On the evening of June 11, 2022, Kevin Chaves of Le French Café and Kevin Charpentier, the guest chef from San José, delighted us with their creative four-hand seven-course menu at the select French restaurant in Uvita. The intention was to recreate the gastronomy of the South of Costa Rica with unique dishes combining traditional and ancestral ingredients, using modern cuisine techniques, giving it a sophisticated touch.
Thanks to the initiative of the young gastronome and owner of Le French Café, Simon Michel-x, new exciting experiences are available in the South of Costa Rica. They will hold 4-hand events regularly, inviting colleagues from the culinary arts.
Wellbeing Chef Mayron Q Peraza
We interviewed well-being chef Mayron at the magnificent nFusion Bistro on the terrace of the Villas Alturas Hotel. The location, with its beautiful views over the jungle, the sea, and the rocks, is unique. nFusion Chef Mayron is from the new generation that loves to create, merging Costa Rican recipes with international ones, always with fresh local ingredients, resulting in exquisite signature dishes. He has studied Gastronomy and Nutrition at the Le Cordon Bleu Peru Institute and ANCH (Costa Rica National Chef Association).
Says Mayron: "I feel love for fire in my culinary laboratory; it gives me adrenaline or pure excitement; cooking is something very cultural, holistic, art and science, food is food and medicine at the same time. My food is made with love."
Check out one of his recipes here.
Massimo Capra’s insignia is his great mustache. However, he didn’t reach his fame thanks to this notable feature. Massimo Capra is one of the most celebrated chefs in Canada, where he has been working and living since 1982. His renowned restaurant Capra’s kitchen in Mississauga, Ontario, opened in 2016 and offers innovative Italian cuisine with recipes created by Massimo himself.
Restaurante Citrus - Costa Muy Rica:
If you believed that Costa Rican cuisine is made up of rice and beans, then chef Marcella Marciano and her collaborators, chefs Fabián Barrantes and Jose Calderón, managed to vindicate this verdict during their first “Costa Muy Rica” gastronomy event.
Just to mention a few highlights of the eight dish menú: starting with a Chiliguaro shot and fresh Puntarenas oyster, Fish & palm fruit ceviche, fried Green plantain, palm fruit mousse, Green papaya, and zorillo picadillo served with a cheese-filled tortilla, and finally an incredible crunchy Chocolate sphere as a dessert.
Philippe and Mireille, owners of Pancito Café, are well known in Ojochal. Early in the morning, delicious aromas emanate from the place, the smell of fresh bread, croissants, and freshly brewed coffee. They serve breakfast and lunch on the large terrace overlooking the garden, covered with lush vegetation and the river just passing by.
Guillermo Saenz, alias Memo, is Chef at “La Palapa Restaurant”, Hotel Cuna del Ángel. Chef Memo has a long history as a gastronome, trained in Spain and Italy.
He worked for several years in well-known international restaurants in San José. This allowed him to create an expansive vision of high end-cuisine and legendary dishes fused with tropical ingredients from Costa Rica.
In 2011, he moved to Costa Ballena to dedicate his expertise to La Palapa Restaurant at the enchanting Cuna del Ángel Hotel.
Eco Feria Camino Real Dominical
Local market in Dominical with local products every friday 9 am - 12:30 am
We connect with local farmers who strive to produce the best produce, regenerate ecosystems and build vibrant local community.
Lizeth Quirós, Ballena Bistro's Smile
Liz (originally from Pérez Zeledón) used to run a coffee-ice cream parlor in Buenos Aires before coming to Ojochal in 2012. Liz is a sportswoman who loves to run, and her first concern when she arrived was if there was a women's soccer team. She found the Playa Hermosa Futbol Sala team that used to meet at the ”Cancha Sintética” in Uvita.
In 2014 she started working at the Ballena Bistro as the right hand of the owner and chef Anja Sonnenberg. When Anja decided to seek other horizons, in April 2018, Liz grasped the opportunity to take over the restaurant. With her innate friendliness and splendid customer service, she has demonstrated being an extraordinary host and a good leader of her small operations team.
Carly and Eric Hara left behind a 15-hour daily routine and a hectic lifestyle in New York. Following their dream and traveling through many places, they came to Costa Rica to retire and spend more time with their children.
Eric is a renowned chef from NYC. He and Carly worked in the gastronomic industry for more than a decade. So, their “retirement” did not last more than six months. They found an ideal place for Eric to keep himself busy in the kitchen.
House of Ginger Tasty Chinese Food
Tripadvisor: Certificate of Excellence
For 5 years the Hosue of Ginger Chinese food restaurant owner lived with her husband and three children in Canada. “I’ve always had a passion for cooking,” she says. “When we lost my husband, I had to find a way to make a living. So I did, and we decided to return to Costa Rica. I took a cooking course with the Chef of the Chinese Embassy in San José. ”
GastroPub Batsú & Panes La Estrella
To find a GastroPub in the magnificent Chirripo’s mountain skirts was quite a surprise. Meeting David, the owner of the successful establishment along with his large family, was another. “GastroPub” is an innovative business concept where haute cuisine tapas are served at affordable prices.
Also, every Saturday David participates in the Uvita Fair where he delivers bread to many clients on the beach. Enjoy the excellent teamwork of the Navarro Elizondo family!
Sibu Restaurant & Coffee Store
Sibu Coffee House is a family business; Attila and Mariana, who are husband and wife, coffee lovers and quite knowledgeable about it, are its owners. They have 3 kids, and the oldest, David, often helps out at the restaurant attending to the customers. He does it with the same friendliness that characterizes everyone on Sibu’s personnel.
