After moving to New York City in 1990 from traveling around Paris honing his skills in three-star Michelin rated pastry kitchens, chef François Payard began his New York City career at Le Bernardin and Restaurant Daniel where he earned recognition in the kitchen as the 1995 recipient of the James Beard Association "Pastry Chef of the Year" award, honoring him for his unique pastry designs and high attention to flavor.
Choi gained experience as a chef at the following restaurants: Le Bernardin in New York City; Embassy Suites in Lake Tahoe, California, The Beverly Hilton and the Rock Sugar Pan Asian Kitchenin Los Angeles.
He stayed for one and a half years before moving to Le Bernardin in 1997 to work under Eric Ripert, where he stayed two and a half years, working as a sous chef for most of that time.
In 1993 he moved from Le Bernardin to Daniel Boulud’s first restaurant, Daniel, at the Surrey Hotel.