Welcome In: Chef Kelly Jacques, Ayu Bakehouse, New Orleans
Chef KellyJacques of Ayu Bakehouse (photo by James Collier for Paprika Studios)
Chef Kelly Jacques, Ayu Bakehouse, New Orleans
'Welcome In' is part of a regular series of interviews, to meet the people working behind the scenes in the New Orleans hospitality industry.
Out All Day: Hi Chef! Could you quickly introduce yourself? Where do you work/what's your position or title and how long have you been there?
Kelly Jacques, Head Chef and Co-Owner of Ayu Bakehouse since the beginning. We opened three years ago (June 2022).
What kind of cuisine do you serve? Would you say there's a philosophy or concept behind the restaurant?
We aim to serve comfort food that’s elevated but accessible. The menu runs the gamut from laminated pastries and cookies to sourdough breads, light lunch fare, and a full espresso program. At the end of the day, we’re just trying to bring a little joy into the world in a way that’s as sustainable for the people making it as it is for the planet it happens on. When we’re tasting something new, the surest sign we’re onto something is when everyone goes back for a second bite. In a life already full of carbs, that says a lot.
What are your earliest memories of making meals or being around food being prepared?
The images that come to mind are low-key backyard barbecues with the neighbors and giant chocolate chip pancakes consumed after sleepovers.
Was there a decisive moment that made you think: "I can go professional!"?
I’ve wanted to open a bakery since college, though I’m glad I waited because I didn’t know what I didn’t know. After a brief stint with my pop-up, The Bikery, I went on to go to pastry school and work at a bakery in New York City, weaving my way from bread baker to production manager to COO over the better part of a decade. There was a moment where I felt I had learned as much as I could where I was, but still had enough energy to pour into the next thing. A serendipitous move back to New Orleans right before pandemic shutdowns provided the breathing room to start making that dream a reality.
Where did you learn your trade? Who were your early inspirations or mentors?
I learned my trade mostly on the job working in bakeries across Louisiana, Maryland, and New York, picking up techniques and habits along the way that still shape how I work today. I’m still learning every day from my team and other chefs. I started at a cake bakery in Maryland when I was 14. I liked the physicality of the work and how tangible the results were. I stayed there part-time through high school and college breaks, and after graduating, I took a job as a pastry cook in the French Quarter, where I was introduced to custards, caramels, and plated desserts. I’ve always valued learning on the job, but when the opportunity came to attend pastry school—the International Culinary Center in New York—I jumped at it. It was the first time I got to study pastry purely for the sake of learning, experimenting with things I’d never do in a typical bakery job, like blowing sugar or building chocolate sculptures. In New York, I had a holiday internship at Milk Bar in Williamsburg (peak skinny-jeans-and-beanie era), which at the time felt like the holy grail of baking jobs. It was impossibly cool. After that, I joined the opening team at Breads Bakery, where I stayed for nearly a decade and learned not just sourdough and lamination, but how a bakery actually runs as a system.
Out All Day: Hi Chef! Could you quickly introduce yourself? Where do you work/what's your position or title and how long have you been there?
Kelly Jacques, Head Chef and Co-Owner of Ayu Bakehouse since the beginning. We opened three years ago (June 2022).
What kind of cuisine do you serve? Would you say there's a philosophy or concept behind the restaurant?
We aim to serve comfort food that’s elevated but accessible. The menu runs the gamut from laminated pastries and cookies to sourdough breads, light lunch fare, and a full espresso program. At the end of the day, we’re just trying to bring a little joy into the world in a way that’s as sustainable for the people making it as it is for the planet it happens on. When we’re tasting something new, the surest sign we’re onto something is when everyone goes back for a second bite. In a life already full of carbs, that says a lot.
What are your earliest memories of making meals or being around food being prepared?
The images that come to mind are low-key backyard barbecues with the neighbors and giant chocolate chip pancakes consumed after sleepovers.
Was there a decisive moment that made you think: "I can go professional!"?
I’ve wanted to open a bakery since college, though I’m glad I waited because I didn’t know what I didn’t know. After a brief stint with my pop-up, The Bikery, I went on to go to pastry school and work at a bakery in New York City, weaving my way from bread baker to production manager to COO over the better part of a decade. There was a moment where I felt I had learned as much as I could where I was, but still had enough energy to pour into the next thing. A serendipitous move back to New Orleans right before pandemic shutdowns provided the breathing room to start making that dream a reality.
Where did you learn your trade? Who were your early inspirations or mentors?
