Born and raised on the outskirts of Strasbourg in Alsace, France,[5] Vongerichten had a family life centered around the kitchen, where each day his mother and grandmother prepared lunch for the almost 50 employees of their business.

His love of food cemented his choice of career at the age of 16, when his parents brought him to the three-star Michelin-rated Auberge de l'Ill for a birthday dinner.

[6] Vongerichten arrived in the United States in 1985 under the auspices of consulting chef Louis Outhier, opening the Le Marquis de Lafayette restaurant in Boston.

"[10] Vongerichten claims to have invented molten chocolate cake in New York City in 1987, but the French chef and chocolatier Jacques Torres has disputed that, arguing that such a dish already existed in France.

[13][14] In 2011, Vongerichten and his wife, Marja, debuted a PBS television series, Kimchi Chronicles, a travel and cooking show set in South Korea and New York City.