City Officially Announces Its Three Fishers Test Kitchen Chefs

Photography Provided by the City of Fishers

After much anticipation, the Fishers Test Kitchen is slated to open later this fall at The Yard. When it opens its door to the public, it will also welcome four fresh faces to the Fishers culinary community — Chef Salazar, Chef Berg, Chef John and Chef Kim.

The Test Kitchen is unlike any other restaurant concept in town. Each chef will bring their own restaurant concept to the kitchen hall for a year or two. In that time, they’ll have the opportunity to test and refine their restaurant concept and build a following. At the end of their stay at the Test Kitchen, each chef will hopefully launch their own restaurant or food endeavor. Once a chef leaves, a new chef will take their spot and bring their new and exciting tastes to the Fishers food scene. 

Here are the inaugural chefs of the Fishers Test Kitchen.

Chef Carlos Salazar

This fall, Salazar will debut his concept at the Test Kitchen — Lil Dumplings. Regarded as one of Central Indiana’s top young chefs, Salazar’s restaurant will be his take on global street food while tapping into his Filipino heritage. He 

first started serving up Asian cuisine because he wanted to challenge himself with something he wasn’t familiar with. Even though he’s always had a knack for cooking, Salazar graduated from The Chefs Academy in 2008, an Indianapolis-based culinary school. His most recent endeavor has been at the Rook in Fountain Square, where he serves as a chef and co-owner. He’s most excited about the Test Kitchen because it’s bringing him back to his roots. Salazar grew up in Carmel and Westfield and now lives in Fishers with his wife and kids. After the Test Kitchen, he hopes to open up a restaurant in Fishers – the restaurant he’s always wanted.

Chef Leisha Berg

When Chef Berg brings her concept to the Fishers Test Kitchen, West Coast Nook, guests can expect to taste a combination of flavors from her past experiences. The Miami-native most recently relocated to Fishers after working in the music industry in Los Angeles, which is where she draws inspiration for her Latin foods and flavors. After switching careers, she enrolled in Ivy Tech’s culinary program to begin her new journey. Restaurant patrons can expect her dishes to be simple foods with few and interesting ingredients. Berg describes her restaurant as “bringing California comfort food to the Midwest.”

Growing up, the kitchen was always the beating heart of Berg’s house and served as a place of helping her mother out and making memories. Through the Test Kitchen, she hopes to expose the community to new things, and that they’ll form their own experiences and memories through her food. After her time at the Test Kitchen, Berg hopes to have her own catering and private chef business with her partner and fellow chef, Ryan Moore.

Chef John and Chef Kim

When chefs Jung Gyu Kim, “Chef John” and his brother Jung Min Kim, “Chef Kim,” launch their Test Kitchen concept, Korave, they’ll also give the community a taste of their Korean heritage. John and Kim moved to the U.S. from South Korea in 2012 and 2009, respectively. Kim was inspired to pursue cooking full-time after John pointed out how impressive his knife skills were in the kitchen. After attending culinary school at Salt Lake Community College in Utah, the brother-duo operated a food truck there in 2017, and again in Fishers when they moved to the Midwest last year. When they launch Korave, guests can expect fast and fresh Korean inspired dishes, such as barbecue beef poutine and barbecue chicken rice bowls. The duo’s unique concept also includes fermentation — specifically vegetables and vegetable juices. With few Korean cuisine options in Fishers, the brothers are excited to introduce their restaurant concept to the people of Fishers — fast, fresh and delicious. After their time at the Test Kitchen, they hope to open a few locations across Fishers and hopefully a franchise over the state of Indiana. 

For more information on the Fishers Test Kitchen, visit fisherstestkitchen.com.