I learned my trade mostly on the job working in bakeries across Louisiana, Maryland, and New York, picking up techniques and habits along the way that still shape how I work today. I’m still learning every day from my team and other chefs. I started at a cake bakery in Maryland when I was 14. I liked the physicality of the work and how tangible the results were. I stayed there part-time through high school and college breaks, and after graduating, I took a job as a pastry cook in the French Quarter, where I was introduced to custards, caramels, and plated desserts. I’ve always valued learning on the job, but when the opportunity came to attend pastry school—the International Culinary Center in New York—I jumped at it. It was the first time I got to study pastry purely for the sake of learning, experimenting with things I’d never do in a typical bakery job, like blowing sugar or building chocolate sculptures. In New York, I had a holiday internship at Milk Bar in Williamsburg (peak skinny-jeans-and-beanie era), which at the time felt like the holy grail of baking jobs. It was impossibly cool. After that, I joined the opening team at Breads Bakery, where I stayed for nearly a decade and learned not just sourdough and lamination, but how a bakery actually runs as a system.
Tell us about opening your restaurant, how were you feeling?
When we started planning Ayu Bakehouse, I’d been out of the kitchen and focused on operations for more than five years. This was my first time leading the creative voice of a place, and it took me a while to figure out what I actually wanted to say. But once the creative process opened up, it was unstoppable, and having full control to bring those ideas to life was the cherry on top.
My pastry-school-pal-turned-business-partner, Samantha, was crucial during that time. She has incredibly high standards and isn’t afraid to say when something isn’t working. It was frustrating at times, but it pushed our products (and me) to a higher level.
By the time we opened, it felt like being at the top of a roller coaster. Once we launched, we just had to buckle up, roll with it, and try to smile for the photo without puking.
How is the New Orleans food scene different to where you spent your formative years?
I grew up in Maryland and moved to New Orleans for college in 2006. Maryland has its blue crabs and Old Bay, but it doesn’t carry the same kind of mythos that New Orleans cuisine does (and there’s certainly not a whole tourism industry built around it). One thing I love here is the constant churn of creativity: the pop-ups, the home bakers, the side hustles. It keeps the food scene feeling alive and unpredictable.
It's a well-used phrase, but how do YOU define 'Southern hospitality'?
Southern hospitality, to me, is the embodiment of the phrase “We’re so glad you’re finally here.” It’s that feeling of instant belonging and the sense that your comfort brings someone else genuine joy.
What's the most esoteric/out there dish/drink you've ever put on a menu? What's the weirdest thing you've ever tasted?
The weirdest thing I’ve put on a menu: “Banana Hammocks” for Southern Decadence. They were banana-shaped choux au craquelin with little thongs and sunglasses and filled with Bananas Foster-inspired flavors. Delicious. Ridiculous. Weirdest thing I’ve ever tasted: a century egg in Beijing. It’s an egg that’s been cured in the ground (I was told horse manure…) for 30 days. The yolk turns electric green, and the flavor is funky and fermented. I went back for seconds.
Do you spend a lot of time experimenting when you're not working? Do you try out areas of cuisine that you're not traditionally associated with or that you're less familiar with?
Now that I have an 18-month-old, I’ve been trying to hone my dinner game. Growing up, I was always the dessert person so I never really got to build up a repertoire of savory family meals. I apply my bakery brain to it: weekly meal plans, grocery lists, a dry-erase board with prep notes and to-dos. It’s basically a second job, but it works!
Time to name some (four or more) names. Where do you like to go for fancy feasts, casual bites, cocktails and a post-shift beer/wind down?
Fancy Feast: Nagomi (IYKYK)
Casual bites: Budsi for Thai, Moshiko for shawarma takeout
Cocktail: I’m not a huge drinker these days, but I do enjoy a good splurge at Jewel of the South
Post-Shift Drink: One of my neighbors’ porches for a seltzer with my kid. I’ll follow them to Vaughan’s if I’m really feeling frisky.
What's the most memorable eating experience you've ever had?
Most meals have blurred together by now, but one that stands out is from when I was studying abroad in Ghana while at Tulane. I was interning for a housing organization, and my coworkers invited me to their Eid celebration to mark the end of Ramadan. Someone brought a very cute little goat, which I naively became attached to, only to witness it being slaughtered a few hours later. A child later approached with the animal’s scrotum, inflated, and honked it like a whoopee cushion directly into my face. It was horrifying, hilarious, and unforgettable. I had a great time!
You're at home. Maybe you've had a couple of cocktails, maybe you're feeling lazy, maybe you need some quick comfort. What are you making away from the public glare? Give us your guiltiest, messiest pleasures and don't skip any details.
