Harrimans

Lu joins Harrimans from The Restaurant at Blue Rock in Washington, Virginia, where he served as Executive Chef and General Manager and spearheaded the reopening of the historic property. Previously, Lu led the kitchen at Pineapple and Pearls, the celebrated two-Michelin-star restaurant in Washington, D.C., where he served as Head Chef. He also worked under Eric Ziebold at Cityzen in D.C., and earlier in his career sharpened his skills at top culinary institutions including Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina in D.C., Manresa in California under David Kinch, and Attica in Melbourne, Australia with Ben Shewry.

Born in Shanghai and raised in the U.S., Lu took an unconventional path into the culinary world. It wasn’t until his college years at the University of Virginia that he discovered his passion for cooking – trading textbooks for tasting menus and ultimately choosing the kitchen over a more traditional career track. That late-blooming passion has since propelled him to the forefront of America’s fine dining scene.

A native of Washington state, Mollie Turner began her culinary journey at Washington State University, where she graduated from the School of Hospitality Business Management. She later earned a certificate in Baking and Pastry from The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, which launched her into the vibrant culinary scene of Las Vegas. There, she refined her skills at acclaimed properties including Michael Mina Bellagio and The Cosmopolitan, spending most of her time at the Forbes Five-Star Mandarin Oriental.

Mollie went on to serve as Assistant Pastry Chef at the iconic Houstonian Hotel, Club and Spa in Texas before returning to the Pacific Northwest to lead the pastry kitchen at Salish Lodge and Spa. During the pandemic, she joined Carnation Farms, a nonprofit organic farm and event venue committed to sustainable practices. In 2022, she relocated to Virginia to work under Patrick O’Connell as Pastry Sous Chef at the renowned Inn at Little Washington. She joined Salamander Middleburg in 2023, and became the Executive Pastry Chef in the spring of 2024.

Known for her refined technique and heartfelt approach, Mollie blends classical pastry traditions with thoughtful seasonality. Her desserts are designed to comfort and surprise, balancing elegance with warmth, and always crafted with care.

Garcia brings more than a decade of leadership to Gold Cup, including key culinary posts at Martha’s Vineyard’s Harbor View Hotel, Rappahannock Pizza Kitchen, and Thornton River Grille. Known for meticulous execution and team mentorship, he now oversees Gold Cup's savory brigade, emphasizing ingredient integrity and clean, confident flavors that let Virginia’s seasons speak.

The son of professional-chef parents, Garcia grew up in Mexico absorbing regional techniques and a reverence for food as culture. That foundation, blended with years in high-performance resort kitchens, fuels a disciplined, collaborative approach. Guests experience dishes that feel at once grounded and elevated, each bite a tribute to heritage and place.

Alvarado Rivas came to Salamander after rising through the ranks of notable Mid-Atlantic kitchens, where his talent for coaxing depth from humble ingredients earned him leadership roles on both the hot line and the garde-manger. Today he helps steer the restaurant’s day-to-day execution, championing precise technique and a “no-waste, full-flavor” ethos that honors the bounty of Virginia farms.

Born in San Vicente, El Salvador, and immigrating to the United States at sixteen, Alvarado Rivas discovered his calling while working as a dishwasher. The moment a prep station opened, he jumped at it - and never looked back. Years of steady, hands-on learning now inform a style that is equal parts disciplined and soulful, rooted in the flavors that first sparked his imagination.

Born in Seoul and schooled in Washington, D.C.’s most respected sushi counters, Chef Seoung discovered his calling not in a classroom but at a cutting board, where the quiet discipline of Japanese technique met his own drive for precision. Guided by master itamae throughout a career spanning more than two decades, he has led lauded sushi programs across the capital, earning a reputation for thoughtful seasoning, exacting knife work, and an instinct for letting pristine fish speak for itself.

Since 2017, Chef Seoung has shared his artistry with Salamander Middleburg, crafting an intimate omakase experience inside Gold Cup. Each evening he pairs time-honored methods with subtle innovation - coconut-yuzu ponzu, charcoal-kissed toro - to create moments of discovery that feel both comforting and extraordinary. His menus change with the tides, yet his purpose remains constant: to welcome every guest with warmth, invite them to linger, and send them home with an indelible taste of belonging.

With more than 10 years of experience in wine and fine dining, John Leight brings a thoughtful, regionally rooted perspective to Harrimans. Born and raised in Winchester, Virginia, John holds a BA in History from Shepherd University and has earned both his WSET Level 2 and CMS Level 1 certifications.

He refined his hospitality knowledge at The Inn at Little Washington before serving as Wine Director at The Ashby Inn in Paris, Virginia. Most recently, he was part of the team at The Restaurant at Blue Rock in Washington, Virginia, where he worked alongside Chef Bin Lu before joining the Salamander Middleburg team.

Soriano has spent nearly 12 years honing her craft at Salamander, journeying from steward to Sous Chef through sheer passion and a relentless drive for excellence. At Harrimans she curates the luxury-breakfast experience, transforming farmers-market eggs, house-milled grains, and garden herbs into plates that turn a morning meal into a memory.

Originally joining the resort team for an entry-level role, Soriano seized every learning opportunity, embracing Salamander’s culture of care and growth. Her cooking philosophy is simple: seasonality first, technique as its partner, and hospitality at the heart of every plate. The result is breakfast that feels both comforting and quietly refined.