Chef Kyke Mendoza in Washington DC

Jesus Enrique Rodriguez Mendoza (Chef Kyke Mendoza) is a Venezuelan chef who loves to travel, experience different cultures, and cook using family recipes.

At the age of 9, he learned how to recreate recipes from his great-grandmother and mother. Today, he is thrilled to share his dream of opening his own restaurant, Mimi’s Latin Cuisine, in Washington DC.

Before launching his restaurant, he has traveled to 23 countries (and counting) to discover the best culinary dishes. During beta Testing for the next year doing Pop Ups and catering Mimi’s lLatin Cuisine plan to offer Cuisine from 10 Latin America country for all Washington DC to enjoy while developing a unique blend of flavors passed down through generations.

Currently, he is pursuing a degree in Culinary Arts and has gained experience in Washington DC.

We express ourselves through cooking. Our dishes represent our heritage and identity. Though cooking together is a joy, the food itself is a celebration of culture. Each meal is an opportunity to share stories, bond over flavors, and honor traditions passed down through generations. It is a family tradition that has been passed down for generations in my family. We always have such fun getting together to cook up a feast! There’s nothing quite like sharing a home-cooked meal with loved ones. Cooking brings back so many happy memories of family gatherings over so many years. Cooking together is how we stay connected to our roots and each other.

If you grew up Latino in this country, you’ve probably seen some of your favorite dishes go mainstream. Let’s face it — how great is that? While it’s wonderful that Latin American cuisine has gained more widespread appreciation and recognition, part of you can’t help but feel like those dishes have lost something in the translation. The flavors that were once unique to your family and community, passed down through generations, have been diluted and adapted to suit mainstream palates.

The salsas has been toned down, the spices softened, the heat reduced until it’s barely perceptible, or just monolithic as tacos and burritos being the only known food of hispanic heritage. Authentic ingredients have been swapped out for more familiar and mass-producible ones. A dish that was once a cherished part of your cultural heritage has become just another item on a menu, stripped of its deeper meaning.

There is pride to be found in seeing your culture celebrated, but also a tinge of sadness at seeing it commodified. Latin food has come a long way, baby, but at what cost? The next time you have a favorite dish in Mimis Latin Cuisine , we will make it the way your abuela used to make it. We will Preserve the flavors that make it special, not just another dish to be consumed. We will Keep the traditions alive.

It might be something you only ate with your family or got teased over for bringing in your lunchbox, but suddenly it’s filling up your social media feeds and feeding into the latest click-bait craze.

Happy as you are to see it recognized, it’s hard not to have mixed feelings when the food world’s newest “discovery and fusion trends ” hits close to home and you can only hope success doesn’t change it too much. There we see an opportunity.

Mimi’s Latin Cuisine brings Latin American traditions and culture to the table. We feature authentic ingredients and dishes from 10 countries to immerse you in the flavors of Latin America.

At our restaurant, you can experience the heritage and meaning behind Latin Cuisine without traveling far. We also use online tools to transport you to Latin America right at your seat. I invite you to take this journey with me to make My family’s dream and MimIs Latin Cuisine a reality in Summer of 2024 in Washington  DC.