Talent
Each chef will be working with a mixologist to provide interesting flavors for both eating and drinking. Check out the schedule page for links to chef and mixologist pages. Ricardo, Julian, and Joel are the staff culinary talent that handle the transitions between new chefs and mixologists that take the stage at Test Kitchen.
With equal amounts of passion and creativity, Executive Chef/owner Ricardo Zarate crafts his inspired cuisine using market-fresh ingredients and a vast knowledge of food gained while working in some of London’s top restaurants. From the defining kitchen of Zarate’s childhood home in Lima, Peru, this chef has been creating sublime, memorable meals for serious food lovers for over 15 years.
Zarate success can be traced to his modest roots. One of 13 siblings, all the children were expected to help in preparing the family meals. Lima, having been a center for trade for centuries, was a melting pot for all types of cuisines and food products and young Zarate began experimenting much to the delight of his family. At the age of 17, he realized his love of history could be combined with his passion for cooking. Zarate applied and was accepted to the city’s top private culinary school, the Institute of the Americas where he received his three-year certificate. Soon after he graduated, he headed to London.
Zarate worked in London for 12 years where he held various positions with top restaurants and hotels including One Aldwych where he was Chef du Partie and the top Japanese restaurant in London, Zuma.
The Millennium Hotel Group then offered him the top job at Sai Sai at the Biltmore in Los Angeles in 2003. Wanting to see more of the world, Zarate jumped at the chance to come to LA and to have his own kitchen.
During his 18 months at the hotel, Zarate redesigned the restaurant, renovated the menu and increased sales by 300%.
In 2005, Zarate moved back to London to consult for six-months with Gordon Ramsay Holdings on a new venture, Pengelly’s, a Pan-Asian concept. From there, he rejoined the Zuma Group as the Executive Chef for Zuma Events in London. It was here that Zarate took part in a dining revolution, perfecting his unique style of integrating French and Japanese techniques and product with methods and flavors from his native country, Peru.
With talent and passion like Zarate’s, it wasn’t long before he was approached by an investor. The concept of a tapas-style Japanese/ Robata grill restaurant was fine-tuned over the next year and Zu Robata was launched in June of 2007.
With a very creative vision and a modest budget, Zarate opened Mo-Chica in summer of 2009. Named for the language of a pre-Incan civilization, the restaurant, located in a small food court near USC, has been hit since the day it opened. Mo-Chica just got voted the 4thBest Restaurant in Los Angeles in 2010. Just 2 months after it got Best New Restaurant in Los Angeles in 2009. Confident with his food and his concept, Chef Ricardo Zarate is now ready to challenge himself and to open his first real size restaurant in Los Angeles.
Testing: Anticucho
Mixologist: Julian Cox
Sweet syrups and Red Bull were the bane of Julian Cox’s bartending existence. Stymied by the artificially colored cocktails that club and bar patrons guzzled down in Los Angeles, Cox quit the bar scene outright. But a friend turned him on to a new kind of cocktail that was being made at Chef David Myers’ French brasserie Comme Ça.
The bar team was trained by the elite cocktail-crafters of the Sasha Petraske’s famed Milk and Honey; Cox was inspired by their use of fresh ingredients and the careful skill they applied to each and every drink. Unfortunately, the closest he could get to the bar at Comme Ça was as a server. It wasn’t long before his cocktail talent was discovered and he joined the mixology team. Cox learned the ins and outs of mixology fundamentals, from recipes to best practices, and came away with a genuine passion for the tradition and tools of his craft.
Cox crafted cocktails at Comme Ça and at Myers’ modern California restaurant Sona before hooking up with Chef John Sedlar to open his Southwestern/Latin-inspired Rivera in January of 2009. At Rivera, Cox uses the kitchen as a muse for his mixology creations as, for example, when he effortlessly blends mezcal with chipotle puree and ginger syrup for a spicy, savory, beef jerky-garnished appetizer/cocktail.
In addition to his recent 2010 Rising Star Award, Cox won the Roy’s National Holiday Drink competition in 2006, and was given The Jimmy Barela Award for his 1800 Tequila cocktail, the G.T. Foam Home.
Testing: R26
Mixologist: Joel Black
With over 6 years mixing liquid libations, Joel Black has influenced beverage consumers across the country. Joel first got his start training under renowned mix master Sammy Ross of Milk & Honey NYC in preparation to launch Chef David Myers’ cocktail program for the LA hot spot Comme Ca restaurant. After several cocktail competition wins including LA’s Hennessy bar chef competition in 2009, Joel moved on to consult on cocktail menus for over 30 restaurants and bars across the country. Vanity Fair, LA times, LA weekly, and Details magazine are just a few of the publications in which Joel has appeared. When it comes to crafting a cocktail Black is like a sushi chef who doesn’t make California rolls.
Testing: Project 9575
