Ashwin Oon
State Bird Provisions | San Francisco, CA
September 2026
Although born and raised in Malaysia, Ashwin Oon always had an interest in French cooking. While attending Taylor's University in Kuala Lumpur in 2011, Oon began working at Nathalie Gourmet Studio under Chef Nathalie Arbefeuille, who taught him the ins and outs of French classics. Oon immersed himself further in French cuisine by competing in WorldSkills. He traveled across the globe, uniting with young chefs from Australia to Brazil and connecting with Chef Franck Putelat, who offered Oon an apprenticeship at Hôtel Le Parc in Carcassonne, France. After graduating culinary school in 2015, Oon briefly moved to Laos before returning to Malaysia to try his hand at pastry, making entremets, canelés, and other French pastries out of a commissary kitchen over the next year.
In 2017, Oon took a trip to San Francisco and fell in love with the pristine quality of California produce. Though far away from home, he found familiar, even nostalgic flavors in the ham and cheese roti he ate at The Progress. Enchanted by his meal and encouraged by his conversation with Rising Stars alum Stuart Brioza, Oon pledged to come back and work at the restaurant in a year's time. In 2018, he did just that. He started on the line at The Progress before quickly becoming sous chef. He then took over as the executive sous chef of the commissary kitchen that services the entire Atomic Workshop restaurant group before becoming the head chef at The Anchovy Bar in 2023.
In 2024, he took over as the chef de cuisine of State Bird Provisions. Within the quirky, dim sum-inspired format, he showcases his celebration of Malaysian cuisine in dishes like his brown butter-roasted morels with a lentil dal, galangal chutney, and housemade roti. Oon continues to model a leadership style for his cooks that is rooted in empathy and care, and contributes to organizations like Meals on Wheels, which helps combat food insecurity in the Bay Area.
2026 StarChefs San Francisco-Oakland Rising Stars Award Winner
