Los Cabos Restaurants
SEARED // EL ESPONTÁNEO // MANTA // ORIGEN // TORO // ACRE
+ CHAMPAGNE TERRACE AT EL FARALLON
By Karin Leperi
The corridor connecting Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo is a culinary minefield exploding with a plethora of fine dining options. Whether you crave seafood, steak, or modern Mexican cuisine, world-class restaurants abound in Baja, bursting with flavors to tantalize and satisfy the most demanding of gourmand palates.
From the benchmark luxury of Seared – an elegant steakhouse headed by celebrated chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten at the One&Only Palmilla, to Manta at The Cape, specializing in seafood-focused Pacific Rim fusion cuisine, BajaTRAVELER® gives you six top choices to stoke your appetite while satiating your culinary prowess. All have been tried and taste-tested for culinary excellence by our Editor-in-Chief, Mayté Rodríguez Cedillo.
ONE: SEARED
by Jean-Georges Vongerichten
From Wagyu A5 and Kobe certified beef to succulent rib eyes and tenderloins, culinary master Jean-Georges Vongerichten brings his latest fine dining concept to Palmilla in a descriptive naming of his latest culinary masterpiece – Seared. The Michelin-starred chef showcases only top chops of custom cut meats, displayed conspicuously in a glass-covered curing room for discriminating diners to inspect.
But it’s not all about steaks at Seared, says executive chef Sebastien Agnes, as the restaurant also offers the freshest Pacific seafood, from local spiny lobsters and whole red snapper grilled to perfection, to a complement of chilled seafood and Hamachi sashimi. Do try the beef Carpaccio with black truffle fritters. An extensive wine list complements the choice selection of meats and seafood.
The new Seared restaurant is designed by Jeffrey Beers International, featuring an endearing elegance complemented by tawny marble, amber chandeliers, and marble floors with Aztec geometric designs.
Km 7.5 Carr.Transpeninsular
San José del Cabo
OneandOnlyResorts.com
TWO: El ESPONTÁNEO
with Executive Celebrity Chef Juan Eumir
Executive celebrity chef Juan Eumir brings his spontaneous cuisine concept to Hotel El Encanto Suites & Spa, in the heart of downtown San José del Cabo.
Chef Juan feels that food is best prepared, cooked, and served based upon availability, seasonality, spontaneous inspiration, and cooking techniques that rely on a blending of the ancient with the modern. He elaborates: “Actually my kitchen is defined as spontaneous, yet it is also based on empirical observation and experimentation in the kitchen. It’s the result of teachers teaching the old school, in my case my mother, and chefs who set the tone for my first steps in the world of gastronomy, spending long hours helping and learning the tricks of the culinary magic that only happens between wizards and witches, among grandmothers, mothers, and sons.”
His “spontaneous concept” relies on insight and experience to bring out the “perfect balance of flavors, contrasts in textures, and balance in all elements,” while perfecting the harmony in food, thereby giving a memorable dining experience. As a result, chef Juan is a slave neither to tradition nor trends, much the same way an artist approaches a blank canvas with his arsenal of colored paints.
El Espontáneo features food that is prepared, cooked, and plated in a spontaneous way, with recipes conceived the same day they are cooked, based on availability of ingredients. His excitement in the kitchen becomes the interpretation of the ingredients, with no two days producing the same results. And according to our Editor-in-Chief, “It is amazingly delicious!”
Calle José Maria Morelos y Pavon
134, Col. Centro
San José del Cabo
lEspontaneo.com
THREE: MANTA
at The Cape with Executive Chef Enrique Olvera
Executive Chef Enrique Olvera brings a “seafood without pretentiousness” culinary approach to the recently opened Manta restaurant at The Cape. He helms the 114-seat signature restaurant, a Thompson Hotel in Los Cabos, commanding an exclusive view of the cape overlooking El Arco and the Bahia San Lucas horizon.
By celebrating Pacific Rim traditions and fresh locally-sourced seafood at Manta, chef Olvera delivers a straight forward approach that also finds inspiration from his native Mexico, as well as Peru and Japan. The result is sophisticated Mexican flavors that are reimagined and combined with styles and techniques to maximize deliciousness. All this happens with minimal dogma so as to keep “ordinary” at bay. But there is still attention to culinary details such as the house-made tortillas.
