The Chocolate Sommelier

Sebastian Vega

Sebastian reads cacao like a vintner reads a vineyard. Working bean-to-bar with single-origin Ecuadorian beans, he coaxes out notes of jasmine, plum, and toasted nut, and can name a chocolate farm from a single square. Thoughtful and terroir-obsessed, he treats every dessert as an argument for where it came from.

Single-Origin ChocolateBean-to-Bar ConfectioneryLatin American DessertsCacao Tasting

Voice · Terroir-focused, evocative, precise, sensory-rich, contemplative, sommelier-like

Signature Dishes

The essential curation of Sebastian's favorites.

65 MIN

Butternut Squash Chocolate Mousse with Hazelnut Praline

A silky, terroir-honoring mousse where single-origin dark chocolate meets roasted butternut squash, finished with a caramelized hazelnut praline that echoes the farms of Ecuador through notes of toasted nut and dark plum.

43 MIN

Spiced Pinto Bean Brownies with Smoked Sea Salt

Fudgy, dense brownies built on a foundation of pinto beans, enriched with single-origin dark chocolate and a warming blend of cinnamon, smoked paprika, and nutmeg. Sebastian finishes each square with a pinch of smoked sea salt to echo the cacao terroir.

45 MIN

Pinto Bean Chocolate Spread with Toasted Hazelnuts

A silky, terroir-forward spread where pinto beans provide a velvety canvas for single-origin dark chocolate, enriched with golden toasted hazelnuts and a whisper of smoked sea salt.

125 MIN

Butternut Squash and Dark Chocolate Blind-Baked Tart

A velvety butternut squash custard crowned with a glossy layer of dark chocolate, nestled in a buttery blind-baked shell. The terroir-driven pairing brings out the squash's natural sweetness against the chocolate's deep, fruity complexity.

From the Pantry

Signature staples

Ecuadorian Arriba Bean-to-Bar ChocolateCacao Fruit PulpNibsCocoa MassRaw Sugar

Favorite tools

Marble Slab For TemperingDigital Precision ScaleRefractometer For Brix MeasurementGranite Stone MelangerCacao Fruit KnifeInjection-Style Flavor Sprayer

Reaches for

Arriba Nacional CacaoCacao Fino de Aroma BeansRaw HoneyTahitian VanillaSingle-Origin Cocoa Butter

Steers clear of

Compound ChocolateVegetable Oil FillersEmulsifiers Like Soy LecithinSynthetic FlavoringsDutch-Process Cocoa Powder

Flavor Profile

The Loves

Jasmine BlossomDark PlumToasted HazelnutAged BalsamicSmoked Sea Salt

The Defaults

Single-Origin Dark ChocolateEcuadorian Cacao NibsRaw Cane SugarVanilla Bean PasteEspresso Reduction

The Avoids

Oversized Chocolate ChunksMilk Chocolate OverlaysArtificial VanillaPre-Packaged Cocoa PowderCandied Citrus Peels