What's Cooking in Riviera Nayarit Villa La Estancia Riviera Nayarit
go to original June 22, 2014

Learning from his grandmother how to transform pure ingredients into dishes that show family how much you care for them through food, Executive Chef Adjid Minaed Velasco Vargas notes how important it is to share that type of knowledge from one generation to the next.

Villa La Estancia Riviera Nayarit’s new executive chef took his love of food to achieve professional status with a Culinary Degree by COSUGA in Mexico, Bois de Serres in France, Certified Executive Chef by ACF in Miami and Sommelier in Ibero, México.

Vargas began his career as a patissier at the Hotel Presidente Intercontinental and Hotel Nikko in Mexico City. In 2002, he became lead cook at Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach Cancun’s Le Basilic restaurant, and worked with acclaimed chef Henry Charvett and Executive chef Marc Dobbels. During that time, he also trained in Restaurant Au Comnte d´ Gascogne, Paris, a Two Michelin Star restaurant. More recently, he has served in chef capacities with Princess Cruises International, Fiesta Americana Hotels and Royal Caribbean Cruises.

“I’d say my specialty is French, Italian and Mediterranean cuisine,” says Vargas. “In my first five years in the galley, I started as a pastry chef, and that helped me to make a certain style.” He notes that his appetizers and main courses are a simple and pure. “I took my pastry experience and added it to my cuisine – never more than five flavors in a dish. When you confuse the guest, you confuse the senses. Put less and it will be more. Try to keep it simple and concentrate in the flavors.”

According to Vargas, he still learns something new every day. “The best path to take in the culinary field is that every day you can change your flavors,” he says. “When you see your old recipes and your old menus, you see how it goes through an evolution in yourself that’s reflected in the way you cook and how your environment affects you.”

In his spare time, Vargas enjoys reading a good book at the beach. “I also like to go to the supermarket to shop for ingredients to prepare my favorite dish of the week and enjoy it with a good bottle of wine while watching a movie.”

Villa La Estancia Riviera Nayarit is located in Nuevo Vallarta at Paseo Cocoteros 750, Sur Condominio Flamingos.