Ollie K.C. Liedags

Ollie K.C. Liedags has always been drawn to cooking. “I had the good fortune to land in the kitchen at FIG under the tutelage of Chef Mike Lata,” they recall. “It was this time at FIG that served as the foundation for my culinary education.”

After relocating to San Francisco, Liedags worked in some of the Bay Area’s top kitchens. They served as executive sous chef at Atelier Crenn, sous chef at the now-closed Michelin-starred Mosu, and chef de cuisine at Avery, which shuttered in 2023. “At these institutions,” Liedags says, “I learned to not be afraid of failure. Failure is imminent. It’s learning how to move forward after you fail and understanding that it doesn’t define you.”

At Hilda and Jesse, Liedags says they’ve had “the ultimate opportunity” to showcase their food in a “fun and unique setting, merging the creativity and sophistication of fine dining with the welcoming vibes of a neighborhood restaurant.”

When it comes to the restaurant’s cuisine, Liedags describes their cooking as “queering.” They explain: “My food is rooted in technique, but it’s playful, nontraditional, and pushes boundaries.” Rather than limiting themselves, they embrace experimentation. “I enjoy reworking dishes that are omnipresent—to turn them inside out and upside down so they are recognizable in name and concept, but altogether new in flavor profile and eating experience.”