END OF YEAR WITH CHEF YPE
END OF YEAR WITH CHEF YPE
We round up his favorite things from 2025.
It’s been another long, strange year on Planet Earth, but luckily, it was full of fine food, drink, friends, and family at Silver Diner. As 2025 comes to a close, we checked in with Chef Ype and rounded up a few of his favorite things as a parting gift to all of you. Happy holidays, everyone!
If you had to pick one thing, what was your highlight of 2025?
The best thing was that we got a little addition to our family—our new kitten, Luna. We picked her up at the Montgomery County shelter. She was about four months old, and now we've already had her five months, and she has really become part of our family. In fact, at our house in Silver Spring, Luna has gotten her own spot in the middle of the kitchen table. Every morning, I place her up in her little bed there, and then while we have our coffee and breakfast, she has her seat at the table. Next to me, within reach so I can pet her, is also always our little Shih Tzu, Bebe, who's been with us for 15 years. Our neighbor comes over and says, 'Well, when I come back in my next life, I want to be Luna, so I can be in the middle of your kitchen table.'
What was your favorite new dish at Silver Diner this year?
Oh, gosh. Of the 17 items we made to the fall menu alone, that would be the hanger steak with the dill potatoes, roasted tomato, and peppercorn sauce.
What was the best bite you had outside of Silver Diner?
For my birthday, my son, Steven, took us out to dinner at this tapas restaurant called Mirador in Kingston, New York. We had these marinated olives with a boatload of rosemary, lemon peel, and olive oil, as well as the Spanish potato tart, and this grilled sourdough just with tomato grated on top. It was fantastic.
Where did you like to eat out in D.C.?
I always like Le Diplomate. They have a small menu, but I really like the simplicity of their dishes. They have a great hanger steak that I love and a brunch dish with poached eggs and smoked salmon. That's really a nice and unique presentation. Downtown, I also really like Unconventional Diner.
What was your go-to drink this year?
I love red wine and a nice glass of Irish whiskey.
What cookbooks did you use?
When I went up to the Culinary Institute of America in Poughkeepsie, New York, I picked up a couple of books, including Seafood Simple by Eric Ripert. Also this year, I grabbed Let's Make Ramen by Hugh Amano, and Japanese Soul Cooking by Tadashi Ono and Harris Salat. But I don’t use cookbooks as much as I used to in the past. Mostly, I search the Internet to find inspiration for my dishes. I use the Epicurean app and sometimes just Google.
Favorite movies or TV shows?
Oh, just last night, I watched this documentary about David Gilmour, one of the founding players of Pink Floyd. I love his guitar playing, and his melodious songs. They're like poetry. I also like Landman with Billy Bob Thornton. He's kind of a rough and tumble guy, which reminds me a bit of myself.
What other bands did you listen to this year?
Other than Pink Floyd, I love Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Rolling Stones, the Allman Brothers. Oh, and Moby, too. That’s my workout music.
Chef Ype's garden in upstate New York.
Where did you travel this year?
Upstate New York. Our son, Steve, and his husband, Patrick, live in the Hudson River Valley. About five years ago, we bought a little house up there—a 1920s one-room schoolhouse that was totally dilapidated. We fixed it up and made it Scandinavian, with the red board and batten siding, a nice garden, some garden gnomes, and some bird houses. I always enjoy having my cup of coffee and looking out the window to see all the birds.
What kitchen technique did you use the most?
A quick sauté with an oven finish. What I love to do is make salmon, sear it on my stove, then finish it off for six or seven minutes in the oven at 450 degrees. Same thing with steaks. It’s easy and delicious.
What is your go-to kitchen tool?
I have a great knife that I purchased in Upstate New York. I love it when people use things from the past, and it's made from a 1700s wagon wheel—both the metal and the wood. That is my knife that I use at home. It's super sharp.
Chef Ype's go-to knives.
What staples stayed in your pantry?
Tomato sauce. When I don't want to take all the tomatoes and onions and reduce them down into my own sauce, I go to Lidl or Trader Joe's and buy the imported Italian sauces. These can be a fantastic base. From there, I add all sorts of seasonings, like herbes de Provence and balsamic vinegars, also from Italy. With those and the tomato sauce, I can spice up any kind of meal as a quick fix, rather than creating something from scratch.
What were some of your other go-to meals you made at home?
I love to make my own Italian meatballs. I take half pork and half beef—using the 80/20 beef, because you need to have fat to make them juicy. So I take a pound of each and add a half cup of yogurt, plus two eggs, Italian spices, some finely diced shallots, and my salt mix, which includes saffron, oregano, herbes de Provence, and peppercorns to flavor it all up nicely. I cook a little pasta with that. Also, I make salmon regularly. I usually go for a one-and-a-half-inch thick piece, rub Old Bay seasoning and brown sugar on both sides, then sear it on the flat top before cooking it seven minutes in the oven. I cook it to about 130 degrees Fahrenheit on the inside. By the time it's on the table, it's 140 degrees Fahrenheit, with a little pink center. It's gorgeous. I'll serve it with a side of minted butter peas.
What food trends are you looking forward to in 2026?
People want light, colorful, flavorful food, which is what we introduced on our fall menu, like our beautiful hanger steak. People also like a variety of spices and high-profile flavors, so we're still seeing a lot of interest in Asian ingredients, like sriracha and gochujang. I mix either with a little sour cream or mayonnaise to give dishes a pop.
What food trends are you ready to see go away in 2026?
Deviled eggs. I think they had their time. I’m surprised when I go to a restaurant and see them. I go, whoa, we’re still doing this? People try to make them more innovative, but I say, nope, no matter what you do with them, no more deviled eggs.
What was the best lesson you learned this year?
Never give up in difficult times. In our industry, we've always been told that D.C. was basically recession-proof, because of all the government employees. Well, this year showed us that we cannot take that for granted. It created a lot of uncertainty. And people weren't going out to eat because they were worried about their wallets.
And what will you cook for Christmas?
Usually we have a roast beef or leg of lamb spiked with rosemary and garlic. This year, my wife, Denise, said she wants a roast tenderloin with lemony Greek potatoes and a simple bowl of fresh string beans. I'll probably make pommel Dauphinoise with cream, gruyere, and garlic, too. And a morel sauce, and a peppercorn sauce. Plus, a bûche de Noël and champagne.
A handmade birdhouse by Chef Ype and his wife, Denise.
INTRODUCING OUR HOLIDAY BIRDHOUSE RAFFLE!
Did you know that, in addition to being a culinary extraordinaire, Chef Ype also happens to be a bird enthusiast? Not only does he collect bird feeders for his own home, he also builds handmade birdhouses, too! To help others in need this holiday season, he and his wife, Denise, spent 16 hours constructing this birdhouse to raffle off for charity. All proceeds will benefit So Others May Eat, a D.C.-based nonprofit that helps feed thousands in need each year. Enter now through December 31 to win this handmade birdhouse plus a $500 gift card from Silver Diner. For only $5 per donation, the more you enter, the more chances you have to win.