Yigit Pura, Chef/Owner, Tout Sweet Pâtisserie

Yigit Pura began his training in the pastry arts at The Meetinghouse in San Francisco, and gained further experience at such other local meccas as Postrio and Gary Danko. He moved to Manhattan in 2003 and worked at Le Cirque 2000 and the Four Seasons Hotel, both under executive pastry chef Luis Robledo-Richards. Under the tutelage of renowned chef/owner Daniel Boulud, Pura served at both Restaurant Daniel as pastry sous chef, and at Daniel Boulud in Las Vegas as executive pastry chef.

Pura joined Taste Catering & Event Planning as Executive Pastry Chef in Spring 2007, and is currently consulting for them while focusing most of his attention on their new retail pastry venture, Tout Sweet Pâtisserie. Scheduled to open in San Francisco’s Union Square later this spring, Tout Sweet will infuse traditional American flavors and extensive French technique with a young, fresh perspective.

But this is just the beginning. The winner and fan favorite of the first season of BRAVO’s Top Chef Just Desserts aims to expand nationally, as well as into China and Japan. And he’s at work on his first cookbook, Sweet Alchemy for Chronicle Books, due out in 2013.