Iulian Fortu is the Executive Chef at Poplar restaurant in Washington, DC. Iulian has a lifelong passion for food, which he loves to share with others through workshops, foraging walks, cooking classes, and private dinners. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, he spent a summer working at the acclaimed Noma restaurant in Copenhagen, where he acquired an in-depth knowledge of local ingredients and unique methods of food preparation. Iulian also trained at the Puglia Culinary Centre in southern Italy learning about and preparing foods from every Italian region. He has been a speaker and instructor for such organizations as the Willowsford Conservancy, the Mycological Association of Washington and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. A professional forager, Iulian is purveyor to many notable fine restaurants in DC, including Reverie, Oyster Oyster, Bresca, and The Dabney.