Chef Julian Medina

Julian Medina, the chef-owner of Toloache, Yerba Buena and Yerba Buena Perry, Toloache Taqueria and Coppelia, has been creating refined Latin cuisine for over fifteen years. As a young boy in Mexico City, Julian was inspired by his father’s and grandfather’s authentic home cooking, which led him to become a chef. Julian trained professionally at Hacienda de Los Morales and Les Celebrites, in Mexico City’s Hotel Nikko. In 1996 Chef Richard Sandoval met Julian on a visit to Mexico City, and impressed with the young chef’s energy and vision, invited him to relocate to New York City to work in one of his restaurants. Chef Julian built a name for himself through work with Sandoval at many restaurants, further training at the French Culinary Institute, and as Executive Chef of SushiSamba, and later as the corporate chef for all of Richard Sandoval's Mexican restaurants. Julian truly came into his own with the opening of Toloache in August 2007. The restaurant offers a creative, contemporary Mexican bistro menu with a focus on seasonal natural ingredients, and has quickly become a Theater District favorite. Julian followed up the success of Toloache with the opening of Yerba Buena, in Manhattan’s East Village, in June 2008. A second location of Yerba Buena, Yerba Buena Perry, opened in August 2009 and Time Out New York awarded it 4 out of 5 stars. Julian and his recipes have been featured in many publications, including The New York Times, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, and on television shows such as The Early Show, Good Morning America, Extra, LX.TV, and others. Sam Sifton, famed food critic of the New York Times, gave Toloache one star and a praising review in 2010. In March 2011 Chef Julian made his premiere appearance on Iron Chef America: Mexican Chocolate Battle. Chef Julian continues to open new restaurants throughout New York City, most recently Toloache Taqueria, Coppelia and Toloache 82.