I casually mention to my husband that there’s day-old rice and some leftovers in the fridge, and twenty minutes later, I’m sitting in front of the TV with a steaming bowl of fried rice and a cleaned-out fridge. My only contribution is planting the idea.
Where are your favourite food cities outside of New Orleans?
I find a reason to love every city I go to. NYC is the hub, of course, but I get overwhelmed by too many choices. Give me one good local recommendation and I won’t think twice. Paola Vélez called it JOMO—the joy of missing out—and that about sums it up.
Are you a big produce/farmers' market person? Do you go out and source ingredients yourself? Do you grow your own herbs, spices or produce?
I take my daughter to the Bayou St. John Farmers Market every Thursday, mostly to catch up with an old friend while my kid bathes herself in the smoothie du jour. My neighbor Cam let me set up a few raised beds in her yard during the pandemic, so there’s usually a rotating cast of herbs, veggies and flowers that are either slowly withering or aggressively taking over her property. Watching something I planted actually grow is freakishly satisfying, but I probably lack the attention span to go full farmer.
You have an unlimited budget for a private chef-catered meal for you and your loved ones. Who's cooking, what are they serving and where are you eating?
I’d want a long table under the stars with everyone I love. You can revoke my Chef badge if you must, but I don’t really care who’s cooking or what’s being served as long as it’s honest and delicious. The best meals aren’t built from food alone. They’re about who you’re with, what you’re talking about, and how present you are in the moment. There might be a dry-ass turkey in the middle of the table, but it’s those other things that make it a night you never want to end.
What are you favourite foodie films or TV shows?
This one’s not exactly a food movie, but Stranger than Fiction had a lasting impact on me. I was on the pre-med track at Tulane until second-semester Organic Chemistry broke me, and I resorted to baking in the communal kitchen to stay sane. We were watching the movie while cramming for midterms when Maggie Gyllenhaal’s character delivered her “I left Harvard Law to bake” monologue. The whole room turned to look at me, and I switched majors the next month (to Glass Blowing, but close enough).
How else do you relax, besides getting as much sleep as possible?
I must be making up for lost time, because my body needs at least nine hours of sleep to function these days. In the few waking hours that remain after my nightly hibernation, I mostly just love spending time with my husband and watching our kid grow up in front of our eyes.
OK, leave us with one kitchen tip or secret hack/juicy piece of gossip/your favorite corny joke. Or all three. Thank you so much for joining us!
“Cooking is art, but baking is science.” BOTH ARE BOTH. Have fun and experiment, especially when it comes to layering in flavors. Even if the result is a little weird, you’ll learn something, and someone will still eat it (probably you, after midnight). Maybe just don’t go buck wild on the baking powder, and everything will be fine.
Ayu Bakhouse is open daily - click here for menus and opening hours
When we started planning Ayu Bakehouse, I’d been out of the kitchen and focused on operations for more than five years. This was my first time leading the creative voice of a place, and it took me a while to figure out what I actually wanted to say. But once the creative process opened up, it was unstoppable, and having full control to bring those ideas to life was the cherry on top.
My pastry-school-pal-turned-business-partner, Samantha, was crucial during that time. She has incredibly high standards and isn’t afraid to say when something isn’t working. It was frustrating at times, but it pushed our products (and me) to a higher level.
By the time we opened, it felt like being at the top of a roller coaster. Once we launched, we just had to buckle up, roll with it, and try to smile for the photo without puking.
How is the New Orleans food scene different to where you spent your formative years?
I grew up in Maryland and moved to New Orleans for college in 2006. Maryland has its blue crabs and Old Bay, but it doesn’t carry the same kind of mythos that New Orleans cuisine does (and there’s certainly not a whole tourism industry built around it). One thing I love here is the constant churn of creativity: the pop-ups, the home bakers, the side hustles. It keeps the food scene feeling alive and unpredictable.
It's a well-used phrase, but how do YOU define 'Southern hospitality'?
Southern hospitality, to me, is the embodiment of the phrase “We’re so glad you’re finally here.” It’s that feeling of instant belonging and the sense that your comfort brings someone else genuine joy.
What's the most esoteric/out there dish/drink you've ever put on a menu? What's the weirdest thing you've ever tasted?
The weirdest thing I’ve put on a menu: “Banana Hammocks” for Southern Decadence. They were banana-shaped choux au craquelin with little thongs and sunglasses and filled with Bananas Foster-inspired flavors. Delicious. Ridiculous. Weirdest thing I’ve ever tasted: a century egg in Beijing. It’s an egg that’s been cured in the ground (I was told horse manure…) for 30 days. The yolk turns electric green, and the flavor is funky and fermented. I went back for seconds.
