What led me to start cooking at my restaurant was the natural course of things and, in a way, a crisis. The chef didn’t turn out to be what he seemed, so I had to step into the kitchen myself. I started learning through books and practice. Later, as part of my training, I went on to work in different kitchens in different parts of the world.
Without a doubt, opening the restaurant in 2003 was one of the biggest challenges. It was initially a success, but as I matured professionally, continued learning, and truly got to know more about gastronomy, techniques, and what it means to be a chef, I began to develop my own identity. People had come to my restaurant for a particular reason, and one of my biggest challenges was figuring out how to keep them coming back.
I solved that by keeping the dishes people initially loved on the menu, while also introducing specials that reflected what I was creating at that time. That was how I gradually introduced people to new flavors, which they slowly began to embrace. Through this approach to cooking, I started gaining national recognition.
As I mentioned initially, the response was very negative. People didn’t want to eat what I was cooking because I had come back from traveling through Europe and the United States, among other places, applying the techniques and knowledge I had gained. People didn’t like it because I was changing the entire menu. I realized I couldn’t introduce so many changes all at once. I had to do it gradually, little by little.
Initially, the response was very negative. I realized I couldn’t introduce so many changes all at once. I had to do it gradually, little by little.
Yes, I have also worked in other restaurants, such as Per Se in New York, where I learned discipline. At The Fat Duck, I learned how to use technology in the kitchen and explore new possibilities. From Narisawa, I learned humility and respect. And in Denmark, at Noma, I learned that I had to be proud of my roots, my ingredients, my surroundings, and the place where I come from.
I realized that what we have at home has just as much value, if not more, than anything you can find anywhere else in the world.
Yucatecan cuisine, really, was something I started thinking about when I returned from Denmark. I realized that there was only traditional Yucatecan cuisine, and I couldn’t understand why there hadn’t been an evolution of that tradition.
That’s when the idea of New Yucatecan Cuisine was born. What I mean by that is: just as you can taste cochinita pibil and immediately feel that you’re in Yucatán, why shouldn’t you also be able to taste a dish made with Yucatecan ingredients, but using modern techniques and a fresher, newer perspective, and still feel that same connection to Yucatán.
I believe Yucatán has two sides: its traditions and everything happening today, the way we experience Yucatán in the present. That’s really what it’s about: an evolution of Yucatecan cuisine, an expression of Yucatán today.
