| Kent Rathbun is executive chef and proprietor of two of Dallas’ most talked about restaurants, Abacus and Jasper’s. Rathbun’s achievements demonstrate how his creativity, dedication and range of delectable dishes have made him a renowned and impressive chef. At the early age of 17, he began as an apprentice at La Bonee Auberge, a five-star French restaurant located in Kansas City, Missouri. This opportunity accelerated his career enabling him to move from kitchen to kitchen, working with some of the best chefs in the country.
Working at many well-established restaurants, including Mr. B’s in New Orleans, American Restaurant and Milano in Kansas City and The Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas, Rathbun then landed at the Landmark Restaurant in the Dallas Melrose Hotel. While at the Landmark Restaurant, Rathbun was able to make annual trips to visit restaurant owners in Bangkok, Thailand. During his visits, he was asked to cook for the flagship of the Dusit Hotel Company in Bangkok where he was able to use his creativity to craft a blend of Texas cuisine with a hint of local flavors. Through extensive research and experimentation, Rathbun developed a spectacular style of Contemporary Global cuisine, drawing on Southwestern, Mediterranean, American, Cajun/Creole and Pacific Rim influences. This eclectic and distinct style is reflected in the Abacus menu today.
Drawing from this eclectic and distinctive style, in 1997, Rathbun decided to follow his dream and establish his own world-class restaurant, Abacus. In order to design the look and feel he desired, Rathbun along with the Engstrom Design Group, researched for two years a variety of kitchen and restaurant designs from California and New York to Paris and Italy. By visiting the top restaurants in each city, Abacus was born, featuring a contemporary, yet warm and elegant setting. Since its opening in 1999, Abacus has received numerous accolades, including Mobile Four-Stars; AAA Four Diamonds; Five Stars from the Dallas Morning News; Bon Appetit’s Best of the Year 2001 issue which named Abacus’ Chef’s tasting menu a “Top Pick;” “Best Chef” by D Magazine; and “One of the Top Meals Around the World” by USA Today.
Four years after the opening of Abacus, in 2003, Rathbun decided to open a second restaurant, Jasper’s. Again, he spent two years planning and researching the opening of his new concept and decided to create a unique design featuring a “modern outdoors” theme. Jasper’s menu is focused on the best of America’s regional cuisine, including steaks, chops, fish, rotisserie chicken, salads, pasta and pizza. After being open just a few months, Jasper’s was named one of Esquire Magazine’s Top 20 Best New Restaurants in America and was given Four Stars from the Dallas Morning News. It was this show of support that helped kick-start Rathbun’s idea of expanding the concept to additional locations.Jasper's is now open in Austin and The Woodlands, Texas. The concept’s growth potential is strong and Rathbun plans to enter into several new markets over the next few years. Jasper’s will continue to expand and impress all who enter.
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