Oak Room has new chef de cuisine

Oak Room has new chef de cuisine; new expanded menu to follow soon

Eric Dunn, executive chef Chris Hall’s newly appointed chef de cuisine at the Oak Room, signature restaurant of the InterContinental Kansas City at the Plaza, is already making a difference. “Chef Dunn has brought a lot of excitement, creativity and energy to the Oak Room kitchen,” said Don Breckenridge, the hotel’s general manager. “He is young, he’s on the cutting edge of food and the staff has faith in his leadership.”

Oak Room regulars have already noted Dunn’s influence through subtle refinements he has made to the current menu and his nightly specials. Oak Bar and Oak Room patrons will see his imprint on new menus set for October release. His new bar menu debuts October 4th with a selection of appetizers that includes potato and goat cheese croquettes with spicy tomato sauce and herb oil; yellow fin tuna tartare with soy marinade, sriracha and wonton chips; white wine, swiss and parmesan cheese fondue with assorted breads; and a cured meat plate with apple and peach moutarde. His expanded Oak Room menu debuts October 18th will feature heartier dishes for the fall/winter season. It pays homage to classics such as coq au vin, cassoulet and trout almondine, but with a “revived and relived” execution. “It won’t simply be Escoffier’s coq au vin,” says Dunn. “For example, I’ll braise a more tender chicken instead of the traditional rooster.” His favorite meat, pork, is also new on the menu: a braised Berkshire pork ragu with pappardelle pasta.

Dunn is a hands-on chef who is highly involved in the food he prepares. He is a devotee of a Lawrence community service garden and regularly shops area farmer’s markets where he buys fresh, local produce to incorporate in Oak Room dishes. He personally butchers the chicken used for coq au vin on the new menu. “I’m picky,” he confesses. Dunn’s cooking style is steeped in classic French fundamentals he learned at Johnson and Wales culinary school and working in French bistros, but stirred by the energy and inquisitiveness of a new generation of culinarians. He eschews trends that unnecessarily complicate cooking. “I like simple, pure flavors that nature gives us,” says Dunn. “Quality ingredients is key.”

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