Niko Martinez

Born in 1984 and raised in Manila, Philippines, Chef Niko Martinez grew up watching and learning from his parents’ passion for food and cooking. Every weekend, his parents would take him to the local market to buy fresh ingredients that would be cooked immediately once home. Throughout the years Chef Niko’s passion for cooking grew more and more that when the time came to choose his professional path, he had no hesitation in pursuing a career in culinary. Under his parents’ suggestion, Chef Niko firstly completed a Bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant management. After graduating, he had the opportunity to pursue his passion in Culinary Arts by taking a masterclass and working in several prestigious restaurants, resorts and cruise ships in both the Philippines and the U.S. In this time, Chef Niko mastered his skills at prime locations such as Shangri-La in Manila and grill restaurants in San Francisco.
Chef Niko arrived in Japan in 2014 when he made his debut at the restaurant ‘Two Rooms’ where he focused on the intricate art of the grill. Few years later, in 2017, he moved to the Metropolitan Grill (Hilton Shinjuku) where he began as Chef de Partie. After a couple of years, he was firstly promoted to Jr Sous Chef and shortly after as Chef de Cuisine.
In this new challenge in re-opening BeBu at Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills from November 2022, Chef Niko is excited to share his background and culinary journey through a menu inspired by classic American grilled and comfort foods.