Chef José Mendín on the birth of Pubbelly Sushi, his Puerto Rican flag mural battle and Seinfeld
A native of Puerto Rico, José Mendín arrived in Miami at 19 years old and fell in love with the city. His sushi concept, Pubbelly Sushi, was supposed to be a simple fast casual spot, but circumstances led to an elaboration on the idea and it became one of Miami's favorite dining experiences. It also helped make José — now a five-time James Beard Award semifinalist — one of the most celebrated young chefs in the city and catapulted his career as a restaurateur. José is the chef-owner of restaurants in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Casa de Campo, Mexico City and Paris.
In this conversation with Michael Beltrán, José talks about growing up in Puerto Rico, how losing a volleyball scholarship led him to working in kitchens, growing his business, and the controversy that came out of his inviting an artist to paint a massive Puerto Rican flag mural at one of his Miami restaurants, La Placita.
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