Tyson Cole (born September 3, 1970) is a

chef A chef is a trained professional cook and tradesman who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term ''chef de cuisine'' (), the director or head of a kitche ...

and

restaurateur A restaurateur is a person who opens and runs restaurants professionally. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who owns a restaurant, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspec ...

based in

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...

USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

Biography

Cole had begun his culinary career as a dishwasher at a Japanese restaurant named Kyoto in downtown

. Attrition among the restaurant's staff gave Cole the opportunity to begin making sushi. He was attending the University of Texas Austin, with interests in painting and architecture.A Conversation With Uchi's Tyson Cole – Good Health by SETON
/ref> Cole worked three and a half years at Kyoto, from 1992 to 1996. Starting in mid-1996, Cole apprenticed for six and a half years under Takehiko Fuse, owner/chef of Musashino Sushi Dokoro in Austin, TX.
/ref> Cole also learned Japanese during this stint. Cole later continued his training at the sushi restaurant Bond Street in New York City. In May 2003, Cole opened Uchi, a 95-seat sushi restaurant in Austin. On July 6, 2010, Cole opened his second restaurant, Uchiko (loosely translated meaning "offspring of Uchi") after a three-week soft opening period. For a time, the

Executive chef A chef de cuisine (, French for ''head of kitchen'') or head chef is a chef that leads and manages the kitchen and chefs of a restaurant or hotel. A chef patron (feminine form ''chef patronne'') (French for ''boss chef'') or executive chef is ...

at Uchiko was eventual Top Chef: Texas winner Paul Qui. Cole mentored Qui and was featured in an episode of Top Chef for that reason. In July 2012, Cole opened his third restaurant, the second location of Uchi in Houston, Texas.CultureMap Dallas http://dallas.culturemap.com/news/food-drink/05-31-13-uchi-restaurant-tyson-cole-maple-avenue/ On May 31, 2013, Cole announced the late 2014/early 2015 opening of his fourth restaurant Uchi Dallas. The restaurant opened its doors on June 1, 2015. In 2018, Cole, together with Aaron Franklin of

Franklin Barbecue Franklin Barbecue is a barbecue restaurant located in Austin, Texas, founded in 2009 by Aaron Franklin. The restaurant has attracted a national following. History In 2009, Aaron Franklin launched the restaurant in a trailer. The restaurant has s ...

, founded Loro, a restaurant merging the founders' two loves of Asian and Texas cuisine.

Awards

In 2005,

Food & Wine Magazine ''Food & Wine'' is an American monthly magazine published by Dotdash Meredith. It was founded in 1978 by Ariane and Michael Batterberry. It features recipes, cooking tips, travel information, restaurant reviews, chefs, wine pairings and se ...

named Tyson Cole "Best New Chef," one among ten chefs to receive that award. He led a team of Uchi chefs against Chef

Masaharu Morimoto is a Japanese chef, best known as an Iron Chef on the Japanese TV cooking show ''Iron Chef'' and its spinoff '' Iron Chef America''. He is also known for his unique style of presenting food. Career Morimoto received practical training in sush ...

on the

Food Network Food Network is an American basic cable channel owned by Television Food Network, G.P., a joint venture and general partnership between Warner Bros. Discovery Networks (which holds a 69% ownership stake of the network) and Nexstar Media Group ...

program

Iron Chef America ''Iron Chef America'' is an American cooking show based on Fuji Television's ''Iron Chef'', and is the second American adaptation of the series, following the failed ''Iron Chef USA'' that aired in 2001. The show is produced by Food Network, whi ...

in March 2008. In 2006, Cole won goodhealth.com's
Healthy Chef Showdown
by a hair, over chef David Bull of the Driskill Grill. In 2009, Tyson Cole was named one of Saveur's "Top 6 Texas Tastemakers." In 2008, 2009, and 2010, the James Beard Foundation named Cole as a semifinalist in the “Best Chef: Southwest” category of its "

James Beard Foundation Award The James Beard Foundation Awards are annual awards presented by the James Beard Foundation to recognize chefs, restaurateurs, authors and journalists in the United States. They are scheduled around James Beard's May 5 birthday. The media award ...

", 2009, 2010. In 2011, Cole was awarded the

James Beard Award The James Beard Foundation Awards are annual awards presented by the James Beard Foundation to recognize chefs, restaurateurs, authors and journalists in the United States. They are scheduled around James Beard's May 5 birthday. The media award ...

for "Best Chef: Southwest.".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cole, Tyson 1970 births Living people People from Sarasota, Florida People from Austin, Texas American chefs American male chefs American restaurateurs James Beard Foundation Award winners