MESA: A Chef Series – Barbacana with Chef Christian Hernandez and Chef Priscilla Treviño

Wednesday, May 27th | 6:00 - 10:00pm

This May, Mayahuel invites you to return to MESA, our signature dining series that brings together culinary creativity, culture, and community through exclusive, one-night-only experiences.

MESA continues as Chef Luis Robledo Richards welcomes Chef Christian Hernandez and Pastry Chef Priscilla Treviño of Barbacana for a one-night culinary collaboration rooted in creativity and exchange. Named a 2025 StarChefs Rising Star Award winner, Chef Hernandez joins forces with Pastry Chef Treviño, whose work has helped earn Barbacana a 2026 CultureMap Tastemaker nomination for Dessert Program of the Year.

As part of our ongoing MESA Chef Series, we invite chefs we admire into our kitchen not as guests, but as collaborators—coming together to create a shared dining experience that blends perspectives, techniques, and stories.

For this edition, Chef Hernandez and Chef Treviño bring their dynamic, globally inspired style and ingredient-driven approach to a six-course tasting menu designed exclusively for the evening. Together with the Mayahuel team, the menu unfolds as a collaborative expression of seasonality, technique, and cultural perspective—each course thoughtfully composed to reflect a shared dialogue between our kitchens and a balance of globally inspired, ingredient-driven cooking.

The result is playful yet refined, unexpected yet grounded, a true meeting of minds at the table.

Six-Course Tasting Menu
$120 per person* (exclusive of tax and 20% gratuity) | Optional Wine Pairing: $65 per person

View the Menu
*A credit card on file is necessary at time of booking. Cancellations within 48 hours incur a full payment charge via OpenTable.

 Spaces are limited, and reservations are required. Reserve your seat now to experience MESA as Chef Luis welcomes Chef Christian Hernandez and Chef Priscilla Trevino of Barbacana for an unforgettable evening of bold flavors and cultural connection. 

*Price is exclusive of tax and 20% gratuity. Cancellations made within 48 hours incur a full charge via OpenTable. Payment due at the restaurant on the night of the event.

Chef Christian Hernandez
Head Chef & Owner, Barbacana– Houston, Texas 

After working as a catering cook and in restaurants around town, Christian Hernandez went off to college with hopes of becoming a veterinarian. While studying at Texas A&M University, however, Hernandez realized cooking was his true calling and dropped out of school before finishing a degree in biomedical science. He moved back home to Houston, enrolled in the Culinary Institute Lenotre, and started working at Oxheart, where he got a crash course in high-caliber cooking from Chef Justin Yu. After a few more stints in Houston, cooking at restaurants like BCN and Pax Americana, Hernandez moved to New York.

In 2015, Hernandez staged at Eleven Madison Park before joining the team at Contra and Wildair. Working the line under Chef Jeremiah Stone, Hernandez was exposed to an array of innovative techniques and developed an appreciation for the interconnected history of global cuisines along the way. During his two years at the restaurant, he also gained valuable pastry experience from Rising Stars alum Fabián Von Hauske. Hernandez went on to help Chef Diego Garcia open Gloria before later becoming a specialty banquet chef at New York's Google campus, overseeing buffets, tasting menu dinners, and specialty events. After a pit stop back in Houston, Hernandez relocated to Mexico City to cook at Chef Elena Reygadas' Rosetta before becoming the chef de cuisine of Em.

In 2020, Hernandez returned to Texas. After hosting popups in Austin, Dallas, and Houston, he joined the opening team of March and became chef de cuisine soon after. A few years later, Hernandez left to develop a concept of his own. In 2024, he opened Barbacana, a sustainability-driven restaurant that pays tribute to Hernandez's Houston roots. There, he is focused on celebrating his local community—its history and its agriculture—while providing his staff with educational opportunities and room to grow.

 Chef Priscilla Treviño
Pastry Chef, Barbacana– Houston, Texas 

Pastry Chef Priscilla Treviño is a born-and-bred Houstonian with a passion for the sweeter things in life. She attended culinary school straight out of high school and has since been a force in the kitchens of several restaurants across Houston before joining the team at Barbacana. Her inspiration to become a pastry chef began early in childhood, when her mother taught her how to make desserts at a young age. She would go on to make cheesecakes for her family during the holidays and bake delightful treats for her dance team.

Barbacana | Houston, Texas

Situated at the intersection of Travis and Franklin St. in Downtown Houston, Barbacana is a casual fine-dining restaurant helmed by Chef Christian Hernandez. Having spent time in Michelin kitchens from New York City to Mexico City as well having led newly minted Houston Michelin establishments such as BCN and March, Chef Christian now brings his decades of fine-dining experience back home in a refined yet approachable atmosphere.

Offering an A La Carte menu as well as a Chef's Tasting Counter, Barbacana is a diverse and light-hearted homage to the multicultural landscape of Houston. Chef Christian and the Barbacana team take inspiration from the most diverse city in the country, while striving to create a progressive and sustainable modern restaurant through low-waste initiatives.

Barbacana also offers custom crafted cocktails and a wine list boasting 70+ diverse options from classic benchmark producers, as well as new modern winemakers working both naturally and biodynamically.