Born and raised in Brittany, Mounier graduated from Lycée La Closerie culinary school in Saint-Quay-Portrieux and began his professional journey as a line cook at Cyril Lignac’s one-MICHELIN-star Le Quinzième in Paris. He later rose to the rank of sous chef at Pierre Gagnaire’s two-MICHELIN-starred La Grande Maison in Bordeaux, where he found his stride. “That's also where I met my business partner, Florent, who was the maître d' at the time,” he recalls. “We bonded over our shared passion for San Francisco's culinary landscape and dreamed of opening our own restaurant here.” Before moving to San Francisco, Mounier led Pierre Gagnaire’s Âma Terra in Aix-en-Provence to a MICHELIN star and served as head chef at Bubo in Marseille.
Mounier and Florent eventually took the leap and opened the bistro after hosting a pop-up series. At Caché, Mounier draws inspiration from both California produce and his childhood memories. Many ingredients on the menu evoke simple home cooking, including buckwheat, green peas, and cranberry beans. He emphasizes partnerships with local purveyors such as Liberty Farm in Petaluma, which supplies the restaurant with duck, and CalRivers Farms in Morada.
“I work directly with their team to source the best seasonal and fresh produce,” he says, pointing to recent menu additions such as halibut with sweet cherry tomatoes and yellowfin tuna crudo with a Jimmy Nardello pepper sauce. Overall, achieving a balance between sophistication and neighborhood ease is key. “My formal training taught me that mastering classic techniques creates the foundation for creative exploration,” he says, “but now I allow myself the freedom to be playful.”
