WHO: Evelyn Garcia (a Top Chef finalist) and Henry Lu are the
co-owners and executive chefs at JŪN, a widely acclaimed Houston restaurant nominated for a James Beard Award in 2024.
ABOUT: Born to Mexican and El Salvadoran parents, Chef Garcia grew up in Houston, Texas. Early on, she worked at her parent's cheese farm in El Salvador and at her parents’ restaurant, Chelyn’s Grill. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), she traveled through India and Thailand and then honed her chops at Jean George Spice Market, Masak and Kin Shop (where she met Henry Lu). She tasted national fame when she made it to the finals of the Houston-based season of Top Chef in 2022.
Chef Lu was raised in the Bronx and, as a youth, worked in his family’s Chinese restaurants. After getting an art history degree, he studied at the French Culinary Institute and then worked at Pearl and Ash and Llama Inn, among other places.
JŪN, which opened in 2023, explores the story of both chefs' upbringings in diverse households; surrounded by different people, food, and culture. It celebrates differences and funky flavors coming together through the lens of “New Asian American” food. The Houston Chronicle said JŪN was Houston's "most exciting new restaurant" when it launched. And it was a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best New Restaurant.
Lu and Garcia are also co-owners of Kin HTX, a catering and event company that's hosted pop-ups and produces Southeast Asian condiments for sale at farmers markets and local grocers.
WHAT: Join us for a culinary tour around the globe as Lu and Garcia demonstrate dishes that integrate intoxicating Latin and Asian flavors into some of their most popular dishes.
WHEN: Friday, November 15, 6:00 - 8:00 PM EST
WHERE: De Gustibus Cooking School