Estrella del Mar Brings Pan-Latin-Hawaiian Cuisine to Monday Night Foodball

Star Urquidi's pop-up concept Estrella del Mar features coastal flavors from Mexico, Hawaii, and beyond.

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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Star Urquidi, a Chicago native who grew up in Hawaii, is bringing her pan-Latin-Hawaiian coastal cuisine to the next Monday Night Foodball event in Chicago. Urquidi's pop-up concept Estrella del Mar will feature dishes like pineapple-whitefish ceviche, pan-seared red snapper with coconut citrus salsa, and a mussel and shrimp cioppino with Thai red curry paste.

Why it matters

Estrella del Mar represents the blending of Urquidi's diverse culinary influences, drawing from her Bolivian-Mexican heritage, her time living in Hawaii, and her experience working in restaurant kitchens across the Pacific. The pop-up showcases how chefs are creating unique flavor profiles by fusing different regional cuisines.

The details

Urquidi started her culinary journey waiting tables in ramen restaurants in Hawaii, before transitioning to the kitchen and working her way up to lead line cook at chef Masaharu Morimoto's pan-Asian Waikiki restaurant. After moving back to Chicago, she launched Cafe Estrella with her sister Miya Medina, before focusing the concept on coastal Latin-Hawaiian flavors as Estrella del Mar. The menu for the Monday Night Foodball event will feature Urquidi's signature dishes, including a pan-seared red snapper, a crispy Korean-style oyster pancake, and a pineapple-whitefish ceviche.

  • Estrella del Mar will be the featured pop-up at Monday Night Foodball on March 13, 2026.
  • Happy hour runs from 5 PM to 7 PM, with $5 beers and non-alcoholic drinks, and $12 bespoke cocktails.

The players

Star Urquidi

The founder of Estrella del Mar, a pop-up concept that blends Urquidi's Bolivian-Mexican heritage with the coastal cuisines of Hawaii, where she lived for several years.

Miya Medina

Urquidi's younger sister, who handles pastry and front-of-house duties for the Estrella del Mar pop-up.

Masaharu Morimoto

The renowned Japanese chef whose pan-Asian Waikiki restaurant Urquidi worked at as a lead line cook.

Melanie Hernandez

The bar manager who will be creating bespoke $12 cocktails for the Estrella del Mar pop-up.

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What they’re saying

“I'll never forget how good it was. I couldn't believe it was fish.”

— Star Urquidi (Chicago Reader)

“Whenever I look back at old menus [they] were all over the place. I was just so excited to have a blank canvas. There were baos and dumplings, but also tacos. It was a crazy menu. There was so much stuff, but people ordered it. I had to learn to focus on one concept. Essentially, I make food that reflects being a Latino growing up in Chicago.”

— Star Urquidi (Chicago Reader)

What’s next

The next Monday Night Foodball events will feature Won Kim with a preview of a new Kimski Menu on March 16, Tony B. and Late Night Noods with a dumpling-ramen adjacent menu on March 23, and the return of Nick Muniz's modern Mexican Enmolada on March 30.

The takeaway

Estrella del Mar showcases how chefs are blending diverse culinary influences to create unique and flavorful dishes. Urquidi's pop-up concept draws from her Bolivian-Mexican heritage, her time living in Hawaii, and her experience working in restaurant kitchens across the Pacific, resulting in a menu that celebrates the intersection of Latin and Pacific coastal cuisines.