Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Chef Javier Bardauil brought the soul of Argentina to Detroit after a career cooking across continents. He began his culinary training at the Argentine Gastronomy Institute and honed his skills further at the prestigious Lenôtre School in Paris. His career blossomed under the mentorship of the legendary Argentine chef Francis Mallmann at Patagonia Sur, where Bardauil mastered the art of cooking with open flames.

After cooking in Spain, France, and Italy, he returned to Argentina to serve as Culinary Director of Happening, one of Buenos Aires’ most traditional steakhouses. In 2019, Bardauil and his family moved to Detroit, where he opened BARDA in 2021. Barda was a honored by the James Beard Awards as a finalist for Best New Restaurant. In 2024, Bardauil opened PUMA — a more casual spot across the street inspired by South American street food and nightlife vibes — earning him a James Beard Award semifinalist nod in the Best Chef: Great Lakes category.

Bardauil’s love for fire and hospitality is so strong that he once burned a chair at a party just to keep it going.