Chef Richard Sandoval

Growing up in Mexico City, Richard Sandoval would join his grandmother in the kitchen and gather around her large table with family to enjoy lively Mexican feasts prepared from scratch.

From his grandmother, he learned to respect fresh, authentic ingredients and to create the vibrant flavors that turned family dinners into celebrated events. Meanwhile, his restaurateur father – owner of Madeiras in Acapulco and Villa Fiore also in Acapulco – imparted lessons in service and restaurant management.

Sandoval, who was once a professional tennis player and had toured the world participating in prestigious matches, had such a passion for food that he decided to enroll in the Culinary Institute of America. Upon graduation, he gained attention in New York with his contemporary French restaurants, "Savann" and "Savann Est." He then returned to his roots and in 1997 opened "Maya," his flagship modern Mexican restaurant in New York.

During the past 15 years, Sandoval’s career has evolved to include roles as a culinary consultant, television personality, cookbook author, and brand ambassador. Richard Sandoval Restaurants (RSR) is now a leading international restaurant group with over 40 concepts spanning Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, New York, Virginia, Washington, D.C., as well as in Dubai, Hong Kong, Mexico, Tokyo, Qatar, and Serbia. Restaurant Hospitality recently named Richard Sandoval Restaurants as one of the “25 Coolest Multi-concept Companies.”

With a broad range of restaurants in his portfolio, Chef Sandoval combines authentic Latin ingredients with international flavors and inventive techniques, to create new and unexpected concepts and cuisines such as modern and coastal Mexican, Latin-Asian, Peruvian, and Pan-Latin.

In Washington, D.C., Sandoval partnered with noted sushi chef Kaz Okochi and restaurateur to open "Masa 14," "El Centro D.F.," and "El Centro D.F. Georgetown," as well as to consult on "Ambar," the city’s first Eastern European restaurant. He also introduced Pan-Latin cuisine to Serbia with the opening of "Toro Latin Gastrobar" in Belgrade, which was named “Best Restaurant in Serbia” by Tripadvisor.

Sandoval has developed menus for American Airlines First Class cabin and curated one of the largest tequila collections in North America and the Middle East. A frequent participant at international food and wine festivals, Sandoval’s recent television appearances include competing on the fifth season of Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters” and presenting on the show "The Dish."

When not cooking, Sandoval is passionate about training the chefs of the future. He supports their growth on the Board of Trustees at the Culinary Institute of America. For his work, he has been awarded Mexico’s National Toque d’Oro 2003, Bon Appétit Restaurateur of the Year 2006, Cordon d’Or Restaurateur of the Year 2012, and Market Watch named him “On Premise Player of the Year 2013.”