Vela Bar y Cocina (352 W Hubbard Street) has announced Jorge Angulo is serving as the executive chef of the River North restaurant in Chicago. Angulo brings nearly 15 years of culinary experience to the Mexico City-inspired restaurant. Since the age of 14 years old, Chef Jorge Angulo found himself working in kitchens throughout Chicagoland.
“I won my first culinary competition during my junior year of high school with the Technology Center of DuPage’s Culinary Program” said Chef Angulo, “the competition unlocked a passion within me, and I knew I wanted my career to take place in the kitchen.”
Vela Bar y Cocina is one of Chicago’s newest restaurants. The River North restaurant is an homage to Mexico City. From heirloom corn from Mexico nixtamalized in-house to make hand-pressed tortillas to their own mole madre program. Chef Angulo is a first generation Mexican American. He learned to nixtamalize the restaurant’s masa program thanks to an uncle in Mexico who owns his own tortilleria. Dishes like Vela’s Langostinos Nayarit (head-on prawns) come straight from his mother and were his favorite dish growing up. Angulo’s life story finds its way to the menu at Vela one dish at a time.
“I like to think I tell the story of my family through the dishes we’ve put together for our menu,” says Angulo. “Each dish shares a piece of me, and my real goal is to bring the authenticity of Mexico City cuisine to Chicago.”
Vela’s menu offers Entradas, Crudos, Del Jardíns and Principales. Chef Angulo’s family is from the coastal region of Jalisco, and diners will have seafood options that mirror the region’s many specialties. Entradas at Vela include dishes like wagyu carne seca Empanadas with poblano jocoque, Tlacoyo made with a medley of mushrooms sourced from Four Star Mushrooms and even a Taco Gobernador with black tiger shrimp and Oaxaca cheese among others. Diners will also find various Crudos on Vela’s menus including Tuna or Salmon Tostadas and Hamachi Ceviche.
With Vela’s Principales, the flavors of Northern Mexico are presenteed through Chef Angulo’s Aged Wagyu Tabla de Carnes, which feature cuts of picanah, hanger and bavette steaks and is served with a salsa tatemada, peanut arbol, and habanero miso. Bajio and Yucatán are represented with Vela’s Castacan en Mole with pork belly, mole casero, gooseberries and chicharron, and flavors of the South Pacific Coast are showcased through the Pollo a la Leña made with chicken, fresno lime adobo and served with a charred habanero Salsa.
Vela Bar y Cocina (352 W Hubbard Street) has announced Jorge Angulo is serving as the executive chef of the River North restaurant in Chicago. Angulo brings nearly 15 years of culinary experience to the Mexico City-inspired restaurant. Since the age of 14 years old, Chef Jorge Angulo found himself working in kitchens throughout Chicagoland.
“I won my first culinary competition during my junior year of high school with the Technology Center of DuPage’s Culinary Program” said Chef Angulo, “the competition unlocked a passion within me, and I knew I wanted my career to take place in the kitchen.”
Vela Bar y Cocina is one of Chicago’s newest restaurants. The River North restaurant is an homage to Mexico City. From heirloom corn from Mexico nixtamalized in-house to make hand-pressed tortillas to their own mole madre program. Chef Angulo is a first generation Mexican American. He learned to nixtamalize the restaurant’s masa program thanks to an uncle in Mexico who owns his own tortilleria. Dishes like Vela’s Langostinos Nayarit (head-on prawns) come straight from his mother and were his favorite dish growing up. Angulo’s life story finds its way to the menu at Vela one dish at a time.
“I like to think I tell the story of my family through the dishes we’ve put together for our menu,” says Angulo. “Each dish shares a piece of me, and my real goal is to bring the authenticity of Mexico City cuisine to Chicago.”
Vela’s menu offers Entradas, Crudos, Del Jardíns and Principales. Chef Angulo’s family is from the coastal region of Jalisco, and diners will have seafood options that mirror the region’s many specialties. Entradas at Vela include dishes like wagyu carne seca Empanadas with poblano jocoque, Tlacoyo made with a medley of mushrooms sourced from Four Star Mushrooms and even a Taco Gobernador with black tiger shrimp and Oaxaca cheese among others. Diners will also find various Crudos on Vela’s menus including Tuna or Salmon Tostadas and Hamachi Ceviche.
With Vela’s Principales, the flavors of Northern Mexico are presenteed through Chef Angulo’s Aged Wagyu Tabla de Carnes, which feature cuts of picanah, hanger and bavette steaks and is served with a salsa tatemada, peanut arbol, and habanero miso. Bajio and Yucatán are represented with Vela’s Castacan en Mole with pork belly, mole casero, gooseberries and chicharron, and flavors of the South Pacific Coast are showcased through the Pollo a la Leña made with chicken, fresno lime adobo and served with a charred habanero Salsa.
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