About HKD Supper Club
Rooted in the unique tapestry of Creole culture, Chef Dominick Lee’s culinary journey pays heartfelt homage to home town history. A New Orleans native, Lee’s upbringing granted him a front row seat to the rich legacy and flavors of Louisiana’s Crescent City. In 2005, Lee’s life was forever changed by the destruction of Hurricane Katrina, but the storm’s aftermath reconnected Lee to one of his early passions — cooking. As New Orleans rebuilt its infrastructure, Lee consequently reconstructed his life, relocating to Texas to attend culinary school at The Art Institute of Houston.
There, he was awarded the inaugural “Underbelly Scholarship,” which was created by Art Institute alumnus and James Beard award-winning chef Chris Shepherd. The move to Houston also exposed Lee to an array of cultural perspectives, which he was able to further explore during his studies, training as a sous chef at Bay Oaks Country Club before landing a career-defining role as Executive Sous Chef under James Beard semifinalist Chef Kiran Verma at her eponymous fine dining Indian concept Kiran’s. Following Verma’s tutelage, Lee accepted his first Executive Chef role at just 29-years-old, leading the kitchen at globally-inspired restaurant Poitín Bar & Kitchen in Houston’s Sawyer Yards. Mimicking the diverse make up of the Bayou City, Lee’s menu garnered top honors for Poitín including the number six spot on Texas Monthly’s 2019 Best New Restaurants List as well as “Rising Star Chef” nominations from Culture Map Houston and Eater Houston.
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Following five years in Houston, Lee was again confronted by life-changing circumstances, this time in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic. As Poitín shuttered in the wake of the 2020’s uncertainty, Lee returned to his original culinary inspiration to jumpstart his next chapter—sharing the history of New Orleans’ foodways while reimagining Creole techniques, ingredients, and recipes. Lee departed Houston for Europe in 2021, armed with a mission to study Creole food derivatives, which developed from the blending of European cultures, African slaves, and Indigenous people. Lee’s travels afforded him the opportunity to serve as the head chef at Villa Lena, a luxury agriturismo and resort in Tuscany, where he managed the property’s three-acre farm and seasonal produce while leading its farm-to-table kitchen. Lee also orchestrated an exchange program with his alma mater to create internships in Italian kitchens for Art Institute students to further opportunities for culinary diplomacy.
Lee returned to the United States in 2023 to implement the first iteration of his renewed culinary perspective, opening Alligator Pear in New York City, which showcased a New American menu inspired by New Orleans. Lee continues to expand upon his mission with the opening of Augustine’s in Fall 2024. Augustine’s—which marks Lee’s return to Houston—will serve as a progressive Creole restaurant stationed on the ground floor of Hotel King David, a forthcoming boutique hotel in Houston’s Riverside Terrace. A culmination of Lee’s cultural journey, the fine dining concept will explore the many dimensions of Lee’s Creole heritage, while reimagining the nuances of the melting pot that is New Orleans.