Julie Cortes

Hiraya

Featured:
Saturday, May 11, 2024 at the Grand Tasting

Hiraya Executive Chef, Julie Cortes, has a flair for flavor. Collaborating with Chef Paolo Dungca and the talented culinary team at Hiraya, the new restaurant located at H Street aims to bring the unique and diverse taste of the Philippines to D.C., focusing on the concept “Filipino food forward.” Under Chef Julie’s leadership, Hiraya’s menu – featuring traditional Filipino fare adapted from family recipe staples – is not only a medium to push Filipino cuisine mainstream, but a way to bring diners to the table as part of a community one dish at a time.

Chef Julie’s interest in the culinary world simmered from childhood, where she grew up cooking traditional Filipino dishes, such as lumpia, with her aunt and grandparents. Growing up in a Filipino household where holidays were always a feast, kindled her love for cooking and inspired the beginning of her culinary journey. Chef Julie has earned her chops working at Wildflour Restaurant in the Phillipines and most recently at Kaliwa in DC, which is where she connected with Chef Paolo.

When not in the kitchen, Chef Julie enjoys Japanese cuisine, specifically Sushi Nakazawa in DC and one day dreams of becoming a master at cooking fresh pasta.