How I Carry On: Insights From an Executive Chef

Tropical ocean views, spacious accommodations and a laidback atmosphere are staples of any relaxing, all-inclusive vacation experience in Mexico’s Riviera Maya. Topping all this off with mouthwatering culinary delights is oftentimes the reason a vacation goes from good to great. Menu items rich in flavor and design are not soon forgotten by travelers and are usually the driving force behind why they return to a destination time and time again.

Guests staying at the brand-new Secrets® Impression Moxché have access to this type of delectable gastronomy. In addition to restaurants serving crowd favorites like Italian, Asian and Mexican cuisine, this resort also offers unique culinary experiences such as Ember, an open fire grill and smoke house, and Cielo Impression Rooftop, which offers up a variety of special menu items in a casual rooftop setting.

Vacationers’ tastebuds are in the good hands of Executive Chef Mario Blanco when visiting this property, a chef who has been on a journey with Inclusive Collection, part of World of Hyatt for 14 years. After finishing school in Mexico City, Blanco completed his training in Italy before returning to Mexico to begin his career in Cancun. He worked at Secrets Silversands, Zoëtry Paraiso De La Bonita Riviera Maya, Secrets The Vine Cancun and Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun prior to joining Secrets® Impression Moxché.

Executive Chef Mario Blanco photo via Inclusive Collection, part of World of Hyatt

How It Started

Coming from a family of farmers who prioritized good quality ingredients, Blanco’s inspiration to be a chef started at a young age. “I come from a family of farmers in which respect for the product is very important,” he said. “We produce vegetables and fruits such as corn, mushrooms, potatoes, etc., and seeing how a very good quality ingredient is transformed just by putting it on the fire and accompanying it with small ingredients, it’s like magic to me and is really inspiring.”

This motivation only continued throughout Blanco’s time spent in Italy: “My experience in Italy was unique, because I worked in the most important gastronomic region of Italy where respect for the ingredient, which is of very good quality, is the most important thing,” he said. And these experiences transition to his work at Secrets® Impression Moxché. Knowing this particular property is focused on gastronomic tourism and incorporates new concepts, it’s sure to attract foodie guests. Blanco recognizes that guests’ expectations are high when visiting this all-inclusive resort and that they’ll appreciate the chefs’ efforts. 

His favorite work of culinary art to create is moles, a word used in the Mexican cuisine to describe types of sauces. “Moles are my favorites,” Blanco said. “We have more than 50 different kinds in Mexico.” While there are several restaurants for guests to dine in during a stay at Secrets® Impression Moxché, which also includes access to all the restaurants at next-door Secrets® Moxché Playa Del Carmen, Blanco says Dos Almas is a must. This Mexican restaurant serves up authentic dishes and includes a taco tasting bar along with Tequila/Mezcal tastings.

photo via Inclusive Collection, part of World of Hyatt

A Word of Advice for Beginners

Executive Chef Mario Blanco didn’t get to where he is now overnight. His success is the result of putting in years of hard work. The advice he has for someone just starting out is to stay consistent, saying they’ll need to have “a lot of passion for cooking, consistency in what they do and understanding that the results come after many years of effort.” For Blanco, having passion for what he does is most important.

His passion for cooking is present both inside and outside of the kitchen. Even when he travels, he says the one thing that you’ll always find in his carry on is “AirPods, because I need to listen to the cooking podcasts.”

Originally appeared in the Winter 2022 issue of The Compass magazine. 

About the Author

Codie Liermann is the managing editor of The Compass. She began her career in the industry as a travel advisor prior to working as an editor. With a passion for creating valuable content for travel advisors, she aims to develop meaningful relationships with all types of travel companies in order to share their unique messages with the travel agency community.