Some men build their legacy with words.
Gonzalo Colin builds his with fire.
His journey began in a home where the kitchen was sacred ground. A place where French cheeses melted beside molcajetes of chile, where the clinking of wine glasses harmonized with the scent of tortillas recién hechas. Childhood was measured in flavors, not years—and from that early symphony of sensations, a quiet vow was born: to turn food into feeling.
He crossed the border not only of countries, but of boyhood. At just sixteen, he arrived in New York with nothing but wide eyes, calloused hands, and an unspoken hunger to belong—to a place, to a craft, to something greater than himself. In the kitchen of Indigo, he began as Garde Manger, humble and invisible—but not to Chef Scott Bryan, the man who lit the first real fire inside him. Under Bryan’s stern, brilliant guidance, Gonzalo learned that cuisine was not technique—it was truth. A flame you carry in your chest.
Years passed. Knives sharpened. Palettes matured. In the kitchens of Merge and First, under the daring mentorship of Chef Sam De Marco, Gonzalo discovered risk, irreverence, and the music of chaos. At Frankie & Johnnie’s, he learned the language of meat, the sacred patience of heat. His time at Sequoia revealed something more delicate: his rare gift with people, his ability to lead not with power, but with presence.
When the moment came to lead a kitchen of his own, it was at City Bistro in Hoboken. There, Gonzalo embraced the grace of French culinary traditions and began to shape a voice that was both global and deeply rooted. Later, through his work with Ark Restaurants Corp., he was shaped once more—this time by the quiet genius of David Waltuck, the legendary chef behind Chanterelle, whose philosophy of elegance and restraint would leave a permanent mark on Gonzalo’s soul.
He cooked for giants: Google, Apple, Facebook, Nickelodeon, BET, and the Red Bulls. He fed the voices of Latin America—Diego Luna, Thalía, Carlos Vives—not as celebrities, but as honored guests at the altar of memory and spice.
Then came Robert Restaurant, high above the Museum of Arts and Design. There, he didn’t just plate food—he told stories in the language of color, texture, and silence. It was a culmination, yes—but never a final chapter.
He followed his own spirit south, founding Kahlo, a love letter to the strength and complexity of Mexican women and cuisine. Then came Arre Sinaloa, his bold, electric tribute to the North of Mexico. He is not only their chef—he is their founder and owner, pouring his heritage into each menu, each plate, each space like a whispered promise to his past.
He wandered Oaxaca—“La Cuna de la Comida Mexicana”—and came back changed. Refined. Ready.
Now, Gonzalo Colin leads a new vision as Executive Chef at Tabú, in the heart of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in partnership with Artesano Group. Inspired by the mysticism and sensuality of Tulum, Tabú is a modern Mexican sanctuary—where earth, smoke, sea, and soul collide. With Gonzalo at the helm, it’s more than a restaurant. It’s a ritual.
He says, “When I cook, I imagine I’m feeding my family. That’s the secret ingredient. That’s the only truth.”
Because Gonzalo doesn’t simply cook.
He remembers.
He honors.
He creates.
