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.