owner is not from any menu

January 12, 2011|Aaron Kagan, Globe Correspondent

HONOLULU — There is more than meets the eye at JJ Bistro and French Pastry. The bright, cheery bakery and cafe serves a deeper purpose than dishing out the affordable fusion cuisine that has made it a neighborhood favorite. It is also a tribute to the owner’s late mentor.

Praseuth Luangkhot, or “JJ,’’ is the chef and owner. The bistro is a family affair, where Luangkhot’s wife, Daokeo, his sister, Chin Li Majewski, and aunt, Porntip Pothongsunan, also work. The menu includes French, Laotian, and French-Laotian dishes such as fisherman pot pie, a melange of seafood and vegetables swimming in the chef’s piquant green curry and resting between pillows of house-made puff pastry, a labor-intensive rarity in a region better known for rice. Green curry is woven through the menu, found also on pizza and in several noodle dishes. But as its name suggests, JJ Bistro and French Pastry does indeed serve classic desserts, many that Luangkhot learned under the tutelage of a master.

Luangkhot has humble beginnings in the food world. He was a teenager when he left his native Laos in 1985 and found work in New York at Roy Rogers and McDonald’s restaurants. A friend helped him land a job at Maxim’s, an upscale place on Madison Avenue. The pastry kitchen was run by Jean-Marc Burillier, who became his mentor. “If you looked at my resume, I didn’t have any [experience],’’ says Luangkhot. Burillier decided to take a chance on the hard-working 20-year-old. “My life is changing from the first day in Maxim’s. If I didn’t meet Jean-Marc, and he didn’t give me an opportunity, I wouldn’t be here today.’’

Luangkhot began training as a pastry chef in 1994. One day, he suggested that Burillier take a break from work and drive to a beach on Long Island. The spot was soon to close for the season, says Luangkhot, because the seas become too rough. Burillier went — and drowned that day. He was 29.

Luangkhot was grief-stricken and wrestling with guilt. “After he passed away I just felt like I wanted to leave New York,’’ he says. “I could not handle the situation anymore.’’ He went to scout locations for his own restaurant, passing on Seattle and Portland, finally finding something while visiting Honolulu. “I asked my friend to show me where is the best place for dessert, and there was none,’’ says the chef.

At JJ Bistro, there is attention to detail in every element on the plate. Finely chopped green apple tops a salad served with chunks of baked lobster smothered in aioli and melted mozzarella; the tart fruit saves a potentially too-rich dish with a flash of brightness. Dots of flame-red Sriracha sauce do the same.

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