Christian Irabién is a Mexican American chef with a culinary background spanning the U.S., Mexico, Spain, and France. Born in Chihuahua, Mexico, and raised in Mexico and the US, he is the chef-owner of Amparo Fondita restaurant in Washington, DC, where he showcases regional and traditional Mexican flavors with local and seasonal ingredients.

Amparo Fondita has earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand (2024), a place on Washingtonian’s 100 Very Best Restaurants (2024 and 2025), recognition as one of Washington Post’s Best New Restaurants (2024), and a spot on The Eater 38, and earned a rave review from dining critic Tom Sietsema of  The Washington Post soon after it opened in November, 2023. Amparo is a finalist for the RAMMYS award for best “Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year” in 2025. 

In 2020, Irabién launched Muchas Gracias!, a pandemic-era pop-up supporting immigrant workers. The initiative earned him the 2020 "Keepers of the American Dream" award and led to his 2022 RAMMYS "Rising Culinary Star" award. He previously served as sous chef at Oyamel by Chef José Andrés.

Irabién is the founder of Hospitality Humans, an organization supporting immigrant workers in the hospitality industry, and co-founder and vice chair of the Latino Executive Network, connecting Latino professionals and businesses. As a Diplomatic Culinary Ambassador with the U.S. Department of State prior to 2025, and the James Beard Foundation, he has promoted cultural exchange through food. For World Central Kitchen, he served as volunteer chef-coordinator and field chef on the Tijuana border during the migrant crisis in 2018, then again as volunteer-coordinator and chef during the government closure in DC in 2019.

He helped develop a culinary education program for La Cocina VA, and is on the board of and serves as culinary advisor for Oido Culinary Institute, a school in Kantunilkin, Quintana Roo, Mexico, which trains underserved Mayan youth for higher-paying hospitality jobs.