Christian Hernandez
Barbacana | Houston, TX
September 2025
After working as a catering cook and in restaurants around town, Christian Hernandez went off to college with hopes of becoming a veterinarian. While studying at Texas A&M University, however, Hernandez realized cooking was his true calling and dropped out of school before finishing a degree in biomedical science. He moved back home to Houston, enrolled in the Culinary Institute Lenotre, and started working at Oxheart, where he got a crash course in high-caliber cooking from Chef Justin Yu. After a few more stints in Houston, cooking at restaurants like BCN and Pax Americana, Hernandez moved to New York.
In 2015, Hernandez staged at Eleven Madison Park before joining the team at Contra and Wildair. Working the line under Chef Jeremiah Stone, Hernandez was exposed to an array of innovative techniques and developed an appreciation for the interconnected history of global cuisines along the way. During his two years at the restaurant, he also gained valuable pastry experience from Rising Stars alum Fabián Von Hauske. Hernandez went on to help Chef Diego Garcia open Gloria before later becoming a specialty banquet chef at New York’s Google campus, overseeing buffets, tasting menu dinners, and specialty events. After a pit stop back in Houston, Hernandez relocated to Mexico City to cook at Chef Elena Reygadas’ Rosetta before becoming the chef de cuisine of Em.
In 2020, Hernandez returned to Texas. After hosting popups in Austin, Dallas, and Houston, he joined the opening team of March and became chef de cuisine soon after. A few years later, Hernandez left to develop a concept of his own. In 2024, he opened Barbacana, a sustainability-driven restaurant that pays tribute to Hernandez’s Houston roots. There, he is focused on celebrating his local community—its history and its agriculture—while providing his staff with educational opportunities and room to grow.
