Mexico knows how to create a wondrous culinary spread. In this country, which has given the world mole, tacos al pastor and guacamole, among a long list of other menu superstars, sitting down for a meal is an experience to be savored, as well as a savory experience. Whether your clients are looking to partake in a cooking workshop where they’ll learn to cook a native dish or want to keep to their healthy eating habits, hotels and tours throughout Mexico have them covered.
Dining in the Dark
At the all-inclusive Grand Oasis Sens in Cancun, sensorial dining is on the menu at the Black Hole restaurant. Here, diners have to figure out what they are eating without the use of their vision, with waiters serving a multi-course meal, dish by dish, in the dark. Black Hole is part of the all-inclusive concept, but tell your clients that reservations must be made in advance. For those into molecular dining, the hotel is home to Restaurant Benazuza, with multiple courses featuring bold culinary inventions and some tasty surprises. Contrary to the Black Hole, at Benazuza it’s all about a feast for the eyes.
Celebrating the Best in Beef
Palace Resorts has pulled out its sharpest knives and are handing them out to their beef-loving guests, and those guests are going to want to take them because they’ll be used to cut into some succulent Certified Angus Beef. Palace has partnered with the world-renowned beef brand and now all restaurants at each of the brand’s oceanfront properties in Mexico feature premium quality Certified Angus Beef brand products. This makes Palace Resorts the first all-inclusive resort chain in Cancun to offer Certified Angus Beef brand product. Palace Resorts chefs traveled to the Certified Angus Beef headquarters to learn first-hand about the Certified Angus Beef brand’s standards, and participated in concentrated trainings in order to bring back their experiences and educate the culinary staff at their respective properties.
Guilt-Free Vacation
It’s easy to navigate off course while vacationing, but tell clients who understand the true meaning of “a moment on the lips is a lifetime on the hips” that the all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotels have debuted Fresh Fix, a new F&B concept that’s packed with nutrition. Created in collaboration with Mexican-born chef Karla Hernandez, a Le Cordon Bleu graduate, Fresh Fix, focusing on fresh, organic and locally sourced ingredients, is a healthy culinary experience that’s available at select restaurants at Hard Rock Hotel Cancun and Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya. Guests will be able to indulge in a not-so-sinful dessert, for example, without derailing healthy eating habits. The thought process here is to diversify dinner menu options, so clients who truly want to stay on top of their healthy eating can do so. Complementing the menu items is the hotel brand’s partnership with LES MILLS, which is offering daily exercise-to-music group fitness classes via a weekly visiting instructor program.
Wine + Cheese = Heaven
Wine might not be the first thing that comes to mind when your clients think of a vacation in Mexico, but the wine produced in the Valley of Guadalupe in Baja California is gaining recognition around the world. Journey Mexico’s 5-day The Valley of Guadalupe Wine & Cheese Tour delves into the valley’s wine culture with visits to wineries and local ranches that produce cheese. There’s also a boat excursion to tour local mussel and tuna farms, and dining at the area’s restaurants. Journey Mexico trips are fully customized, allowing for departures year-round and prices start at $600 per day for two travelers.
Native Cooking
At Rosewood San Miguel de Allende’s Los Pirules, an outdoor cooking venue overlooking the city, is where your clients can learn a bit about native cooking and delve into the country’s history. This immersive cooking station invites guests to prepare traditional dishes—guests travel to a local market and pick out fresh ingredients from local vendors and come back to the property to craft a one-of-a-kind meal (which the chef later writes down so guests can make at home). Although dishes are completely customizable, one of the dishes they can prepare is queso fundido, prepared in a heated stone bowl or molcajete, a technique that can be traced back to the Aztecs, and which adds a rustic flavor to the dish. Participants will use Manchego cheese, fresh salsa and herbs picked from the hotel’s garden to create the dish. It’s an ideal recommendation for clients who want a taste of the local culture.
Around the World
Indian food in Mexico? Why not. Riu Palace Cabo San Lucas, which re-opened late last year, is home to an Indian restaurant: Bombay. The dining venue was added during the renovation, and with this addition your clients booking the newly renovated Riu property, can take their palate on a culinary tour, hopping from Bombay over to San Jose for some Mexican cuisine, and to Misaki, where Japanese food is on the menu. There’s also fusion cuisine at Krystal; El Medano, a poolside restaurant that turns into the Steakhouse at night; and if they just can’t make up their minds, they can swing by Mar de Cortes, the main restaurant serving an international buffet. And they can top off their dinner at Capuchino, the patisserie and ice cream parlor.
Contact Information
Grand Oasis Sens: oasissens.com
Hard Rock Hotels: hrhaic.com
Journey Mexico: journeymexico.com
Palace Resorts: palaceresorts.com
Riu Palace Cabo San Lucas: riu.com
Rosewood San Miguel de Allende: rosewoodhotels.com
