Matt Baker

The Path

The arc runs from executive chef at Singapore to chef-owner at Gravitas in Ivy City, Washington, D.C. (2018–2026), and chef at Michele's in Eaton Hotel, Washington, D.C. (2021–2026). Taken together, those roles mark a steady build: the discipline of school, the demands of international executive responsibility, and the coordination required to run kitchens in the nation’s capital.

The Work Today

At Gravitas in Washington, DC, the chef-owner title attached to Baker still points to the work that defines him most closely. The cooking there is marked by clarity of construction and controlled detail, with dishes arranged to register cleanly on the palate and on the plate. Kampachi Sashimi shows that register plainly. Shiso, quail egg yolk, daikon and carrot salad, enoki mushroom, and white truffle ponzu are set up in a way that keeps each element legible. The result is a dish built on balance and restraint, where precision carries the flavor rather than ornament. Passion Fruit Tart uses a different set of tools, but the same discipline. Rye sable, coconut gel, coconut snow, passion fruit curd, coconut chips, passion fruit coconut sorbet, and coconut anglaise create a sequence of texture and brightness that reads as composed rather than crowded. It is dessert work with structure, where each component has a defined role. Those plates map back to the same set of facts: formal training, an early executive chef post in Singapore, and years of kitchen leadership in Washington, D.C.

Signature

Matt's signature dishes include Kampachi Sashimi and Passion Fruit Tart.

In Their Words “Singapore was where I had my first executive chef position, and it was an eye-opening opportunity.”

Acclaim

Matt's honors include Michelin star.