Luis Herrera - Ensenada
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
You can’t say you have had a proper night out out in Williamsburg until you’ve checked a late night at Black Flamingo off of your list. Those who have done so will remember scrambling for some vegan tacos post-dance, but much like us ;) the space has matured. Now, you can start the evening off at Ensenada: the all-new upstairs eatery that transports you to the coast of Mexico. You can have the best of both worlds - get some tacos, some mariscos (seafood!!) and a mezcal negroni to keep you moving. And if you pass out from food bliss after? We wouldn’t blame you either.
Full name, age, where are you from?
Luis Herrera, 35 years old, from Caracas, Venezuela
What’s your title and where do you currently work?
Executive chef and partner of Ensenada
Was food a big part of your upbringing?
It was. I grew up in a very mixed household. My family is Italian on my mom's side, so we used to have big family banquets every Sunday afternoon at my grandparents house. My dad was the one who did most of the cooking at home, his mother was Argentinian and his father Venezuelan so he would cook all sorts of stuff with influence from different cuisines. We rarely had 100% Venezuelan food at home but I was always very curious about it, and it was my favorite when there were traditional Venezuelan dishes. This curiosity persisted which is what eventually drove me to go to culinary school and specialized in Venezuelan cuisine.
What are your earliest memories of dining out?
My parents were big foodies back in the day. I remember the Michelin Guide was like their bible. We lived in Spain for a few years while I was growing up and I still vividly remember when they took us to El Bulli on a summer vacation the family was taking in Cataluña. I was probably 7 or 8 years old and my brother was 6 and of course they made a special menu for kids. Best steak, fries and pasta I have ever had, of course it was probably so expensive that the next year we came back and my parents decided to leave me and my brother to have a picnic at the beach where El Bullit sits. Just our bad luck, it was raining that day, so we ended up having ham and cheese sandwiches in the car while my parents had the meal of their lives. No hard feelings.
If you could give a piece of advice to someone who wanted to pursue your career, what would it be?
Don’t do it, get a normal job. Just kidding. I would tell them they need to know 200% this is what they want because once you are in it, the sacrifices you will need to make are not small. I've lost a lot, but I've gained a lot too by sticking to what I believe in. Just be patient and work, listen to your chef, don't say no. If you don't know something just ask, don't guess. Go trail at places you are interested in on your days off and keep working. Be clean, leave the kitchen cleaner and more organized than how you found it, keep your station tight, cut the labels with scissors. Offer to make family meal when you have the time, if you have more time, clean a little more. Everything else will come with time and experience. Also, culinary school, not worth the money.
What do you think working in this industry has taught you?
It has taught me that it is very easy to get lost in it, especially when you are so passionate about it, but sooner or later you need to learn to find a balance between your life outside of the restaurant and work, otherwise it won't be sustainable long term. You can't be a line cook for life, although sometimes I wish I could.
What's your favorite dish on the menu?
Hard to pick one but for the summer, it's probably our soft shell crab dish, which is a take on a Thai papaya salad but we make it with shaved melon, lots of serrano peppers and sungold tomatoes. The aguachile negro on any presentation will always hold a very special place in my heart, though.
What is your favorite place to go out and eat at and what are you ordering?
Right now my top two are Dame, where I order the mussels and cucumber salad, squid skewers, lobster salad (everything really), and Le Crocodile. I love the leeks and the crab salad. Somtum Der is always in the rotation as well.
You’re on a desert island, what are the 5 kitchen items you need to run your business?
Knife, mixing bowl, iron skillet, torch, strainer. Would be great to come up with a Vitamix that runs on batteries. :)
