From Kitchens to Creative Support, Stories that Connect Culture, Craft, and Care.
What Built Me.
I’m Edsel Kevin “Vin” Suarez, a chef turned creative.
My work explores the intersections of food culture, identity, and connection, told through film, design, and storytelling.
In short, I’m a Third Culture Kid doing my best to share the stories and experiences that shaped me.
Third Culture Kid (noun)
/ˌthɜːrd ˈkʌltʃər kɪd/A person who was raised in a culture (SAUDI ARABIA) different from that of their parents (FILIPINO) or the culture of their country of nationality, and who develops a sense of identity influenced by multiple cultural environments.
What began in kitchens across the world became a lifelong study of how people express emotion and belonging through craft.
Today, I bring that same discipline, empathy, and curiosity into my creative work — building projects that feel grounded, human, and emotionally honest.
Co-Founder — Zone Check One (2023 – Present)
Social Media Manager — The Dental Aesthetic Clinic (2019 – 2025)
Freelance Creative — ItsVin (2019 – 2023)
Line Cook — Mecha-Uma (2019)
Crew Cook / Assistant Cook — Elegant 007 (2017)
Management Intern — Santa Catalina Island Company (2015 – 2016)
Culinary Trainee — JW Marriott Marquis Dubai (2014 – 2015)
Trainee Cook — César Ritz Culinary Institute Switzerland (2013)
Professional History
Traveling for Work
My career has taken me around the world. Working and living across cultures that helped shape how I see connection, creativity, and hospitality.Studying in Switzerland
My time in Switzerland exposed me to a diversity of perspectives and approaches to service and design, the sugar on top of my international upbringing.Working with High-Profile Clients
From royalty to world-renowned athletes, I’ve learned how care, precision, and genuine hospitality can elevate service beyond expectation.Running Zone Check One
Co-founding Zone Check One reconnected me with what I value most: helping creators and brands grow with the same care and attention I once gave to the craft of food. It’s where my love for identity, connection, and creativity found a new home.
Highlights
FAQs
Do you still cook professionally?
I have dabbled in being a private chef as well as working on FnB concepts. One of my current interests would be to try creating a supper club in my free time. However currently, not in restaurants, but food remains central to how I create and connect. It’s still the language that grounds much of my storytelling. Especially if you go beyond what the kitchen offers.
How did you go from being a chef to a creative?
I have always been a creative since I was young. I have been making videos on youtube, to even assisting photography shoots here and there. Even when I was working in kitchens, I would often take photos and dream of unique dishes or concepts. So when the Pandemic hit and I left the kitchen life behind, it was even harder to run away from working in the creative field.
What does “Third Culture Kid” mean?
A person raised between cultures who builds their identity from multiple cultural influences. It’s a big part of how I see and tell stories, always in translation, always in connection.
What inspires your work?
People and the small rituals that connect them, meals shared, stories told, emotions expressed quietly. My work aims to capture that kind of human texture. Something about finding common ground through it all is something that I’ve always carried.
Contact
CV? Testimonials? Collaboration? I’m one message away —>