The genius of chef Olvera culminates in the 15-18 dishes prepared on a nightly basis. Best to try the multi-course tasting menu with paired wines, many from Baja’s wine country, Valle de Guadalupe. Be prepared for a culinary extravaganza.
A curated beverage menu of mezcals, tequilas and sakes complements Manta’s fresh local ingredients.
Carr. Transpeninsular Km.5
Misiones del Cabo
Cabo San Lucas
MantaRestaurant.com
FOUR: ORIGEN
with Executive Chef Raul Ramon Lucido Gutierrez
Recently opened in San José del Cabo, Origen is located within Mar Adentro Cabos – a striking hotel designed and owned by leading Mexican architect Miguel Angel Aragones and a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. The signature restaurant focuses on “vernacular Mexican cuisine.”
“Origen is a Mexican vernacular cuisine, focusing on traditional recipes, using locally grown organic produce and local seafood. I´m influenced by traditional Mexican cuisine, with some middle eastern and Mediterranean ingredients and techniques,” said chef Raul.
Diners attribute some of the best interpretations of real organic Mexican cuisine to chef Raul’s kitchen wizardry. Chef recommendations include the roasted duck enchiladas with guava mole and sweet potato, grilled local octopus, and yellow fin tuna with roasted poblano chili sauce, jicama (Mexican turnip or yam) and bell pepper salad.
Origen at Mar Adentro Cabos
Paseo Malecon San José
San José del Cabo
MarAdentroCabos.com
FIVE: TORO
by Chef and Restaurateur Richard Sandoval
Dine on specialties created by Richard Sandoval for Toro, even as you take in exhilarating views of Punta Ballena while scanning the bay for sightings of a whale or two in the winter. Where else can you dine on world-class cuisine while whale watching at the same time?
The Toro concept comes from acclaimed chef and restaurateur Richard Sandoval, recognized as the “Father of modern Mexican cuisine.” Toro means “bull” in Spanish and “tuna belly” in Japanese – the pillars of his specialties seasoned with Pan Latin flair and Asian influences.
All dishes are specialties created by Richard for Toro, but the most significant and signature dishes are Miso Chipotle Escolar Fish, Achiote BBQ Atlantic Salmon, Shrimp & Crab Enchiladas, Chicken Sarape and Crispy Baja Fish Tacos.
Carr. Transpeninsular, Km 6.5
Fracc. Punta Bellena
Cabo San Lucas
RichardSandoval.com
SIX: ACRE
with Executive Chefs Kevin Luzane & Oscar Torres
Join executive chefs Kevin Luzane and Oscar Torres for a culinary excursion into global cuisine that comes with an authentic and sustainable twist. Their authenticity derives from using only those ingredients that have a small footprint – those closest at hand. They are proud that their ingredients don’t travel very far to your plate or glass. Organic is also heavily integrated into the menu. Their sustainability is evident in their farm-to-table approach, emphasizing quality, freshness, energy efficiency, and avoiding any unnecessary food waste. They actually have a name for their cuisine – modern farm-chic cuisine.
“Cooking at ACRE takes place in a wood-burning oven and over an open-air flamed grill,” said chef Luzane. This allows the kitchen to sear-in all the original flavors. Both chefs have worked in top restaurants in New York, Los Angeles and Europe, bringing their urban sophistication to farm-chic cuisine. Plus, the innovative Cocktail Bar shares the beauty and history of Baja as contained in the glass. Experience the journey.
Rincon de las Animas
Calle Camino Real S/N
La Playa, San José del Cabo
AcreBaja.com
+ CHAMPAGNE TERRACE AT EL FARALLON
@ The Resort at Pedregal
An Elevated Tasting Experience
Carved into the rocks appears The Champagne Terrace with a selection of over 15 different champagnes ranging from Blanc de Blancs to Rose to Vintage Champagnes. All you and your guests need to do is decide how many and what measure of each one you want. The Wine Director and his team will be able to guide you through the process as well as help you learn about the champagne with a selection of imported cheeses and artisan salts. Then step into the Restaurant for a magnificent dinner… TheResortAtPedregal.com