Monique Feybesse

The Climb

Monique Feybesse trained at California Culinary Academy before sharpening her craft as sous chef at Masa's in San Francisco. That path matters in the telling of her career: the discipline of school, the rigor of service, the immersion in a kitchen where every movement has to mean something. From there, her trajectory was not simply upward but more distinctly her own, shaped by the accumulation of knowledge and the confidence that comes from repetition under pressure. Today, Monique is chef and owner of Tarts de Feybesse, where the line between making food and making a business has become part of her identity. The work is both intimate and exacting, and her path from formal training to the line has become a signature of her own making.

Today

The title joins the craft work with the responsibility of ownership, and it does so with her Filipino culinary point of view at the center. In Monique's hands, the restaurant becomes not just a place to eat, but a clear expression of where she comes from and how she chooses to speak through flavor, texture, and form. There is a sense of intention in that balance: the practical demands of running a kitchen meeting the deeper impulse to tell a personal story with every plate.

Signature

Monique's signature dishes include Honoré cake and silog smorgasbord. The names alone suggest her range, moving between delicate construction and a more abundant, comfort-driven register. Together, they hint at a kitchen that values both refinement and heart, offering dishes that feel composed yet rooted in a sense of home.

In Their Words “When they asked me to move forward, I had to think twice about it because I honestly didn’t know what I was getting myself into.” “It was such a surprise even to get any callback because we weren’t expecting anything.”

Recognition

Her own words describe one unexpected turn with restraint: "My husband and I applied honestly out of the blue without any insight." That surprise lingers in the way she talks about the experience, measured and almost incredulous. She has also said, "It was such a surprise even to get any callback because we weren’t expecting anything."