Check out profiles of top chefs and learn about their favorite seafood preparations, diverse influences, culinary philosophies, favorite ingredients, and much more.
Born and raised in Santa Ynez Valley, Chef Hector Ibarra’s love for culinary began at an early age. His earliest memories were made in the kitchen with his family, creating different styles of Latin cuisine. As a young boy visiting his relatives in Mexico, Hector would catch fish with his uncle and bring them back for dinner at his grandmother’s …
Executive Chef Igor Krichmar brings years of impeccable culinary and hospitality experience at prestigious restaurants in England, Las Vegas, Utah and California to InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown. With his extensive background in fresh and simple cuisine, Krichmar leads the culinary charge by crafting new menus and spearheading the hotel’s culinary mission. Additionally, Krichmar oversees the overall flow of InterContinental Los …
At the age of 19, Chef Eric Rodriguez began his culinary journey with a French Culinary Degree. He started off with an externship at the Arizona Biltmore, a Waldorf Astoria Resort where he learned a great number of work ethics. From there, Chef Rodriguez moved to San Diego, California where he spent four years working at two French restaurants. He …
With more than 14 years of experience, Executive Chef Jonah Amodt has a wealth of knowledge cooking a wide variety of cuisines. As a child, Jonah “was the pickiest eater in his family,” but his mother “took the time to help him find an appreciation for seafood.” After a few years of watching her cook, and tasting a variety of …
Born in South Africa, Michael Van Staden found his passion for cooking while assisting his family with classic dishes like Potjie and Boerewors around the campfire. Cooking over an open fire outside is still Van Staden’s “favorite way to cook at home, whether it’s whole grilled fish, searing scallops in a cast iron, making seafood stews or even steamed fish.” …
A South Bay local, avid surfer, baseball player and potter, Executive Chef Austin Cobb has plenty of talents and interests. Cobb is particularly passionate about fish; “it’s light and healthy, and takes a delicate touch to make it delicious.” He remembers at just eight years old, “I went fishing in Santa Cruz and caught a Halibut almost as big as …
Chef Jose Rodriguez, or Jrod for short, is still passionate about his culinary journey even with 20 years of professional experience under his belt. He brings the same energy to his work as Chef de Cuisine for Pete’s Sunset Grille at the Hyatt Huntington Beach that he brought to his family’s parilladas (barbecue) as a teenager. Back then he was …
Akasha Richmond, of the eponymous Akasha as well as AR Cucina, became one of Los Angeles’s most celebrated culinary names as an accident on her journey towards enlightenment. A self-taught chef and baker, Akasha decided to pursue cooking as a full-time vocation while working at the yogi-owned Golden Temple in the 1990s. It was there that she befriended cultural icons …
Matt Janeway brings 15 years of experience in Japanese cuisine to the table as chef and part-owner of The Rawbar in Chico, CA. He had already worked in Seattle for three years at Sushi Kappo Tamura, Sushi Kashiba and Sansei before moving to Chico to learn at the feet of Master Sushi Chef Masaki Tanaka. He enjoys making nigiri most …
Dave Sacco, Executive Chef-Partner of Capital Grille Las Vegas, has earned quite a reputation through his culinary travels that he has brought to bear for “America’s Steakhouse”. Not only has he earned plaudits including a Golden Scepter Award from the Southern California Writers Association, he is a certified Sommelier. Of course, it’s his love for seafood that brings him to …
