Carlos Hernández
Executive Chef — Modern Mexican
PROFILE
Executive Chef with 16 years across modern Mexican fine dining and high-volume hotel kitchens. Currently lead a 38-person brigade at a 110-cover destination in Polanco — one Michelin star (2024), 50 Best Latin America #18.
KITCHEN EXPERIENCE
Executive Chef
Casa Tlaloc — Polanco, Mexico City, MX
2020 – Present
Lead a 38-person brigade at a 110-cover modern Mexican fine-dining concept.
Earned the restaurant's first Michelin star (2024) and Latin America's 50 Best #18 in 2025.
Designed the seasonal tasting menu — 11 courses, 4 menu changes per year, milpa-rotation sourcing.
Cut food cost from 31% to 26% without compromising menu density through direct producer relationships.
Mentor 4 sous chefs — 2 have moved on to head their own kitchens in CDMX.
Sous Chef → Senior Sous Chef
Pujol, Mexico City, MX
2015 – 2020
Sous chef under Enrique Olvera through the period the restaurant held #5–#13 on World's 50 Best.
Owned the mole madre station — the kitchen's signature dish, served continuously for 1,000+ days.
Daily R&D session lead; 14 dishes I co-developed remained on the tasting menu rotation.
Stage → Chef de Partie
Eleven Madison Park, New York, US
2011 – 2015
Stagiaire that earned a permanent CDP role in 7 months.
Worked the fish, garde-manger, and pastry stations across 3 ½ years.
CERTIFICATIONS
ServSafe Manager
National Restaurant Association · 2023
Distintivo H — Hygiene Certification
SECTUR · 2022
SPECIALTIES
Menu Engineering
Modern Mexican Technique
Brigade Leadership
Cost & Pour Cost Control
Sourcing — Producer-Direct
Tasting-Menu Pacing
Wine & Mezcal Pairing
HACCP
R&D / New-Dish Development
Fluent in Spanish, English, and French
EDUCATION
Diploma — Culinary Arts
Centro Culinario Ambrosía, Mexico City, MX
2010
Stage placements at Quintonil and Biko during programme.