Courtesy of Juan F.
Name: Juan F.
Position: Chef
Hotel: Zadún, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
Dream destination: Amsterdam! I visited a couple years ago and loved it so much.
Drink or treat of choice: Cocoa and Corn in Mexico. Different pre-Hispanic drinks are made with these two ingredients. When combined together it’s called Pozol and it is a unique experience on the palate.
In Mexico, and particularly in San José del Cabo, food means love, tradition, and family. And for Juan, a Chef at Zadún, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve it was precisely his family who taught him a love for cooking and a passion for honoring his ancestors’ ingredients.
“My first steps in my culinary career were in a bakery where my dad taught me the art of making bread,” Juan says. “My grandma taught me the humility in traditional flavors and the love for cooking. [Cooking for them] was almost like a ritual.”
Even though Juan’s original dream was to be a soccer player, his journey led him to take the reins at El Barrio, a Mexican street-food-inspired restaurant by day, and at night turns into a space for a more avant-garde and innovative take on traditional Mexican cuisine — both a dream and a culinary playground for Juan and his lucky guests.
→ Learn More About Marriott’s Food & Beverage Career Opportunities
One of The Ritz-Carlton Reserve’s fortes is to highlight the culture of the region where they are located and that is Juan’s favorite part of his job and what makes him the proudest, getting to share Mexico’s most precious ingredients and traditions with the guests.
Courtesy of Juan F.
“Even our tableware is designed and made exclusively by artisans from the region to showcase that culture,” he shares. “We make the tortillas here. A family sends us endemic corn of Tlaxcala, we nixtamalize it and make the tortilla from scratch and then hand it fresh to the guest. When I do that, I remember the feeling I had when my grandmother handed fresh tortillas to me. It’s something authentic. That is luxury to me.”
Learn more about Juan’s journey from the soccer field to the kitchens of Zadún, and how he makes his platillos (traditional Mexican dishes) “with a sense of purpose.”
Did you always know you wanted to be a chef?
The truth is that my dream was to be a soccer player. I went to the soccer university in Pachuca, Mexico, with a scholarship! However, the fact is that that is a very short profession. Thanks to my family and my brothers I discovered that I liked to cook, and I decided to make a career in the gastronomic business. I ended up with two degrees in gastronomy.
What is your favorite dish to cook?
At home I love to cook traditional Mexican comfort food like moles, pipianes and soups, which remind me of my family.
Courtesy of Juan F.
And how do you feel inspired and supported as an artisan at Marriott?
I find support when I want to create new concepts, when I’m looking for something new. For example, recently I was encouraged to travel to Xochimilco on an inspiration trip. I was looking for something special and traditional to present dessert at our restaurants. In Xochimilco I found this little Trajineras – a little boat, like an Italian gondola- and I thought that was it! It would be like bringing a piece of Xochimilco to our restaurant. We ordered a lot of them from an artisan in the area who made them in beautiful and colorful wood and now that is how we serve desserts at the restaurant. To me, luxury is details like that. My boss loved it! One of the first things he instilled in me was the attention to detail that we must have every day. A detail like that can make a difference.
What do you look forward to the most every morning when you go to work?
The sea. I have worked a lot on islands and in the Caribbean. When I was given the opportunity to work at The Ritz-Carlton in Los Cabos, I was also looking at another opportunity at The Ritz-Carlton, Ciudad de Mexico and being close to the sea was what made me decide.
Courtesy of Juan F.
What makes a good day at work for you?
When I leave at the end of the day, I recap everything I did that day. For example, how many times I approached the guest, how many times I handed them a dish directly into their hands. It’s nice when the guest leaves and you get that joy in knowing they had a good time. Personally, I always think tomorrow I can be better. I compete with myself, and I always think that if I don’t do enough today, tomorrow can be better.
How do you feel supported at work?
My boss and the Human Resources team at Zadún are empathetic people. They are always on the lookout, if anyone needs support we get it. And, as a leader, I make sure to give it to my ladies and gentlemen too.
→ Marriott Is Hiring! Find What You’re Looking For in a Career