Executive Pastry Chef Jansen Chan

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Since joining Oceana in 2007, Executive Pastry Chef Jansen Chan has been indulging New York City diners with his sumptuous and visually arresting desserts and artisanal breads. His approach to the art of baking and pastry reflects the Oceana ethos: applying classic French techniques to fresh, seasonal ingredients to create exciting flavor profiles. His desserts have been featured in publications like Food & Wine magazine and have been declared “splendid” by former New York Times critic Frank Bruni. Chan’s creations express his innate passion for sweets and reveal the depth of expertise he acquired from his classic culinary education and training as an architect.

Originally from Northern California, Chan began baking at a very young age. His interest was sparked by his father, an amateur baker who prepared a new sweet with his son every morning, imparting a love for fresh fruits, chocolate, nuts, and the craft of dessert-making.

As an adult, Chan pursued another creative discipline, graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in architecture. Even as an architect, he could not deny his passion for baking, which would ultimately lead him to transform his favorite hobby into a career. He moved to Paris and graduated from Le Cordon Bleu with a pâtisserie diploma in 2000.

Upon returning to the States, Chan went to San Francisco to continue his training in some of the city’s finest restaurants: Kuleto’s, John Frank, and the Fifth Floor. He then accepted an invitation to work for Chef Alain Ducasse in the kitchens of his eponymous restaurant at the Essex House in New York City, as well as Mix restaurants in Las Vegas and New York City. Under the tutelage of Ducasse and Corporate Pastry Chef Nicolas Berger, Chan came to master the craft of baking and pastry in fine dining.

True to his architecture background, Chan’s desserts begin as sketches—blueprints from which he develops his complexities of flavor and texture. He layers each flavor intuitively, preserving the integrity of each ingredient, maintaining a balance of acidity to sweetness. Classic dessert favorites are updated with unexpected twists, like Fig Clafoutis with honey ricotta, white sesame sorbet or Peanut Butter Mousse Cheesecake with marshmallow, sour cherry, and bartlett pear.

With a natural charisma and an eagerness to share his passion for pastry, Chan has appeared on TV shows such as The Food Network’s “Halloween Wars” (airing in October 2011), the “TODAY Show” and regularly attends culinary conferences, providing demonstrations and guidance to food fans and up-and-coming chefs. He has also been featured in publications such as Food + Wine, Art Culinaire, Baking and Pastry: North America and was featured on the cover of Baking and Pastry: Asia Pacific. Chan occasionally showcases his dessert architecture on a grander scale, with recent examples including his award-winning chocolate Eiffel Tower created for the “Food Network Challenge: Chocolate Landmark” and the “Bittersweet Black Widow” chocolate outfit at the 2008 Chocolate Fashion Show. In 2009, Jansen was named Timeout New York’s best dessert for his doughnut platter.

Chan lives in New York City and in his free time, he is an active participant in various charities, such as City Harvest. He also enjoys kickboxing and eating in ethnically diverse restaurants across New York.