Maiz DLV Guest Chef Series: Chef Alam Mendez

“Ni de Aquí Ni de Allá” – Neither From Here nor There

Maíz de la Vida is excited to welcome Chef Alam Mendez, a Mexico-born chef rooted in the culinary traditions of Oaxaca and shaped by global experience. Raised in the kitchen alongside his mother, renowned Oaxacan cook Celia Florián of Las Quince Letras, he developed a deep respect for corn, nixtamalization, and the cultural foundations of Mexican cuisine. Trained at the Instituto Culinario de México, Alam has cooked in Michelin-starred kitchens in Spain, represented Mexico at the IKA Culinary Olympics, and led acclaimed projects across Latin America and Europe, including Pasillo de Humo in Mexico City. Now based in Washington, D.C., he is the co-founder and chef of Apapacho Taqueria, where he brings traditional Mexican street food to the contemporary dining scene through hand-pressed tortillas, heritage ingredients, and flavors rooted in memory, craft, and culture.

This collaboration celebrates the connection between cultures, communities, and the stories that live in the food we share. Our Guest Chef Series is all about bringing talented chefs together, celebrating tradition, and creating a space where great food brings people closer.

Maiz DLV Guest Chef Series: Chef Janet Becerra

“Ni de Aquí Ni de Allá” – Neither From Here nor There Maíz de la Vida is excited to welcome Chef Janet Becerra. Growing up just south of Seattle in Kent, Washington, Janet Becerra always cherished her mother’s home-cooked meals. She spent her free time glued to the television, anticipating what Martha Stewart and Ina Garten were about to prepare. While attending college, Becerra struggled to find a subject that spoke to her, but she knew she had a passion for food. She dropped out and ultimately enrolled in South Seattle College’s Culinary Arts program in 2013. After culinary school, Becerra worked at Miyabi 45th under Rising Stars alum Mutsuko Soma before moving to France, where she spent time traveling and working in hotel kitchens. Her travels also included a three-month stage at Pujol in Mexico City. Returning to Seattle, she worked for Rising Stars alum Maximillian Petty at Eden Hill Restaurant, where she started as a prep cook before becoming the chef de cuisine of Eden Hill Provisions. Becerra left Eden Hill two weeks before the pandemic hit, and spent her newfound free time cooking nostalgic Mexican dishes. She bought a molino and began nixtamalizing and grinding her own corn. It didn’t take long for her home cooking to turn into Pancita. Her pop-up soon turned into a residency at Lottie's Lounge. After a few months, Becerra met restaurateur Sarah Penn. Penn offered Becerra a residency at her restaurant Pair, creating Pancita at Pair. What started as a six-month residency extended into another year of partnership. When Penn passed away in 2024, Becerra and Co-Owner Kate Ramsey adopted the space and created the current rendition of Pancita. There, Becerra is dishing out personal, nuanced Mexican food to the North Seattle neighborhood. This collaboration celebrates the connection between cultures, communities, and the stories that live in the food we share. Our Guest Chef Series is all about bringing talented chefs together, celebrating tradition, and creating a space where great food brings people closer.