Casey Thompson

Bravo Top Chef Contestent

 

As the concept of dining has evolved from sustenance to adventure, so to has been shattered the profile of the chef who can - and apparently has - eaten his weight in his own concoctions.

The success of pan-Asian restaurant Shinsei is the result of the dedication, enthusiasm, and endurance of its 28
year-old executive-chef, Casey Thompson. Former UNT Business major and Cedar Hill native, Thompson spent
years marketing jet fuel to NASA and operating her own catering enterprise in Houston before returning to
Dallas in search of new opportunity and challenge. She found it in the kitchen of Dean Fearing, former
executive-chef of the Mansion on Turtle Creek, with a position in prep. Peeling potatoes until her fingers
bled, she persevered four and a half years through the ranks, to obtain the position of sous chef. When
Fearing's wife Lynae and friend Tracy Rathbun ventured to open Shinsei, Thompson's garnered respect and
admiration earned her the position of executive-chef.

The pan-Asian theme allowed Thompson ample opportunity to delve, once-again, into a new territory - to learn, absorb, and master. After "staging" in the kitchen at Nobu, studying Japanese culture and cuisine, and investing the requisite 18 hour days, Shinsei is a well-deserved success. Thompson now lends her chef experience to other restaurants and large hotel chains by consulting with staff to help enhance each customer's dining experience.