Chef Hugues Mbenda is originally from Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he discovered cooking through his mother. After earning a vocational baccalaureate at Lycée Escoffier in 2009, he worked in renowned establishments in Paris, Bordeaux, and London. In 2015, he became Sous-Chef at Le Violon d’Ingres and later at Le Céladon at the Hôtel Westminster, before taking over as Head Chef in 2018.
In 2019, he opened his first restaurant, Orphéon, in Marseille with his brother Eric. In 2021, he co-founded Libala with Mathilde Godart, a street food concept blending African and local products. In 2023, they opened Kin, a gastronomic restaurant in Marseille, where he offers a creative cuisine based on local and African ingredients. Hugues Mbenda stands out for his fusion of African traditions and French techniques.
