From a Fire on Opening Night, This Restaurant Became One of New York City’s Best

Yara Herrera, chef and partner at Hellbender in Queens in NYC, has earned acclaim from The New York Times, Esquire, and StarChefs. Drawing from her Mexican-American roots and years in some of the country’s toughest kitchens, she’s created a restaurant that celebrates confidence and creativity. Watch now to learn about surviving opening night disasters, finding identity through food, and turning pressure into privilege. Sponsored by: • TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc Chapters: [02:13] - Falling in Love with Cooking [04:10] - Lessons from Wolfgang Puck [06:14] - Making an Omelet for David Chang [11:40] - The Sharpie in the Fryer [19:00] - A Love Letter to Every Rebel SPONSORS: RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS IS PRESENTED BY TOAST — Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point of sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience. • Toast All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc Episode Links: Yara Herrera Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yaraherrerayara/?hl=en Hellbender: https://www.hellbendernyc.com/ Hellbender Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellbendernyc/?hl=en New York Times Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/25/dining/hellbender-nyc-restaurant-review.html?partner=slack&smid=sl-share Esquire’s Best New Restaurants: https://www.esquire.com/food-drink/restaurants/a62875489/best-new-restaurants-america-2024/ StarChefs New York Rising Stars Award: https://www.instagram.com/p/DGioZvatCgF/?img_index=3 Key Takeaways: Pressure Is a Privilege: From floods to fryer fires, Yara Herrera learned that stress comes with success. Her mantra reminds her that pressure means she’s earned the chance to lead and create. Cooking Without Apology: Drawing from her Mexican American roots, Yara created Hellbender as both a celebration and a rebellion, blending creativity, confidence, and chaos into one of New York’s most exciting new restaurants. Lessons From the Line: Working in the intense kitchens of Wolfgang Puck and David Chang, Yara discovered what kind of leader she didn’t want to be. *** ABOUT YARA HERRERA — Yara is the chef/partner at recently opened Mexican-American restaurant Hellbender in Queens, NY. Born and raised in Los Angeles as a first-generation Mexican-American, Yara launched her culinary journey at just 20 years old, honing her skills at esteemed establishments such as Wolfgang Puck’s Spago and Providence, a celebrated two Michelin-starred sustainable seafood restaurant. In 2018, an invitation from David Chang to join the highly acclaimed Momofuku Ko brought her to NYC, where she would go on to join the team at Xilonen (the former sister restaurant from the Oxomoco team). She swiftly rose to Chef de Cuisine, pioneering a menu blending traditional Mexican techniques with seasonal, locally-sourced produce. She continued to work with incredible restaurants throughout the city, including with Zack Wangeman at Sobre Masa in Bushwick. At Hellbender, Yara is embarking on her first chef/owner venture showcasing her distinctive approach to Mexican-American cuisine. In Yara’s freetime, she loves to explore, socialize and dance around Ridgewood and Bushwick and spend time gardening and farming on her friend’s farm in Long Island. ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS — Restaurant Influencers is a weekly video podcast series presented by Entrepreneur Media and Cali BBQ Media. Every week host and restaurant owner Shawn Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) talks with business leaders like Shaquille O’Neal, Rob Dyrdek, Emeril Lagasse, Mayim Bialik, Jon Taffer, Robert Irvine, Toast co-founder Aman Narang, and more, about their secrets to Smartphone Storytelling, marketing, branding, and how to show up where customers are engaging online. Published by Entrepreneur Media - https://entreprenuer.com Produced by Cali BBQ Media - https://betheshow.media