Chef Brandon Arriaga draws on experience in some of the world’s most demanding kitchens to develop a Mexican seafood-led menu at Cocina Tres
Chef Brandon Arriaga has spent his career moving between some of the most demanding kitchens in Mexico, Denmark and Japan, including Pujol and Máximo in Mexico City, Chiune in Japan and Kong Hans Kælder in Copenhagen.
Now leading the kitchen at Cocina Tres in Dubai, Arriaga is applying that international experience to a cuisine deeply rooted in Mexican identity.
Cocina Tres takes its cues from Mexico’s coastal regions, with handmade tortillas, seafood, ceviches and wood-fire cooking at the centre of the menu. For Arriaga, however, building the restaurant’s identity began with looking beyond a single version of Mexican cuisine.
What was your vision for Cocina Tres when you first came on board?
The vision was to bring traditional Mexican flavours to Dubai through a contemporary, seafood-led cuisine. I wanted the food to feel rooted in Mexico, while also responding to where we are and the ingredients available to us here.
Take us behind the scenes of planning the menu. Where do you start?
We started with the different regions of Mexico: Oaxaca, Yucatán and Baja California. Each region has its own ingredients, techniques and way of cooking, so that became the starting point for building the menu and understanding what we wanted to bring to the table.
What does it take to build a distinct Mexican culinary identity in Dubai, and what challenges come with it?
One of the biggest challenges is the produce. Some ingredients simply aren’t available here, so we have to find ways to bring them to Dubai while maintaining their quality and consistency. For example, we bring in our corn every three to four months. At the same time, working closely with local suppliers is important because they help us understand what is available here and how we can work with it.
What do you hope diners discover about Mexican cuisine through your dishes?
I want people to feel Mexico through the food. The flavours, the ingredients, the techniques — everything should give you a sense of Mexico, even though you are eating it here in Dubai.
How would you describe your culinary philosophy, and how has it evolved?
For me, it is crucial to speak with the farmers, the fishermen and the people who are closest to the product. They are the ones who know it best, and ultimately, they can tell you what is going to be on the menu. I don’t want to decide everything from behind a desk — the product should have a voice in the cooking.
How would you describe the culture you’re building in the kitchen?
Respectful, thoughtful and focused, but also human. We have to respect the ingredients, respect each other and understand that we are all part of the same kitchen.
What’s one lesson you hope to pass on to the next generation of chefs?
There is more life outside the kitchen than inside the kitchen. At the end of the day, it is just life. Cooking is important, but you also need to live, experience things and have a life outside of the restaurant.