Meet Chef Erling Wu-Bower

Erling Wu-Bower  Bio

Erling Wu-Bower’s focus and intensity have driven him to new creative heights as the Executive Chef of Pacific Standard Time and The Laurel Room. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in philosophy, Erling began his culinary career learning from and working alongside Chef Paul Kahan, spending more than a decade rising through the ranks of One Off Hospitality Group at avec, The Publican and Publican Quality Meats. As the Chef de Cuisine at Nico Osteria, Erling’s leadership in the kitchen established him as a finalist for the 2015, 2016 and 2017 James Beard Foundation “Best Chef: Great Lakes” award.

In 2017, Wu-Bower founded Underscore Hospitality, along with longtime colleague Joshua Tilden. Underscore Hospitality was born from the idea that the hospitality industry can be a place of professional stability; a home for career-minded individuals. Wu-Bower and Tilden firmly believe that the key to a restaurant’s success is the care and support offered between managers, partners and team members

Both Pacific Standard Time and The Laurel Room were created in partnership with One Off Hospitality’s Paul Kahan, Donnie Madia Gianfrancisco and Terry Alexander. One Off and Underscore act as operational partners, with One Off serving as an incubator to both restaurants, providing access to vital infrastructure, expertise and mentorship, while allowing Underscore to develop and execute a collaborative, creative vision for the restaurant. The collaboration has brought extensive industry accolades including a 2019 James Beard Award for Pacific Standard Time in the Best Restaurant Design - 76 seats and over category.