Chef/restaurateur Cesar Zapata stands apart as one of Miami’s most singular culinary talents. At Phuc Yea, which he owns and operates with his business partner Aneice Meinhold, he dishes up an inspired menu deeply rooted in his Colombian heritage but influenced from his genuine love and appreciation of Vietnamese cuisine. Born in Medellin, Colombia and having migrated to Paterson, New Jersey at age nine, Cesar Zapata was dubbed the “family cook” while his parents worked. Over the years, he perfected his family’s recipes and challenged himself to create his own interpretations of the cultural classics he grew up with. But it was his move to Texas that opened him up creatively, broadened his palette and deepened his passion for the culinary arts.
Intrigued by Texas-style barbeque, Mexican cuisine, and the seafood bounty of the Gulf, Zapata enrolled in culinary school at the Art Institute of Houston. In addition to the flavors of the south, the city exposed Zapata to a multitude of Asian cuisines and cultures, especially Vietnamese flavors. Following his graduation, he gained hands-on experience at numerous prestigious establishments such as Four Seasons Hotel Miami and Setai Hotels, and under the tutelage of culinary greats including James Beard-nominated chef, Timothy Keating and 2-Michelin starred chef, Shawn Hergatt.
In 2011, the Phuc Yea concept first made it appearance; this time as Miami’s first ever pop-up concept, which Zapata launched with Meinhold. Its overwhelming success served as a launch pad for Zapata’s first foray into restaurant ownership with The Federal, a Miami go-to for chef-driven, soulful American comfort cuisine. During its time in operation, The Federal received numerous national accolades, including “Best Biscuits in the US” from Food & Wine; “Best Local Eats” by USA Today Travel; “Best Gastropub 2011 Finalist” by Village Voice; and the TripAdvisor’s “2013 Certificate of Excellence.” Under Zapata’s helm, the restaurant was lauded as one of five of “Miami’s New Culinary Guard” in Indulge Magazine; winner of the “Golden Spoon Award” from Florida Trend; and “Top Five Gastropubs,” “Best Neighborhood Restaurant” and a beyond-stellar review in the Miami New Times.
In 2016, as the duo bid farewell to The Federal, Zapata and Meinhold established a more refined, permanent incarnation of Phuc Yea in the heart of the Miami Modern “MiMo” (Upper East Side) District. The rapidly growing neighborhood is among Miami’s hottest, chock full of chef-driven gems, quaint retail spaces and unique retailers all owned or operated by community-minded thought-leaders such as Zapata.
Since opening its doors, Phuc Yea’s permanent location has made a lasting imprint on Miami’s culinary landscape. MIAMI Magazine ranked Phuc Yea in their “10 Most Exciting New Restaurants in Miami.” Eater has praised it numerous listicles such as “Buzziest Brunches”. The Miami New Times awarded Phuc Yea with “Best Restaurant in the Upper East Side”; and named it among the “Top Restaurants of Miami-Dade County,” and earned itself a gleaming dining review by Zach Fagenson, “Vietnamese Restaurant Phuc Yea Returns with More than just Fish Sauce.”
Zapata has received a number of national accolades. He’s been featured on The Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” (hosted by Guy Fieri) and was a semifinalist on BRAVO’s reality cooking competition show “Best New Restaurant”. A Star Chefs Rising Star award recipient, Zapata has also served as partner and ambassador to brands such as Tabasco, Cadillac, Toyota, Barilla, Vice Media, Hey Shugah!, Smithfield, Zacapa Rum and La Victoria Cast Iron Cookware. He also stands out as one of Miami’s most community and philanthropically minded toques. A vocal supporter of the James Beard Foundation, he is currently attending the Foundation’s Chefs Boot Camp for Policy and Change and serves as a member of the Advisory Council for No Kid Hungry Miami. He is also deeply involved with The Humans Who Feed Us, an Ohio-based non-profit dedicated to “seeing a new, bolder vision for addressing migrant women’s rights across borders, industries and issues.”
Most recently, Phuc Yea received a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand in June 2022.
