Interview Series Chef Extraordinaire - Mariano Takinami
Chef Mariano Takinami is an esteemed culinary professional with over 20 years of experience across five countries, having worked in some of the world's best kitchens. His career includes notable roles as Corporate Executive Chef at Belmond Hotels in both Peru and Thailand, General Director at Sabor a Madera Restaurant Group, and General Manager of Napasai in Koh Samui, Thailand. He has also made his mark in Cabo, leading the kitchens at Toro Latin Kitchen by Richard Sandoval and Templo Grill Wok Bar. Marian currently leads the culinary team at Hotel Bahia's renowned restaurants - Bar Esquina and SUR Beach House. He loves México and calls Cabo his home, "I finally found home."
by Mayté Rodríguez Cedillo and Fernando Favela · Chef Extraordinaire · BajaTraveler.com
Your cuisine feels deeply personal. If you had to distill your culinary identity into one essential idea, what would it be—and how has it evolved over time?
My cuisine is my way of honoring all the countries where I’ve lived, most of them alongside my wife and sons: Japan, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Thailand, Mexico, Switzerland, and Cuba. I truly believe you need to live a country’s traditions and culture to understand its culinary soul. Only then can you naturally blend flavors, techniques, aromas, and emotions. But it always starts with respecting the origin.
Baja California offers a striking sense of place. How do you translate the landscape—sea, desert, and vineyard—into a coherent culinary language?
By consciously working with sustainable Baja ingredients and respecting everyone behind them, farmers, fishermen, producers, and local communities. For me, everything comes back to honoring the source.
Every great chef develops an almost obsessive relationship with certain ingredients. Which ones define your kitchen, and why are they indispensable?
Because of my background, I’m naturally drawn to fish, seafood, seaweed, and local vegetables, always chasing that perfect umami balance.
The intuitive side happens during the creative stage of a recipe or menu. But once the dish is on the menu, execution has to become pure precision and consistency.
It starts with exceptional ingredients and strong teamwork. I work very closely with our wine and beverage director to create pairings that feel balanced, exciting and natural.
From your perspective, how is Valle de Guadalupe positioned today within the international food and wine landscape?
Valle de Guadalupe has an incredible and unique terroir. Every year, it continues to grow its reputation internationally, especially among both Mexican and American audiences.
Great food, drinks, and service should already be expected. What really makes a restaurant special is everything surrounding that experience: a strong concept, balanced ambiance, music that creates both intimacy and joy, and meaningful stories behind every dish, wine, cocktail and team member.
Sustainability is often discussed, but rarely understood in depth. What meaningful practices—often unseen by the guest—truly shape your approach?
At SUR Beach House and Bar Esquina, sustainability is part of our daily operations, from the seafood and vegetables we source to the takeout containers we use.
We also focus heavily on building awareness within our team and being mindful about how we use energy and resources every day.
Which global influences have shaped your vision, and how do you reinterpret them while preserving a strong sense of place?
I’ve worked across three continents and several countries, but I’ve lived in México － mainly Baja, for the past 14 years. During that time, I came to Cabo twice for work, and the second time my family and I decided this would be home. México has such an extraordinary culinary identity, and Baja in particular feels incredibly special to me.
Beyond trends, what kind of legacy do you hope to build—and how do you envision the future of Baja’s cuisine on the global stage?
I hope to be part of a generation of professionals who continue promoting respect, respect for tradition, for ingredients, for the people who make our work possible, and for Baja’s land and sea. I believe the future of Baja’s cuisine lies in continuing to create while staying deeply connected to the origin.
b
BajaTraveler® Signature Closing
1. A wine that never fails to move you (red, white, or sparkling)
Red
2. One Baja ingredient you can’t live without
Totoaba
3. A restaurant anywhere in the world that recently inspired you
Callie
4. Sea or land—where do you find more inspiration?
Sea
5. A perfect pairing—simple, yet unforgettable
Bluefin tuna tiradito with ginger-infused miso honey over
shrimp, green apple, cucumber, and lion’s milk
(a sea urchin twist on tiger’s milk), paired with Bertani Rosé. – Champagne
6. A guilty pleasure
Cigars
7. The first dish or memory that defined your palate
My obachan’s (grandmother’s) puchero, Japanese curry rice,
and nattazuke pickled cucumbers. And my mother’s chimichurri
with saffron rice and meatball ragù.
8. If you weren’t a chef, what would you be…
A Fishing guide or a Lawyer
9. A culinary destination you consider essential today
Japan, the Mediterranean and México
10. In one word: what is Baja to you?
H O M E
All of these interviews are truly wonderful. It’s great to read about the chefs before we visit their restaurants. Thank you!