Chef Carolina Zubiate Wins Hispanic Top Chef 2023 Competition

       Peruvian-born Chef Carolina Zubiate was named 1st Place Winner of  the Hispanic Restaurant Association’s (HRA’s) 2023 Hispanic Top Chef Competition held Oct. 12-14 at the Colorado State University Spur campus in Denver. Seven chefs selected from around the U.S. and Mexico participated in a trivia contest about culinary topics, designed a menu in 30 minutes, and prepared a 4-course meal in three hours during the three days of intense competition.

     Zubiata — who offers private dinners and events featuring her unique take on Peruvian fusion cuisine and works for Chef/Owner Penelope Wong of Yuan Wonton dumpling truck in Denver — won a trip for two to Mexico City and a food tour led by HRA Director Fernando Stovell. After moving to the United States at the age of 13 with her family, food was the way she held onto her culture. Today, Zubiata offers private dinners and events to give diners a chance to experience her unique take on Peruvian Fusion cuisine. Each dish tells a passionate story of a time in her life, and some of her favorite people along the way.

      The 2nd Place Award went to Venezuelan-born Certified Executive Chef Eva Barrios, who currently serves as head chef at JOEY Restaurants’ JOEY Uptown location in Houston. A graduate of the American Culinary Federation apprenticeship program, Barrios started her culinary career twenty-one years ago in Houston, Texas, working for two Master Chefs at the Houston Country Club. She volunteers as an ACF-certified evaluator, site evaluator, and certification commission member, and also was president of the Austin Chapter of the ACF, was the Regional Certification Chair of the Texas Chefs Association and the coordinator for two ACF apprenticeship programs.

     The 3rd Place Award winner was Rafael Zamora, the Chef de Cuisine at La Fonda who was born in Sonora, Mexico and grew up in San Diego. Zamora earned a culinary degree from Johnson and Wales University and has held executive chef positions in many locations across eight states. His repertoire encompasses Mexican, American, French, Italian, and Asian cuisines.

About the HRA:

John Jaramillo and Selene Nestor founded the Hispanic Restaurant Association in 2021 in Denver. It is dedicated to supporting and promoting the interests of Hispanic-owned restaurants and businesses in the hospitality industry, and  to educate and elevate the Hispanic food community. For more information about HRA, visit hispanicrestaurantassociation.org.

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