While her career at the White House spans across multiple decades, Chef Cris Comerford’s legacy is more appropriately defined by presidential administrations. For nearly 30 years at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the Manila-born chef catered for eight different administrations, feeding five US Presidents alongside countless world leaders, all inside Washington’s most famous address.
Unlike presidential terms, White House staff aren’t bound by preset limits, offering continuity for the incoming administration. “Given varying personalities and styles of each Commander in Chief, it’s completely normal to feel nervous during those transitions,” the Sampaloc native shared to Macao News, before quickly admitting, “I think I just did a better job at hiding it.”
Comerford’s culinary journey is a story that she herself often struggles to believe is true. She initially arrived at the White House in 1994 as part of a supplementary team to support a state dinner to honour South African President Nelson Mandela. She later joined the residency in 1995 as an assistant chef under the Clinton administration. During President Bush’s second term, Comerford was promoted to executive chef in 2005, an appointment that encapsulates many historical firsts, elevating her as the first woman, the first Asian, and the first person of colour, to run the Presidential kitchen.
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“At the time, I didn’t really reflect on those achievements,” Comerford confessed, who retired from the position in 2024. When asked what insight she would pass along to her potential successor, Comerford advises the next executive chef to be ready for anything at any time, a philosophy that applies throughout life. However, she does offer job-specific recommendations.
“Find mentees and build deep relationships,” she comments, highlighting the importance of establishing a solid foundation to withstand the challenges that arise inside the White House kitchen. In response to whether she foresees someone matching her tenure of eight administrations, Comerford replied with an answer that belied her age.
“All the potential candidates are starting much earlier in their career than me, so there is no doubt that there is a G.O.A.T (an acronym for Greatest of All Time) currently in the running. It is time to pass the baton on.”
Family and Heritage
Speaking inside the lobby lounge of the Mandarin Oriental, Comerford was in Macao to attend the annual gathering of Le Club des Chefs des Chefs, an exclusive gastronomic society reserved for the personal chefs of heads of state. In her first visit to the MSAR in 17 years, Comerford was amazed at Cotai’s near complete Las Vegas-like transformation, though she distinctly remembered the blend of Asian and European cultures influencing Macao’s historical flavours like popular street eats of dried pork jerky and almond cookies.
But more important than the actual cuisine was who the dishes were eaten with. “Dim sum is the Saturday ‘go to’ back home, so to have already enjoyed that meal with my family here in Macao is an extremely wonderful opportunity. But I’m really looking forward to heading outside where locals normally dine,” she said.
Family bonds lie at the heart of Comerford’s identity. As a member of the White House’s residential staff, Comerford elaborates on the privilege of observing the First Family’s private moments that normally go unseen from public view, particularly those shared meals and recalling what was eaten as a reflection of who they were as individuals.
“The Bush family enjoyed Tex-Mex cuisine while the Bidens were fans of Italian dishes. The Obamas, especially President Obama, were more adventurous,” Comerford reveals, noting that the 44th President’s particular enjoyment of a piri-piri chicken dish she often prepared for him, perhaps inducing a flavour memory that reminded him of his upbringing.
Reviving emotional experiences through food is the pinnacle achievement for any chef. Comerford recalls receiving such praise from South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol after crafting braised beef short ribs that reminded him of his mother’s cooking during the 2023 state dinner.
Comerford managed to embrace similar memories at work. During Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Months, Comerford prepared childhood dishes inside the White House kitchen, including her mother’s recipe for sinigang, a Filipino sour soup made from cut pork, string beans, and tamarind. It would be through the lingering aromas that Comerford transformed the White House kitchen into her former Sampaloc residence, where her school principal father and seamstress mother inspired Comerford to pursue a culinary career.
Gastronomic diplomacy
After Macao, Comerford joined Le Club des Chefs des Chefs in Bangkok, which hosted the second leg of the annual conference. With around 30 members, the gastronomic society is only open to head of state chefs, but at its core, the group is a forum for knowledge exchange. “These are my collaborative partners when planning our state dinner,” explains Comerford, who oversaw more than 50 such formal banquets at the White House.
A year into retirement, Comerford reflects her time away from Washington as simply being different. “I’m still getting up around the same time, but now I am watching the sunrise with my family,” she adds. Among projects keeping Comerford busy is an upcoming book focusing on gastronomic diplomacy and the use of food as a tool to bridge relationships, connect communities, and build mutual respect across cultures and identities. With Comerford having witnessed how culinary diplomacy transcends politics to create lifelong bonds, her upcoming memoir will no doubt offer plenty of food for thought.
