Juan Camilo Liscano
Palma | Miami, FL
May 2025
Juan Camilo Liscano had plans to study journalism in college, but as motivation fizzled out in his last year of high school, he soon realized that it wasn’t meant to be. After graduating, he moved to Los Angeles with his dad. Liscano tried out community college, but found that he would rather spend his time catching waves and cooking new recipes at home. With encouragement from his dad, Liscano got a job at a local burger joint and quickly found a home in the kitchen. He returned to Miami and, after a life-changing dinner at Vagabond, Liscano staged and eventually started working at the restaurant under Rising Stars alum Alex Chang, where he got his first taste of professional cooking. The restaurant closed in 2015, so Liscano moved back to L.A., where Chang connected him with the team at Animal. One year later, Liscano helped open Freehand Los Angeles while simultaneously working at Michael’s with Rising Stars alum Miles Thompson. Liscano and Thompson would visit the farmers market every week to pick up local produce, collaborating on the restaurant’s hyper-seasonal menu.
Liscano was soon overcome by wanderlust. He spent a few months in Colombia reconnecting with his family before moving back to Miami and working a short stint at Jaguar Sun. Liscano then moved to New York and joined the team at Momofuku Ko. There, he learned how to work efficiently while gaining an appreciation for its minimalist tasting menu format. In 2020, Liscano returned to Miami to be close to family. He started working at Sunny’s Steakhouse, and, over the next two years, helped grow the concept. He then took some time off and staged in London and Paris for a few months, contemplating his next move. Ultimately, Liscano decided he was ready to open his own spot, and launched Palma in January 2024. At the understated restaurant, Liscano combines his bicoastal, and global, culinary experiences into a seasonally driven, rotating tasting menu that celebrates Miami’s produce and artisans.
