Erling Wu-Bower photo via Time Out Chicago.
Since taking over as chef de cuisine at avec last summer, Erling Wu-Bower has been pretty consistent with changing the menu on a regular basis. He works with his team of chefs and cooks to come up with at least three to five dishes every other week to keep the menu fresh and the staff inspired.
"The restaurant's menu does not just reflect my thoughts," Wu-Bower says. "The more people contributing helps the menu stay creative."
It's nice to know that a place as busy as the Mediterranean-focused avec (it's open daily at 3:30pm and stays open late) doesn't rely on its popularity and the fact that diners don't mind ordering the same items every visit.
Wu-Bower gets his creative juices flowing by reading online menus and a set of recipe books meant for the avec staff. It also helps that he brings a diverse ethnic background to the table; he's half Chinese, half Creole.
