Chef Profiles
Julian Medina
Growing up in Mexico City, Julian Medina found the best versions of his native cuisine at home. Years later, after training in his home country and then under Richard Sandoval in New York, he went on to work in restaurants including Pampano and Zócalo. He then opened his own, Toloache, in 2007, which debuted to much-deserved praise.
Restaurants:
- Toloache (NYC)
- Toloache Taqueria (NYC)
- Yerba Buena (East Village, NYC)
- Yerba Buena (West Village, NYC)
Website:
www.toloachenyc.comJulian Medina Stats:
- Born In:
- Mexico City, Mexico, in 1975
- Training:
- The French Culinary Institute and Les Celebrites in Mexico City
- Mentors/Influences:
- “Chef Alban Dutemple. My influences come from ingredients I see or taste, and my biggest influence comes from Mexico.”
- First Restaurant Job:
- “Hacienda de los Morales in Mexico City. Before that I made pizzas for a Spanish food chain in Mexico.”
- Signature Style:
- “Using French techniques with ingredients from all over, mostly from Mexico, Peru, Japan and more.”
- Defining Culinary Moment:
- “When I opened my first restaurant, Toloache, three years ago. Now I have four restaurants and more on the way.”
- Favorite Food/Ingredient:
- “I love Japanese, Peruvian, Mexican and more. One of my favorite ingredients is yuzu.”
