Edgar Chong

Puesto | San Diego, CA

Born in Tijuana, Mexico into a Mexican-Chinese family, Puesto Chef de Cuisine Edgar Chong fell into the culinary world by accident.

While studying industrial design engineering at IBERO Monterrey in Mexico, he took a school trip to Copenhagen, Denmark, where he fatefully found himself seated at Noma, the legendary dining institution helmed by René Redzepi. During the 13-course meal, Chong had an epiphany: He too wanted to pursue the art of creating multi-sensory meals for others.

Chong returned to Mexico and enrolled in the Culinary Art School in Tijuana where he earned a degree in gastronomy and a masters in the cuisines of Mexico. While in school, he returned to Copenhagen to stage at Noma and Restaurant Relæ, gleaning as much as possible from his time in these prestigious kitchens.

Upon his return home, he poured his energy into having as many culinary experiences as possible and spent time working in large-scale production kitchens before arriving at Puesto at the Headquarters in 2015 as a line cook. From his first day of working with founding executive chef Luisteen Gonzalez, Puesto was a natural fit for Chong, given its Mexico City-inspired menu. Tapping into his wealth of knowledge about Mexican history, culture and regional cuisines, he steadily worked his way up into his current role as chef de cuisine and is an integral member of the restaurant’s culinary team.