My first memories of food were around my mom and aunt's dinner table, where we had family dinner every night. When I was 17 years old, I began rock climbing, which eventually led me to travel both domestically and internationally in search of a beautiful place to spend a day outside. At this same time, my love of food flourished and exercise became more of a healthy activity to justify eating more cookies.
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I chose to dive directly into the culinary world by catering events at the climbing gym I worked in, eventually moving on to restaurant work and some fine dining catering. In 2016 I bit the bullet and bought a ticket to southern China, a trip I had been planning for years. Suddenly plunged into the world of authentic Chinese food and beautiful crags, I realized as I boarded my plane back home that I felt like I was leaving home behind. A year later I went back to live and cook in Yangshuo, a small town in the Guangxi province.
Even after spending a considerable amount of time around Chinese food culture I still learned new things every single day. I moved on to explore areas like Cataluna, Spain and the Mclaren Vale in Australia, which both piqued my interest in natural wine and local winemakers.
After moving back to the United States, I held on to the techniques I learned abroad and built on them, taking a deep dive into pasta, local produce and fine dining in the context of French and Italian cuisine while continuing to explore natural wines. After this, I expanded my knowledge of fermented foods, cheeses and cured meats while also learning more about beer at the only sour beer collective in the country.
My main mission in the kitchen is to create beautiful food that bridges between cultures. Fusion food has a special place in my style, but learning the subtleties of traditional cooking is one of my top priorities. When I go on trips, I am always looking to cook with the locals and enjoy a good meal after a day of adventuring.