Do you spend a lot of time experimenting when you're not working? Do you try out areas of cuisine that you're not traditionally associated with or that you're less familiar with?
Now that I have an 18-month-old, I’ve been trying to hone my dinner game. Growing up, I was always the dessert person so I never really got to build up a repertoire of savory family meals. I apply my bakery brain to it: weekly meal plans, grocery lists, a dry-erase board with prep notes and to-dos. It’s basically a second job, but it works!
Time to name some (four or more) names. Where do you like to go for fancy feasts, casual bites, cocktails and a post-shift beer/wind down?
Fancy Feast: Nagomi (IYKYK)
Casual bites: Budsi for Thai, Moshiko for shawarma takeout
Cocktail: I’m not a huge drinker these days, but I do enjoy a good splurge at Jewel of the South
Post-Shift Drink: One of my neighbors’ porches for a seltzer with my kid. I’ll follow them to Vaughan’s if I’m really feeling frisky.
What's the most memorable eating experience you've ever had?
Most meals have blurred together by now, but one that stands out is from when I was studying abroad in Ghana while at Tulane. I was interning for a housing organization, and my coworkers invited me to their Eid celebration to mark the end of Ramadan. Someone brought a very cute little goat, which I naively became attached to, only to witness it being slaughtered a few hours later. A child later approached with the animal’s scrotum, inflated, and honked it like a whoopee cushion directly into my face. It was horrifying, hilarious, and unforgettable. I had a great time!
You're at home. Maybe you've had a couple of cocktails, maybe you're feeling lazy, maybe you need some quick comfort. What are you making away from the public glare? Give us your guiltiest, messiest pleasures and don't skip any details.
I casually mention to my husband that there’s day-old rice and some leftovers in the fridge, and twenty minutes later, I’m sitting in front of the TV with a steaming bowl of fried rice and a cleaned-out fridge. My only contribution is planting the idea.
Where are your favourite food cities outside of New Orleans?
I find a reason to love every city I go to. NYC is the hub, of course, but I get overwhelmed by too many choices. Give me one good local recommendation and I won’t think twice. Paola Vélez called it JOMO—the joy of missing out—and that about sums it up.
Are you a big produce/farmers' market person? Do you go out and source ingredients yourself? Do you grow your own herbs, spices or produce?
I take my daughter to the Bayou St. John Farmers Market every Thursday, mostly to catch up with an old friend while my kid bathes herself in the smoothie du jour. My neighbor Cam let me set up a few raised beds in her yard during the pandemic, so there’s usually a rotating cast of herbs, veggies and flowers that are either slowly withering or aggressively taking over her property. Watching something I planted actually grow is freakishly satisfying, but I probably lack the attention span to go full farmer.
You have an unlimited budget for a private chef-catered meal for you and your loved ones. Who's cooking, what are they serving and where are you eating?
I’d want a long table under the stars with everyone I love. You can revoke my Chef badge if you must, but I don’t really care who’s cooking or what’s being served as long as it’s honest and delicious. The best meals aren’t built from food alone. They’re about who you’re with, what you’re talking about, and how present you are in the moment. There might be a dry-ass turkey in the middle of the table, but it’s those other things that make it a night you never want to end.
What are you favourite foodie films or TV shows?
This one’s not exactly a food movie, but Stranger than Fiction had a lasting impact on me. I was on the pre-med track at Tulane until second-semester Organic Chemistry broke me, and I resorted to baking in the communal kitchen to stay sane. We were watching the movie while cramming for midterms when Maggie Gyllenhaal’s character delivered her “I left Harvard Law to bake” monologue. The whole room turned to look at me, and I switched majors the next month (to Glass Blowing, but close enough).
How else do you relax, besides getting as much sleep as possible?
I must be making up for lost time, because my body needs at least nine hours of sleep to function these days. In the few waking hours that remain after my nightly hibernation, I mostly just love spending time with my husband and watching our kid grow up in front of our eyes.
OK, leave us with one kitchen tip or secret hack/juicy piece of gossip/your favorite corny joke. Or all three. Thank you so much for joining us!
“Cooking is art, but baking is science.” BOTH ARE BOTH. Have fun and experiment, especially when it comes to layering in flavors. Even if the result is a little weird, you’ll learn something, and someone will still eat it (probably you, after midnight). Maybe just don’t go buck wild on the baking powder, and everything will be fine.
Ayu Bakhouse is open daily - click here for menus and opening hours