Interview Series Chef Extraordinaire - Volker Romeike
Chef Volker Romeike has established a longstanding career defined by excellence, leadership, and International expertise. Born in Germany and a resident of México, Chef Volker is an award-winning chef and restauranteur. He began his culinary training in Germany back in 1979. After completing his education and military service, he began working Internationally serving as Sous Chef in several hotels in México before joining Hyatt Hotels Corporation in 1985. Over the next decade, Romeike advanced through multiple Hyatt Properties and in 1995, he transferred to Grand Hyatt Los Cabos as Executive Chef, where he oversaw the pre-opening and led the creation of the flagship restaurant Pitahayas. In 1997, he joined Hacienda Del Mar Resort & Spa as Executive Chef, a position he held for twenty years. In 2017, Romeike served as corporate Chef for Olaren in Cabo San Lucas. Three years later, he opened Mirai Restaurant Los Cabos. He currently works as a private chef.
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 Asian -Fusion, evolved by research, traveling and cooking without fear.
Baja California offers a striking sense of place. How do you translate the landscape—sea, desert, and vineyard—into a coherent culinary language?
By offering a unique cuisine using mostly local products – mixing them with asian spices, herbs and liquids. Transforming local ingridients into something exotic. Being aware that most vines from the region like spicy and expressive foods.
Every great chef develops an almost obsessive relationship with certain ingredients. Which ones define your kitchen, and why are they indispensable?
Soy, yuzu, ginger and lemongras are my obsessions. They are unique and very expressive when using them in my dishes.
I find the balance by being fearless when using and mixing unknown products to me. I find a way to create dishes which make an unforgettable impact.
By composing dishes with the sommelier at hand, trying and comparing before offering.
From your perspective, how is Valle de Guadalupe positioned today within the international food and wine landscape?
Valle de Guadalupe has become a great player in the National and International aspect. The vines from Valle Guadalupe have evolved and they are structured differently than 10 years ago which makes them better for the palate. Also most of the Restaurants in Baja California have a great selection of wines from this region and the customer gets to try it firsthand at a reasonable price.
In my opinion, what defines a truly exceptional gastronomic experince is by using the freshest ingredients pairing them with some luxury items and creating dishes with an unforgettable taste.
Sustainability is often discussed, but rarely understood in depth. What meaningful practices—often unseen by the guest—truly shape your approach?
By using mostly local producers, fishermen and farmers. And by helping the local community to understand and build for the future. Investing in new technologies is very important.
Which global influences have shaped your vision, and how do you reinterpret them while preserving a strong sense of place?
Asian foods have a great influence in me and are my favorite to eat and cook. Being in such a rich place with a lot of local products, I developed the idea to create a menu based on Asian and Mexican flavors combined.
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 remembered as one of the first chefs in Cabo who introduced a new cooking trend to the area and who had the privilege to run the most popular Restaurant in the mid 90s in Cabo.
Baja cuisine is on the rise, as many farm to table Restaurants are becoming more and more popular and I think it has a global aspect on how we cook in Baja.
BajaTraveler® Signature Closing
1. A wine that never fails to move you (red, white, or sparkling)
White – Riesling
2. One Baja ingredient you can’t live without
Bluefin or Yellowfin tuna
3. A restaurant anywhere in the world that recently inspired you
Plachutter
4. Sea or land—where do you find more inspiration?
Sea
5. A perfect pairing—simple, yet unforgettable
Oysters & Chardonnay
6. A guilty pleasure
Chocolate
7. The first dish or memory that defined your palate
German potato salad made by Mom with Frikadellen
(German meat patties)
8. If you weren’t a chef, what would you be…
Sommelier
9. A culinary destination you consider essential today
Southeast Asia
10. In one word: what is Baja to you?
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