Growing up on a farm in England's scenic Cotswold countryside, Orsay's Jason Hicks developed an enduring respect for nature and the bounty of each season. Gardening with his grandfather, Hicks gained an appreciation for the integrity of fresh, quality ingredients that is still evident in the care that he uses in sourcing the right ingredients to insure the authenticity of every dish. Trained in classical French technique, Hicks' cooking is also informed by his global travels and innate creativity, and all are reflected in his menu at Orsay.

Hicks says, “I like to create a dish using just a few ingredients and focus on extracting as much flavor as possible. For me, simplicity is the key to consistency and quality.”

Though only 34, Hicks has held positions in Europe, Australia and the United States. His classical French training began at age 15, and by 16, Hicks attending culinary school Solihull College of Technology and working full time in London. After receiving his culinary degree, he honed his skills at some of the Britain's more prestigious restaurants, including The Gleneagles Hotel, Scotland's five-star resort; the award-winning restaurant of The Whitehall Hotel; and the one Michelin star-rated Calcot Manor.

In 1992, Jason returned to his hometown of Worcestershire as sous chef for the restaurant in The Broadway, a hotel in the countryside.  Two years later by the age of 20, he opened The Queen's in Worcestershire, a small jewel of a restaurant that offered upscale modern British cuisine.

Later that year, Jason was recruited by the Princes Gate hotel group in New Zealand to act as executive chef for one of their properties, which began a three-year stint of cooking and traveling throughout Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia. While “Down Under,” Jason served as sous chef at Perth's well-known Kings Street Café and at the famed Ferntree Rainforest Resort in Queensland. At the Ferntree, Hicks explored the bush cooking techniques of the Aboriginal people. “Exploring very minimal, natural cooking methods had a strong influence on my approach,” states Hicks. “My travels throughout Asia also expanded my culinary horizons. I had the best meal of my life while traveling through the Golden Triangle: a perfectly prepared, vegetable curry dish cooked in a wok over an open fire inside a bamboo hut.”

In 1996, Hicks moved to America and worked for the next three years as sous chef at La Goulue, the extremely popular Madison Avenue bistro. Interested in learning more about modern American cuisine, Hicks accepted a position working with Gerry Hayden at Aureole. He later helped Hayden open Drew Nieporent's East Hampton Pointe and worked as tournant for the catering division of Daniel Boulud, a former customer who became a friend. After a brief stint at AQUA in San Francisco, Hicks returned to La Goulue as executive chef in 2000. He held this position for four years before owner Jean Denoyer recruited him as executive chef for his restaurant Orsay, where he has served for the last year.

At Orsay, Hicks prepares classical French brasserie fare that incorporates a light touch and modern approach. He has championed the renaissance of the sous vide technique as well as traditional methods of jarring and preserving. Some of his signature dishes are presented in mason jars and include savory Chicken Liver & Foie Gras Parfait with cassis jelly, Confit Tuna Niçoise and Poached Salmon with Asparagus Hollandaise. Other signature dishes include Homemade Boudin Blanc with beluga lentil salad and Calvados sauce, classic Petatou, a delicate Chatham Cod Pot Roast with lobster and artichoke barigoule, and Beef Cheek Bourguignonne with classic garnish and celery gratin.