VANCOUVER CHEFS

Originally from Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Lucho Martinez first began his professional cooking career at the tender age of 14.

At age 17 he moved to Cancun to expand his knowledge of high end gastronomy.

A few years later he travelled to Mexico City where he was part of the award winning Quintonil restaurant team under renowned chef Jorge Vallejo and at Maximo Bistrot for chef Eduardo Gracia who Lucho considers a true mentor. Wanting to start his own restaurant concept Lucho joined the successful Japanese restaurant group Edo Kobayashi to head up his own project restaurant Milia.

In the past couple of years Lucho has cooked along side many of the world's top chefs and already has plans to cook in London, Tokyo and New York City at the James Beard House this coming year.

Nestled in the Cuauhtémoc neighborhood of Mexico City, Milia was essentially conceived as a product restaurant. With a menu rigorously based on the temporality of the ingredients, Milia immerses diners in an authentic omakase experience. It is the first restaurant of the Edo Kobayashi Group whose proposal is abbreviated from other kitchens - Mexican, French, American and of course their signature Japanese.

Open the sliding door of Milia and you will immediately notice the 18 seat chef counter wrapped around a dynamic open kitchen concept. The architectural design of the space encourages the experience of both the diner and the chef to live in the same environment, share the same atmosphere and listen to the same music.This close interaction defines the visit to Milia and transforms it into a unique event that appeals to all the senses.

At Wildebeest, Christina Hartigan is fully able to indulge her talent and passion for food and wine pairing with the restaurant’s signature brand of farm to table, nose to tail cuisine and provide each guest with a truly unforgettable dining experience.

Born and raised in Vancouver, Christina first developed her thirst for hospitality and wine while working in front-of-house roles at local restaurants throughout high school and university. She fully set her sights on a career in the industry after expanding her knowledge and skills as a cellar hand and stagiaire in chalets and vineyards in France.

A Court of Master Sommeliers Advanced Sommelier, a French Wine Scholar and graduate of the Level 4 Diploma from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET), Christina further developed her nose for fine wine at Vancouver’s AnnaLena and Botanist at the Fairmont Pacific Rim before joining the team at Wildebeest.. A recipient of scholarships from Les Dames d’Escoffier, the BC Hospitality Foundation and Wolf Blass, Christina was also selected as an apprentice judge for the WineAlign Canadian National Wine Awards in 2018. She has been a judge at the All Canadian Wine Championships (2019) and at the Judgment of BC (2019). Christina earned a berth in the Master of Port Canada finals competition (2019) and placed second in BC’s Top Sommelier competition in both 2019 and 2020.

In this episode of Chefs Night Out, Lucho opens his doors at Milia and shares some of his business partner's restaurants in the rapidly growing Little Tokyo area of Mexico City.

We invite you to experience deliciously decadent yet simple country cooking at its finest. Set against the history of the Vancouver neighbourhood of Gastown. Explore a locally-sourced farm-to-table menu paired with a diverse selection of Old and New World wines and a carefully crafted cocktail list. We are located in a refurbished 19th century building and our multi-level space offers a front house cocktail bar & lounge, open-concept kitchen, an inviting dining room with banquette seating, and an intimately-set private dining room.

Our menu focuses on delicious local ingredients prepared with the utmost integrity. Each and every component has been thoughtfully nurtured by our executive chef, Ian McHale, from field to finish. We work closely with surrounding farms and farmers to organically raise healthy, happy animals and grow custom produce. Employing classic butchery traditions and simple, contemporary techniques, we present delicious menus of the season. This is food for food lovers.