Today, we came to chat with two culinary artists, Román and Pablo, father and son. Both became well-known for their fine cuisine at several famous restaurants of Costa Ballena. Recently, they started working together at the Vista Ballena Hotel, complementing each other’s cooking skills.
Román recalls when Pablo was only 12 years old, he put on an apron and prepared the best rice with seafood. Pablo worked for years at a vegetarian restaurant in Dominical where he prepared the best healthy recipes.
“I can’t stand people who don’t take food seriously. And for the record, it's not us who say this, Oscar Wilde said it,” the owners Luca and Francesca declare when greeting us at their Italian Restaurant Gusto. The first impression is the cordial welcome and then we are captivated by the 180-degree view over creation.
The menu offers a variety of pasta, meats, and fish. The preparation is made with the freshest products from the organic markets, as well as with the spices, olive oil, cheeses, and wines that they import from Italy. “We prepare light and healthy food according to the best Italian recipes,” says Francesca.
Estiven Arias, owner, and chef of La Costeña graduated in Food and Beverage Administration, Restaurants and Hospitality at UTUR and INA. He also completed courses in barista, professional bartender, and Hawaiian Tiki cocktails. At the age of 14, he participated in a student exchange in the USA, and later, thanks to his good knowledge of English, he had the opportunity to work on a cruise ship in the United States. Returning to Costa Rica, he worked for several years in boutique hotels in Quepos and the South Pacific. Above all, Uvita attracted him, reminding himself of the happy vacations he had spent here as a child.
LA PALAPA RESTAURANT
LA PALAPA RESTAURANT AUTHOR: Dagmar Reinhard Guillermo Saenz, alias Memo, is Chef at “La Palapa Restaurant”, Hotel Cuna del Ángel. Chef Memo has a long history as a gastronome, trained in Spain and Italy. He […]
Everyone Has A Story
Everyone Has A Story – In 2012, one of my yoga students invited me to join her for an upcoming retreat she had planned. She was in a difficult position because her “Exercise Person” couldn’t join her, and she wanted me to go to complete her team. I asked her when and where this retreat would be happening. She replied, “Next week, in Costa Rica.”
SURF SEASON ON THE BALLENA COAST
Much like our summer and winter seasons change, the seasons of big surf also changes. The summer months of hot sunny days are gone for now, and a more wet, stormy, and cooler season brings more gifts. Many refer to this wet season as “the green season.” As a surfer, I refer to it as “ the surf season.”
RAFAEL STEYNERS HAS THE RHYTHM IN HIS BLOOD!
Rafael Steyners was born in the land of the famous “Guajira Guantanamera”, in the picturesque valley of the city of Guantánamo, located in the Province of Guantánamo south of the Caimán Dormido, the beautiful island of Cuba.
At the age of three, Rafael danced and sang to the sound of a portable radio. His mother smiled when she saw him but she never gave it much importance, since another plan was in the works since then. She would rather see him become a doctor than an artist from stage to stage.
DANCING IN THE RAIN
Most tourists are scared off by the prospect of the rain, even though we have almost guaranteed bright blue skies and sunshine, until at least noon, all year long.
This is the time of year that we are more likely to travel, with less traffic and better deals in hotels, tours, and shopping specials all over the country.
THE TUCAN HOTEL IN UVITA
The Tucan Hotel in Uvita has twelve rooms, all with their private bathrooms and most with AC. Prices vary according to the season but are always competitive! The restaurant SimbiOsa is rapidly becoming a local favorite, and every guest gets to enjoy the restaurant as breakfast is included in the room’s price. The common areas are spacious and allow guests to relax even when it pours outside. You can usually find the owners, Pierre & Sara working hard on a new project in the space as they cannot rest until the Tucan is a perfect representation of their vision
YOUR VERY SPECIAL CATERING SERVICE
YOUR VERY SPECIAL CATERING SERVICE – The team of chefs excels in dishes of Costa Rican cuisine, international, gourmet, vegan, kosher, and they also cover yoga retreats. “We prepare buffets, brunches, or three full meals a day, and we have attended national and international celebrities.”
BAHIA BALLENA DOCTORS NEW LOCATION
BAHIA BALLENA DOCTORS NEW LOCATION at Plaza Ventanas Ojochal
REAL ESTATE — THE FIRST STEP IN BUSINESS
When I started studying tourism as a career at the university, during the university, and even after finishing my studies, the relationship between a Real Estate office with tourism and other businesses never crossed my mind.
I remember at some point have taken a course where they spoke of initial investment, and they estimated the value of the land and building. Still, it did not go further since it was not the central axis of the course.
What to do at and around Cascada Verde Hostel in Uvita
Here’s some information for your stay at our Cascada Verde Hostel in Uvita and much more
Comprehensive Magazine and Travel Guide #78, South Pacific Costa Rica
We had to reinvent ourselves during the last year, focusing entirely on a virtual, 100% interactive presence of our bilingual Ballena Tales Comprehensive Magazine. We are achieving great opening numbers (more than 14,000 in the English versión alone), have breached the borders of Costa Rica, and are read by North Americans and Europeans, and surprisingly, many of my German patriots.
VIRTUAL PLATFORM FOR TAX PROCEDURES, COSTA RICA
To provide better attention to the taxpayer and facilitate the completion of tax procedures, since August 28, 2020, the Ministry of Finance made the Virtual Procedure (TRAVI) platform available.
This platform includes approximately 40 procedures for extensive control, collection, valuation, and inspection; It works as an accompanying instrument for taxpayers who need to be up to date with tax regulations.
