Baja Californian gastronomy is renowned worldwide, but the chefs behind the magic are likewise just as famous, and one of the region’s talents will go to an international culinary competition while still leading the Mexican team during the Bocuse d’Or.

Marcelo Hisaki is a Baja Californian by adoption who, after moving here from Mexico City, decided to open a restaurant in the magical town of Tecate with his wife. Restaurante Amores has been cooking for residents and tourists who love Hisaki’s cooking for over a decade.

The Mexican team going to the finals of this culinary competition occurs after 12 years of not being able to reach this stage. The chefs representing Mexico achieved this by winning Best Theme on a Plate, an award given during the preliminary stages of the Bocuse d’Or Americas 2022 competition that took place on Thursday in Santiago, Chile.

Hisaki stated that all the chefs that participate in this competition also use this opportunity to learn from their peers their vision regarding food, their identity as cooks, and their culture, all of which is an important part of the process when creating dishes. It also demonstrates an opportunity in showing off your talent through each dish in the adrenaline-filled, emotive, and unexpected situations that occur during the contest.

He added that when creating a restaurant in Tecate, he was interested in the multiculturalism of the border region since he had felt out of place due to his Japanese lineage. However, he now mixes that with Mexican gastronomy to create his dishes.

Marcelo along with the Mexican team will travel to Lyon, France in January 2023 to attend the Bocuse d’Or Final, the world’s most prestigious cooking competition, where he will have the opportunity of winning the world’s most important cooking award.

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