Flavors Unknown

Jose Mendin’s Secret to Blending Cultures and Flavors in Cooking

Chef Jose Mendin

Join us on the latest episode of ‘Flavors Unknown' as we embark on a culinary journey with Miami's own Chef Jose Mendin. Originally from Puerto Rico, Chef Mendin shares the base of Puerto Rican cuisine and how it influences his cooking. Hear about his adventurous career journey and the biggest influences that shaped his cooking style. From blending cultures in his dishes to his inspiration for Pubbelly Sushi's most popular roll, Chef Mendin takes us on a tour of his diverse and exciting cooking style. Discover the concepts behind his popular restaurants and his thoughts on the evolution of Miami's food scene. Get a glimpse into his leadership style and best advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. Take a food tour with the chef as he shares his guilty pleasure foods and the cookbooks that inspired him the most.

What you'll learn from chef Jose Mendin

The base of Puerto Rican cuisine 3:18
His ultimate goal for the food he cooks 4:22
How food became his life’s work 5:49
His biggest career influences 7:33
Culinary school versus kitchen experience 9:09
An example of bringing two cultures together in one dish 11:12
What he learned cooking in Spain 13:40
How Mendin describes his diverse cooking style 15:22
Getting creative with dumplings 16:19
The inspiration for Pubbelly’s most popular roll 17:53
A dish that he makes to impress his mom 19:08
The concepts of the restaurants he’s involved with 21:16
What’s in the works for the future 23:42
The evolution of the Miami food scene 26:39
Next generation chefs to watch in Miami 27:29
Influences he’s noticing pop up around Miami 28:15
How the city welcomes everyone into the restaurant scene 29:34
Mendin’s leadership style 32:25
His best advice for aspiring entrepreneurs 34:19
A food tour through Miami 35:39
His guilty pleasure foods 36:54
The 3 cookbooks that inspired him the most 37:24
His kitchen pet peeves 38:50
The essential condiments in his restaurants 39:25
How he makes their signature chili crunch 39:41

I'd like to share a potential educational resource, “Conversations Behind the Kitchen Door”, my new book that features dialogues with accomplished culinary leaders from various backgrounds and cultures. It delves into the future of culinary creativity and the hospitality industry, drawing from insights of a restaurant-industry-focused podcast, ‘flavors unknown”. It includes perspectives from renowned chefs and local professionals, making it a valuable resource for those interested in building a career in the culinary industry.

Get the book here!

Links to other episodes in Miami

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Links to most downloaded episodes (click on any picture to listen to the episode)

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Every time I do something, it has to be bold. It has to be memorable. I don't like cooking just to do it. I want everybody to remember what they ate.

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When you enjoy doing something, then you make it your life’s work and try to be the best at it. You're going to live a very happy life if you wake up every day doing something you love.

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When you're going to find a job in the kitchen, nobody asks you for a diploma. They only care about what you can do.

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