Reyna Venegas

Executive Chef Reyna Venegas prepares fresh and delicious food that energizes, inspires, and nourishes guests. She fuses the culinary and cultural heritages of her own Northern Baja roots with the nutritious “spa cuisine” pioneered 80 years ago by Rancho La Puerta co-founder Deborah Szekely. At La Cocina Que Canta, “The Kitchen That Sings,” Chef Reyna teaches healthy eating as a celebration of life in farm-to-table cooking classes.

As a lifelong learner, Chef Reyna recently completed the Integrative Nutrition program at the University of California, San Diego, which focuses on how food promotes wellness. She is also a graduate of the Culinary Art School in Tijuana, and holds a Pastry Degree from the Lycée Technique et Hôtelier de Monte-Carlo and Fondation Turquois.

She and her husband Chef Marcelo Hisaki own Restaurante Amores, a hidden culinary jewel in the heart of Baja. Their cuisine is influenced by Mexican, Japanese and French cultures, using local produce with respect, love, and creativity. They have been selected by the Michelin Guide Mexico in 2024 and received the Exceptional Service Award.

Chef Reyna, as the manager of Team Mexico for the Bocuse d’Or since 2022, has been instrumental in guiding the team to compete in this prestigious culinary event. In 2023, Team Mexico was recognized with the Social Commitment Award for their impactful initiatives addressing food insecurity among migrants in Baja California. Now, they are poised to proudly represent Mexico once more at the Bocuse d’Or Americas 2024 in New Orleans, aiming to secure their spot in the Bocuse d’Or Finale 2025.

Chef Javier Plascencia

With a distinguished culinary career spanning over 30 years, Chef Javier Plascencia is known as a free spirit who never tires of learning and experimenting with new ingredients. His passion for cooking and the restaurant industry makes him a great entrepreneur and a magnificent chef. Having established successful restaurants in Tijuana, Valle de Guadalupe, San Jose del Cabo, and Todos Santos, and having received numerous accolades, including a James Beard Award Nomination, he has now achieved Michelin Star status with his restaurant Animalón in Valle de Guadalupe, a magical space set beneath a 200-year-old oak tree. @javierplascencia, @animalonbaja

Chef Oscar Torres

Chef Oscar Torres is an East LA native who’s formal culinary education began early when he enrolled in his high school’s culinary program. Here, he had the opportunity to participate in culinary competitions, showcasing his natural talent. While in this program, he was awarded a scholarship to attend the renowned Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College in Philadelphia, PA. His career spanned several Michelin-starred restaurants with acclaimed chefs like Christophe Émé and Tony Esnault before becoming the culinary mastermind at Animalón, where he has served as Executive Chef for the past five years. Thanks to his expertise, passion, determination, and innate talent, he has established Animalón as one of the best restaurants in Mexico. He has earned the prestigious title of Michelin Starred chef, with Animalón receiving a star in the Michelin Guide Mexico 2024.

@oscartorreschef, @animalonbaja

Chef Marcelo Hisaki

Born in Mexico City to Japanese parents, Chef Marcelo Hisaki grew up surrounded by a diversity of flavor, texture, color, and tradition that combined both Japanese and Mexican culinary heritage.

At an early age, his talent and discipline led him to earn a scholarship from Fondation Turquois Monaco to study French cuisine at the Lycée Hotelier de Monte Carlo and train in Michelin-starred restaurants Yoshi and Joël Robuchon, in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

In 2013, Chef Marcelo and his wife, Chef Reyna Venegas, opened Restaurante Amores in Tecate, Baja California. Their culinary concept is influenced by Mexican, Japanese and French cultures, using local produce with respect, love, and creativity. In 2024, they were awarded the Michelin Service Award and are part of the Michelin Selected Restaurants.

He recently represented Mexico in the Bocuse d’Or Finale 2023, a prestigious culinary contest in Lyon, France, receiving the social commitment award as a recognition of his team’s involvement in support of migrants’ food insecurity in Baja California.

He currently works as a mentor and teacher for new generations of culinary professionals at Culinary Art School and collaborates in the development of BRECHA, the first Mexican culinary innovation and research center.

This year Chef Marcelo and his team once again represented Mexico in the Bocuse d’Or Americas 2024, earning the bronze medal and their pass to the Finale which will be held next January in Lyon, France. @restauranteamores, @marcehisaki

Sommelier Lauren Plascencia

Growing up in the family restaurant business, Lauren has sought to become familiar with every aspect of the industry. As a marketing graduate from ITESM Campus MTY, she discovered her true passion for wine after working in the service area during the first seasons of Jazamango and Animalón in 2017. She now holds Sommelier certifications as a French Wine Scholar and WSET Level 3. She successfully opened her boutique wine shop, Baja Divina, the first store in Valle de Guadalupe specializing in wines from Baja California. She curates the wine list for Animalón and successfully manages the wine program, earning a Wine Spectator Restaurant Award in 2023 and the Sommelier Award from the Michelin Guide Mexico in 2024. @wawenp, @bajadivina

Winemaker Sergio Salgado

Sergio Salgado is the winemaker and owner of Santos Brujos, a boutique winery located in the Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California, Mexico. Santos Brujos is distinguished by its focus on producing organic wines, using sustainable and biodynamic practices in both its vineyards and winemaking process.

Salgado, who is passionate about organic farming and natural winemaking, has established Santos Brujos as one of the most respected wineries in the region. His wines are known for their authenticity and their true reflection of the Valle de Guadalupe terroir.