Gyo Santa

The Climb

Santa’s training came through institutions built around rigor. He studied at Lenôtre (2008), Le Cordon Bleu Paris, and Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts-Paris. Those schools sit at the foundation of a career shaped by repetition, standards, and the daily correction that turns fundamentals into reflex. His early roles moved through kitchens that demand exact execution from the outset: Sushi Chef at HAMA SUSHI (1998–2000), intern at LASSERRE (2001), Chef's Assistant at Study of Food (2002–2003), and Chef De Partie at LASSERRE (2003–2006). Taken together, those positions map a steady apprenticeship in line work. The progression is clear: each step tightened control, sharpened process, and trained him to contribute within a brigade without losing precision. From there, Santa advanced into larger responsibilities while keeping the same standard. He became Executive Sous-Chef at La Table de Joël Robuchon (2006–2010), then Head Chef at Les Tablettes de Jean-Louis Nomicos (2010–2011). He next served as Executive Sous-Chef at St Regis Hotel in Washington, D.C. (2011–2014), followed by Head Chef at St Regis Hotel in Washington, D.C. (2014–2016). In 2016–2018, he was Executive Chef at Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C. Today, Gyo is Executive Chef of Willard InterContinental Washington, D.C.

Today

At Willard InterContinental Washington, D.C., Santa’s work gathers the line of his career into one post: Japanese origin, French training, hotel leadership, and a stated focus on creative and unique menus. Executive Chef in a house like this is a role that asks for control of the kitchen and clarity in the plate, with no room for excess. His own description of the food is direct: “My style is traditional French cuisine mixed with an Asian background to create new dishes.” That balance is the point. The French side gives structure; the Asian influence changes the angle without breaking the form. He also names one of his first signature dishes simply: “My first signature dish is a tuna carpacho.” The restraint in that phrasing matches the method behind it—clear, compact, and interested in the dish before the story.

Signature

Gyo's signature dishes include tuna carpacho and roasted moola duck breast. The pairing points to a cook working with contrast and control: the directness of the tuna carpacho, the richer weight of the duck breast. Both fit the same methodical frame—French technique, shaped by an Asian background, and built to hold together cleanly on the plate.

In Their Words “My style is traditional French cuisine mixed with an Asian background to create new dishes.” “My Japanese background brings precision and also harmony as a team.”

Recognition

Santa’s formal recognition begins with training at Le Cordon Bleu Paris, set within a career that passed through LASSERRE, La Table de Joël Robuchon, Les Tablettes de Jean-Louis Nomicos, The St. Regis Washington, D.C, and the Willard. The value of that path is cumulative. It is not one dramatic break, but a long run of kitchens that require accuracy, pace, and control. The recognition here is built from method. Each house added another layer of kitchen discipline: knife work, brigade rhythm, plating, hotel service, and menu responsibility in Washington, D.C. Santa’s career reads as the record of someone trained by exacting rooms and trusted with more responsibility over time.