Get to know the career of chef Roberto Alcocer, a Mexican who was awarded a Michelin star in the United States.
Michelin stars are one of the most important recognitions in the life of a chef. Those who dedicate their lives to gastronomy know the weight that the famous guide has on professionals in this field.
This 2024, the Michelin Guide awarded the first stars in our country, putting Mexico in the spotlight once again, and making its gastronomy stand out. Many of the chefs who pursue the dream of obtaining their star had to leave the country a long time ago to find their own.
That is the case of Chef Roberto Alcocer, who told us a little more about the dream he had as a chef.
Chef Roberto Alcocer
He is a Mexican chef born in Mexico City. He tells us that he started cooking at the age of 17, inspired by the recipes that his mother taught him and that were an inheritance from his nanny.
With more than 23 years of experience in the kitchen, the chef tells us about the path he had to follow to achieve his dreams. Since he was the last Mexican to receive a Michelin Star before the guide arrived in Mexico.
Within his dreams and goals, the chef always had in mind receiving a Michelin star. Since the world of cooking was his passion, combined with the restaurant environment and the way of transmitting his knowledge, it was a different way of seeing food.
The Michelin guide was not present in Mexico, and this was what prompted him to leave the country and look for his star in other destinations. Making a career, working in various kitchens, and striving day by day, is how he arrived in California.
In 2021, Chef Roberto begins work at “VALLE”, a contemporary Mexican cuisine restaurant, located on the coast of Oceanside, California. Where they began operations in October 2021.
Through a lot of effort in 2023, “Valle” obtained 1 Michelin star. Managing to exalt the pride of Mexicans, and giving chef Roberto Alcocer one of the dreams he most longed for, all thanks to his contemporary Mexican cuisine.
In 2024, his restaurant “Malva”, located in Baja California, was included as a recommendation in this year’s Michelin guide. With this recognition, he confirms that Mexican cuisine is a great gastronomy for the rest of the world, being envied for its diversity of flavors, techniques, and ingredients.
Finally, a piece of advice that the chef gives to all those who seek and aspire to be in the great kitchens, is to study and make a career. Nothing will open the doors to a chef more than having started working from the beginning of his career, since successes like his were not born overnight, but took 20 years of journey.
San Miguel Times
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