i. Biography
In Vancouver, the plate can carry char, brine, green sauce, fermented vegetables and the quiet weight of a good nage. At Botanist, Hector Laguna uses those contrasts as structure, not ornament. The work leans on restraint: sablefish, octopus, kohlrabi, chorizo, lobster foam and Mole Verde arranged so each ingredient keeps its own line. “Here at Botanist, we cook Pacific Northwest,” he says, and the phrase fits the kitchen’s register.
The Path
Kitchen labor at Three Seasons in San Francisco gave Hector Laguna an early hold on the practical side of service, starting as a kitchen helper and in receiving before moving onto the line. The next step came at Michy's in Miami, where he served as chef from 2007. From there, Vancouver became the place where that accumulation of discipline and pace settled into the role of Executive Chef at Botanist.
The Work Today
At Botanist in Vancouver, Canada, Hector Laguna’s cooking stays close to ingredients that read as immediate and tactile. His charred octopus with asparagus, cauliflower, kohlrabi and chorizo brings smoke, sweetness, earthiness and spice into one plate. His seared sable fish with fermented vegetables, puffed tapioca and onion nage works through contrast. The sear, the lift, the depth and the sharpness all stay legible on the plate, with the fermented vegetables giving the dish its tension. A ricotta gnudi with fennel, bacon, lobster foam and Nova Scotia lobster tail has been highlighted in a profile of his cooking, while Mole Verde with sablefish adds another marker to the kitchen’s range. Across those dishes, Hector Laguna’s approach is measured and assured, with texture carrying as much weight as flavor. “I feel like every dish is special, and I cook with the same integrity no matter what dish it is,” he says. That discipline is visible in the menu’s consistency: the dishes read as part of one standard, built through repetition, care and control rather than flourish.
Signature
Hector's signature dishes include charred octopus with asparagus, cauliflower, and kohlrabi and chorizo and Mole Verde with Sablefish.
In Their Words “Here at Botanist, we cook Pacific Northwest.”
Acclaim
Public attention to Hector Laguna’s work has attached to the named dishes at the Vancouver restaurant: the octopus with asparagus, cauliflower, kohlrabi and chorizo; the sable fish with fermented vegetables, puffed tapioca and onion nage; the gnudi with fennel, bacon, lobster foam and Nova Scotia lobster tail; and Mole Verde with sablefish. Recognition also follows the clarity of the role itself. Executive Chef is the title that ties Hector Laguna to Botanist in Vancouver and to the dishes that define the menu.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Hector
What is Hector Laguna's current role?
As of 2026, Hector Laguna is Executive Chef.
