Abraham Conlon

The Climb

Technical training and repetition set the base of Abraham Conlon’s cooking. Greater Lowell Technical High School, The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, and Norman Van Aken formed the early route, giving structure before any public identity attached to the work. The result was a foundation built on discipline, polish, and the habit of learning through kitchens rather than theory alone. A sequence of kitchen roles widened that base into a broader working range. Abraham Conlon served as chef at Chez Asian Bistro in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, then as chef at Augustine's in Fredericksburg Square, Virginia, and later as co-founder at X-marx in Chicago, Illinois. Each position added another layer to the cook’s references and sharpened the terms of his own style. In 2012, Abraham Conlon became head chef at Fat Rice in Logan Square, Chicago, where his profile rose with a clear focus on Macanese cuisine. The restaurant became tied to dishes such as Hong Kong french toast, arroz gordo, and piri piri chicken, each one carrying a mix of memory, richness, and theatricality. Today, he is chef and co-owner of NoodleBird at Fat Rice (since 2021), extending that approach in a new setting while staying inside the same culinary frame.

Today

Fat Rice in Chicago remains the point where method is made visible. Abraham Conlon has described that method simply: "The more I travel, the more complex my sauces get, but my dish presentations just get simpler." The line maps a working principle rather than a slogan: flavor can deepen as the plate gets cleaner, with complexity held in the sauce and not scattered across the surface. Sourcing follows the same logic of control and specificity. "We like to find small producers and work exclusively with them," Abraham Conlon says, placing the emphasis on the material conditions of the kitchen before the final dish. The preference points to a supply chain chosen with intention, where the relationship to producers is part of the craft, not an afterthought.

Signature

Abraham Conlon's signature dishes include Hong Kong french toast, arroz gordo, and piri piri chicken. Read together, they show a kitchen interested in making comfort more layered, letting spice and richness meet without losing clarity. The dishes also keep the restaurant’s identity tied to recognizable forms that still allow room for surprise.

In Their Words “The more I travel, the more complex my sauces get, but my dish presentations just get simpler.” “We like to find small producers and work exclusively with them.”

Recognition

Abraham Conlon's honors include James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Great Lakes (2018), James Beard Award nomination for Excellence in Cuisine, StarChefs Rising Star, and Four Diamond Award by AAA. Taken together, those awards show the span of attention his cooking has drawn, from major industry recognition to sustained peer-level regard for a distinctive body of work.