Derek Bendig

chef de cuisine

Chef du Cuisine Derek Bendig may come across as a tough guy (his favorite after work pastimes include playing bone crushing sports such as hockey and lacrosse) but he has a deft touch with food and a seriousness about his craft that belie this tough guy persona.

After graduating from the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts with numerous awards, Derek joined Pangaea’s kitchen team as a cook. Although he left us for several months to take a stage in the Michelin starred Le Pic restaurant in France, Pangaea has been Derek’s culinary home ever since and he has risen through the ranks to become chef du cuisine.

Already an aficionado of seafood and a master of foie gras, Derek takes every opportunity to expand his culinary knowledge. For instance, he recently visited Spain to learn more about Iberico pork and ballotta ham.  After visiting the farms where the rare black skinned Iberico swine nibble on acorns and laze in the sunshine, Derek returned to Pangaea to share his new insights with our staff so that we can serve this delicacy with expertise.