Kévin D'Andrea

HOMETOWN: Oloron-Sainte-Marie, France
CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Austin, TX
OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef & Owner, Foliepop’s

A finalist on “Top Chef France” in 2015, Kévin D’Andrea started cooking at a young age and had the privilege of training under the guidance of the legendary Michelin Star Chef Alain Llorca at Hôtel Belles Rives in the picturesque French Riviera. Subsequently, he worked alongside one of the world’s most renowned chefs, Chef Alain Ducasse, at Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris. He also honed his skills at the prestigious Michelin three-star restaurant Le Meurice alongside the accomplished Yannick Alléno. Later, he ventured to London where he contributed his expertise to the iconic restaurant Bob Bob Ricard before establishing his own restaurant, Mensae, in Paris. Driven to pursue the American dream, he left his career in France for Houston, where he served as the Executive Chef for La Villa. During this time, he developed a fondness for Texas, which led him to move to Austin for Foliepop, where he is currently the Executive Chef. Initially envisioned as a French food street cafe, it has since evolved into a thriving business-to-business kitchen that provides elegant French pastries to top-tier venues. Knowing what it takes to reach the top in the competition series, Kevin is looking forward to competing on "Top Chef" and plans to showcase his French techniques with influences he’s picked up from traveling the world.