Deirdre Balao

French from Brittany and raised in the Netherlands, Deirdre was immersed in a passionate food culture since childhood. She gained her fundamental techniques at L’École Lenôtre in Paris and the Culinary Institute Of America in NY, she furthered her education at Cornell University. Over the past 12 years, Deirdre has honed her skills at kitchens in NYC, Paris and Miami.

Her experiences have brought around the world — from baking in the kitchens of the French President at L’Élysée Palace, fine dining at Jean-Georges and to luxury hotels such as the Four Seasons. She is most proud of her work most recently accomplished at Aphotic, where her daring desserts earned the title of one of the Michelin Inspector’s favorite desserts in California. Her desserts draw inspiration from a California seasons and her travels abroad and always have a dash of risk tasking all while maintaining good vibes, passionate learning opportunities and collaborative culture with an emphasis on passing on recipes and techniques to the next generation of chefs.