Blending Nuevo Basque Style with Mexican Revival Cuisine by Spanish Chef Duo

Published: February 18, 2009 / LuxuryTravelMagazine.com

Enthusiasts of "Nuevo Basque" cuisine have a new reason to visit Mexico as Executive Chef duo Mikel Alonso and Bruno Oteiza open their second Mexico venture at the Riviera Maya’s hottest new resort -- Grand Velas All Suite & Spa Resort.

Called Signature, or Cocina de Autor in Spanish, the new restaurant is the follow-up to the highly-acclaimed and widely written-about Biko restaurant that Alonso and Oteiza opened in 2007 and quickly turned into a bastion of chic dining in Mexico City for the kitchen’s innovative techniques and stunning presentations, gleaned from the years they spent as sous chefs and disciples to Juan Mari Arzak at the world-famous and three-Michelin-star Arzak in San Sebastian, Spain.

Building on the success of its Mexico City predecessor, Signature embraces the abundance of seafood available due to its Riviera Maya location and presents a menu of delicacies such as Scallops with Recaudo and Romeritos which consists of scallops served over patties of dried shrimp, sprigs of the wild romerito herb, and potatoes served in a mole sauce. The straight forward dish is given a textural twist by combining the recaudo with an Agar Agar algae extract, thus creating a hot gelatin that envelops each scallop. The result is a dish with distinctly Mexican flavors but a showmanship that could only come from the kitchen of a Basque chef!

Taking reservations now at Grand Velas Riviera Maya, Signature restaurant is an instant classic not to be missed for foodies traveling Mexico's coast.

Grand Velas All Suites & Spa Resort Riviera Maya represents the latest and most sophisticated iteration of the ultra-luxury, all-inclusive resort experience. Building on the success of its AAA 5-Diamond-ranked sister property in Nuevo Vallarta, this Leading Hotels of the World designated resort is the preeminent one of its class boasting 493 suites, each more than 1,000 square-feet, in three separate ambiances-- adult-only Oceanfront Ambassador Grand Class Suites, family-friendly Ambassador Suites and Master Suites embraced by the flora and fauna of the Yucatan Peninsula's jungle. The resort presents a gastronomic tour of the Yucatan, Europe and Asia offering seven restaurants with world-class chefs from France, Spain and Mexico; the region’s largest spa sanctuary at more-than 76,000 square-feet specializing in signature treatments inspired by ancient cultures from around the world; dedicated butler service for each guest and a 91,457 square-foot convention center ideal for business and social gatherings of all sizes, including weddings. The resort was designed by lauded Mexican architecture firm Elias and Elias and features the sleek and modish interiors that fuse the serenity of the Caribbean with the vibrancy of Yucatan cultures. 40 miles from Cancun International Airport, Grand Velas Riviera Maya has 1,500 employees delivering a three to one employee to guest ratio and was developed by Jalisco, Mexico-based Grupo Velas. For more information on Mexico's most refined Caribbean sojourn, visit www.grandvelas.com.

More information: Grand Velas Riviera Maya