Chef helped reimagine Mexican food in L.A.

Operator of Mirate and Tacos Punta Cabras also mentored young talent

- STEPHANIE BREIJO

JON KOPALOFF Getty Images for Level 8 COOK AND SPIRITUALIST "I love providing for people," Joshua Gil said. "What we do, we do it from our heart and soul. It's just love."

Joshua Gil, the former chef of groundbreaking Alta California restaurants including Mirate and Tacos Punta Cabras, died early Monday morning, according to his longtime partner, Tharini Shanmugarajah.

The chef who helped recontextualize and reimagine Mexican food in L.A. had battled cancer for four years. He was 50.

A spiritualist as well as a chef, Gil spent years of his life using food ‘‘to help bring people back into their bodies and really provide them with the nourishment to be grounded.’’ He cooked for chakra-themed dinners, shamanic journeys and ayurvedic practices. He also co-founded an underground supper club called the Supper Liberation Front in 2009 with a mission to democratize fine dining.

He served vibrant, globally tinged Mexican cuisine such as tacos under crunchy chicharrón furikake; duck carnitas burritos; eggs Benedict with adobo hollandaise; and lamb flautas with feta and saffron-pickled fennel.

‘‘I love providing for people,’’ Gil told The Times in 2025. ‘‘What we do, we do it from our heart and soul. It’s just love, and that’s what I want to share.’’

Gil received a Stage 2 colorectal cancer diagnosis in 2022 and began chemotherapy the week before opening Los Feliz’s Mirate, a follow-up to Beverly Hills’ Mirame, which he also previously operated.