Alfonso de la Dehesa
Executive Chef of Banyan Tree Mayakoba
Playa del Carmen
Instagram: @chefdeladehesa1
I draw inspiration from my two great mentors Ferran Adrià from El Bulli Restaurant and Juan Mari Arzak from Arzak Restaurant in San Sebastian.
I separate myself and my brand from others in this field by service and passion towards the client and delivering the best product so that the client always leaves happy.
My greatest career achievement thus far is being a chef for more than 25 years! This is in addition to having traveled almost everywhere, working among different cultures, languages and culinary methods and meeting wonderful people.
People would be surprised to know that I love reading everything related to the culinary world. In fact, I have a private collection of more than 1,000 different cookbooks in Spanish, handmade in the 18th century.
My favorite place to enjoy an authentic meal is by going to an authentic restaurant in non-touristy cities where you can feel like a local. In Spain, for example, I love going for pintxos (skewers) or tapas with friends.
Tequila or mezcal? Tequila Reposado
I hope my greatest contribution to Mexico’s culinary scene is my passion for a good quality product. It is super important to give everything to the client, always! If they come back to your restaurant, you know they have appreciated your work and professionalism.
This article originally appeared in the 2019 Fall/Winter issue of InMexico Magazine.