I credit my uncle and cousin for making me want to become a Chef for a living. I started working with my uncle at his catering company in Mexico City when I was 14 years old. Working with them gave me the chance to live the rush, the focus, the creativity, and the constant sense of accomplishment that happens behind the line. That’s what made me fall for this craft.
After working at various restaurants in Mexico City, I moved to work in Tel Aviv, Israel. Then I moved to New York to attend the Culinary Institute of America. After graduating, I worked for a great Chef in New York and his restaurant in Miami. Due to the pandemic, I had to return to Mexico, where I worked in a Miami well-renowned restaurant, which had just opened in Mexico City. I had the chance to come back to Miami, and now I currently work at a great restaurant that has given me the freedom to create some great experiences and dishes. I continue to develop and discover myself while sharing my roots with the people here, which I love to do.
The culinary industry has a unique duality, like two different realities are happening simultaneously in the same space. Just that one is lived by the guests, and one is lived by the people who make it all happen. One can’t exist without the other. During the pandemic, the world was deprived of one essential and simple practice: human interaction while sharing a meal. Restaurants have suffered a lot after the pandemic, but just like in a busy service, the sense of urgency that we have in a kitchen has forced us all to reinvent ourselves to keep giving our guests what they are looking for more than ever. There is still a lot to figure out in this new world after the pandemic, but the first step for us is going back to basics to square one: sharing with people good food and good times. Keeping this in mind through difficult times and choices has given me a lot of peace and direction in what we do daily for our guests.
Attending culinary school allowed me to learn about different cuisines, techniques, and cultures with an educational focus. It made me realize how vast and diverse this craft can be and the endless possibilities.