Meet the Team

Chef Richard Sandoval is a global pioneer in contemporary Latin cuisine. His career as a chef, restaurateur and entrepreneur also includes serving as a television personality, cookbook author, brand ambassador and philanthropist. He is internationally acclaimed for his innovative approach in combining Latin ingredients with modern culinary techniques to create award-winning flavors that span 60 locations and 4 continents. 
 
A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Sandoval has earned many accolades over the course of his career including Mexico's "National Toque d 'Oro," Bon Appetit's "Restauranteur of the Year," Cordon d'Or's "Restauranteur of the Year", one of The Inc Magazine's 10 Most Inspiring Business Leaders, a James Beard Semi-Finalist for "Outstanding Restaurateur" and received an Honorary Doctorate for Culinary Arts from Johnson & Wales University.  
 
Chef Sandoval is commended for elevating Latin American dining in each market he has a presence with best-in-class concepts, with regular features in publications like The New York Times and People. Sandoval is also credited for introducing Latin cuisine to the UAE, Qatar and Serbia. 

Like Ellanda, Yerson is also from Indonesia. He started his journey as a Chef in Jakarta working in luxury hotels. In 2000, Chef Yerson moved to Dubai for a better opportunity. After a few years of dedication and hard work, he was recognized as one of Dubai's Best Gastronomist at the Salon Culinaire. In 2014, Chef Yerson took a break and traveled the world to explore other cultures and culinary identities. He moved back to Dubai and joined Zengo in 2020.