Nicolas Lopez is a sous chef at 888 in Nashville and a 2026-27 U.S. Regional Finalist in the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition. A Mexican chef whose career has taken him through a range of kitchens, Lopez approaches cooking as a continually evolving collection of experiences rather than an expression of a single cuisine or style.
Cooking first became a way for Lopez to express himself and understand how he sees the world. He was fascinated by food’s ability to communicate an idea, place, or feeling without explanation. That curiosity gradually became a career, driven by the possibility of creating dishes that diners experience rather than simply eat.
Each kitchen in which Lopez has worked has shaped a different part of his cooking. Fine-dining restaurants taught him discipline, precision, and technique, while working with different chefs showed him new ways to approach ingredients and construct dishes. His Mexican background remains integral to his identity, but he combines it with lessons gathered throughout his career to create food that feels personal and honest.
Chef Brandon Cunningham was an especially important early influence. While working in Cunningham’s restaurant, Lopez learned the fundamentals and standards of a fine-dining kitchen, from attention to detail to the discipline required during service. Although his cooking has since moved in its own direction, Lopez credits the experience with giving him a foundation upon which to build.
Lopez describes his culinary style as curious, personal, and evolving. That curiosity has taken him into kitchens abroad, including in Sweden, where he became interested in langoustine after seeing chefs approach it in ways he had not previously encountered. Because Lopez is allergic to the shellfish, learning to handle it also became a personal challenge. Rather than avoid it, he studied how to treat it properly and construct a dish around it.
His signature competition dish connects Japanese and Mexican influences through corn. It begins with a Japanese-inspired chawanmushi made with sweet corn, cream, and kombu, accompanied by a pozole-inspired broth prepared with langoustine shells, trim, and nixtamalized corn. A crisp blue corn taco filled with langoustine, pineapple, and habanero completes the dish.
Rather than attempting to recreate either cuisine, Lopez uses corn as the thread connecting the ingredients and techniques that have influenced him. It is also an ingredient closely tied to his Mexican identity and childhood. He hopes the resulting dish feels familiar and unexpected, giving the judges insight into his experiences while leaving them curious about what he might create next.
This is not Lopez’s first time competing in the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition. He credits his previous experience with opening doors, introducing him to people who influenced his career, and pushing him to define his voice as a chef. He returns with more experience and a clearer understanding of what he wants his food to communicate.
Ultimately, Lopez hopes to open a restaurant that reflects his experiences and way of thinking. He wants it to be capable of earning three Michelin stars while also providing a place where cooks can learn, experiment, and develop voices of their own.
Nicolas Lopez is one of 10 chefs competing in the 2026-27 S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy U.S. Regional Final. Meet the other finalists vying for a place at the global Grand Finale.
