Ray Garcia

Chef Partner

Award-winning Chef Ray Garcia is widely revered for his bold yet refined flavors. His cooking is known for demonstrating elements of long-established tradition, while also having modern appeal. He first came into the national spotlight when he opened critically acclaimed Broken Spanish and BS Taqueria in Los Angeles in 2015, creating a dialogue about authenticity, and coining “authentically inauthentic” to describe his food. Most recently, Garcia has taken over the reins at The Rose Venice, revamping the iconic all day cafe and destination worthy restaurant with his unmistakable dedication to seasonal, ingredient-driven menus and penchant for exploring diverse cultures and culinary traditions for inspiration.

Garcia further solidified his culinary footprint with finer dining Asterid at the iconic Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles; vibrant ¡VIVA! at Resorts World Las Vegas; and an outpost of BS Taqueria at The Sundry in Las Vegas. In 2023, he introduced Qué Bárbaro, a Latin American steakhouse, and The Brown Sheep, a food truck-inspired concept, both located within Houston Hospitality’s Level 8 at the Moxy & AC Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

A proud Angeleno, Garcia graduated from UCLA with degrees in political science and business economics with the intention of becoming a lawyer. Instead, Garcia paved a new path by enrolling at the California School of Culinary Arts. He landed his first job at the Peninsula Beverly Hills, a five-star and five-diamond hotel with a revered fine dining program. Garcia further expanded his training by working with chefs such as Douglas Keane of Cyrus who eventually became his mentor. During this time, Garcia adopted restraint in technique and a deep respect for the integrity of his ingredients, no more evident than from his six-year tenure at FIG in Santa Monica.

In 2013, Jonathan Gold wrote in the Los Angeles Times, “If you could design a perfect chef for Los Angeles, he might seem a lot like Ray Garcia, an Eastside guy who seems to spend almost as much time proselytizing for healthful eating in local schools as he does in the kitchen. Garcia’s menu manages to be satisfying to both the transgressive big-meat guys and the Gaia-conscious vegans; the carb-lovers and the gluten-free.”

Garcia has consistently been recognized for his philosophies on environmental stewardship and commitment to responsible farming and food production—as seen with his honorary recognition with StarChefs’ “Rising Star” Award for Sustainability in 2010. In 2014, he took home the title of “King of Porc” at Cochon 555, an event celebrating the heritage breed pig. Garcia was recognized by Esquire Magazine as “Chef of the Year” in 2015.

Mazen Mustafa

Executive Chef

Embracing his mother’s rich Middle Eastern cooking heritage, Mazen Mustafa enrolled in culinary school where he learned the techniques of classic French cuisine that would frame his career. After graduation, Mustafa moved to New York to work in the kitchens of David Bouley at Restaurant Bouley and Daniel Boulud at db Bistro Moderne as chef de partie.

In 2002, he traveled to Roanne, France where he interned at the three-star Michelin restaurant La Maison Troisgros, under third generation Chef Michel Troisgros.

In 2006, while working at Striped Bass in Philadelphia, Mustafa met Paul Liebrandt and a year later, he moved back to New York as chef de cuisine of Corton. Here, he assisted Liebrandt in earning two Michelin stars as well as three stars from The New York Times. After Corton, Mustafa joined David Chang at his critically acclaimed Momofuku Ko, where Mustafa delved into Asian ingredients, products, and techniques for the first time.

Mustafa was the executive chef of The Elm, a modern French restaurant at the King & Grove Williamsburg in Brooklyn, prior to a cross-country move, which led to his role as the chef de cuisine at Trois Mec. Upon returning to the East Coast, Mustafa worked with Grant Achatz at Aviary NYC as the executive chef. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced restaurants to close, Mustafa decided to return to Los Angeles, where he joined the Angler team as the executive chef.

Now, Mustafa is the executive chef of Downtown Los Angeles’ asterid by Ray Garcia. Located at the base of the Walt Disney Concert Hall, asterid is a celebration of Los Angeles’ mosaic of diverse cultures and culinary richness.

When he’s not in the kitchen, Mustafa can be found spending time with his Boston Terrier, hiking, finding vinyl records, and restoring vintage motorcycles.