WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Cooking has always been a passion for Nicholas Medina, an immigrant from Guanajuato, Mexico, who, like many, left his country in pursuit of his dreams and a better life at the age of 16.

Medina is now living out his dream as an executive chef at Sur and Lounge, a high-end restaurant in West Hollywood. But getting to this point took 30 years of hard work, beginning his career as a dishwasher.

For Medina, working at the restaurant is the fulfillment of the American dream, a promise he made to himself before he emigrated to the U.S. He hopes to inspire every customer at the restaurant through his cooking, one plate at a time.