Full Interview

Marrying Latin & Asian Flavors— a Balance of Opposites
Throughout his culinary career, Chef José Mendín has leveraged his masterful ability to marry Latin and Asian flavors to garner five consecutive James Beard award nominations and a blossoming restaurant empire. As the reinterpretation of traditional flavors continues to trend across menus nationwide, Chef Mendín shares his thoughts on how to successfully bridge these two ever-popular cuisines.

Tradition and Innovation
Mendín describes the process of combining Japanese and Latin ingredients as a balance of opposites. “Japanese ingredients and approach are all about subtlety with some hits of umami, almost like the punctuation at the end of a sentence. Latin foods are spicy, vibrant and bold. The way to balance these two is to start with a classic recipe and to use complimentary ingredients to enhance,” describes Mendín.

A Flavorful Foundation
Mendín finds that cilantro and lime juice blend well with the aromatic flavors of ginger and lemon grass and umami-rich ingredients like sesame and Kikkoman Soy Sauce. “These are natural bridges between Japanese and Latin cuisines,” says Mendín. “I use soy sauce a lot because it’s already really well seasoned. For instance, I always make a traditional chicken broth, but I add Kikkoman Soy Sauce and ginger because I like how they enhance the broth. Most people recognize that there are extra flavors, but don’t necessarily know what they are.”

This broth is a basic building block for many of his signature dishes including his famous interpretations of mofongo, the national dish of Puerto Rico.

Mofongo is essentially a mash of fried green plantains, which Mendín dresses with the aromatic soy-infused broth, ginger and pork belly. One of his most creative variations is mofongo ramen, a dish Mendín believes cannot be found on any other menu.

Mendín’s grilled octopus, another signature dish, exemplifies how he seamlessly combines international techniques and influences. He starts by combining octopus, duck fat, garlic and shallots in a sous vide bath. He fries, then grills, the tender sous vide octopus on a plancha, a traditional Spanish technique. In Spain, the octopus is usually served on Dutch potato salad with mayonnaise and paprika.

“I skip the mayo and create an emulsion of ginger, garlic, tom yum paste, lemon and lime juice, Kikkoman Soy Sauce and oil in a blender. I love how the tom yum paste and soy sauce flavors play together. The paste brings ground aromatics, sour and citrus notes that are rounded by the umami of the soy sauce” Mendín says.

“This is a bright dish that starts with Spanish inspiration, but goes to new places. That’s the appeal I strive to create on all my menus: offering delicious food while continuously learning, trying new things and evolving,” says Mendín.