Location: Condado Vanderbilt Hotel, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Restaurant(s): Culinary Operations at Condado Vanderbilt Hotel and 1919 Restaurant
Position: Executive Chef
Cuisine focus: Farm to table. Influence: organic, healthy. Flavors forward: in preparing the ingredients used for each dish, the intention is to bring the flavors forward without distraction. Chef Cuevas and his team aim to obtain clarity in taste and presentation so that the diner may fully realize the essence of the products used.
Puerto Rico native and Culinary Institute of America honors graduate, Chef Juan Jose Cuevas began his professional career in 1995, at three-star Michelin restaurant, Arkelare in San Sebastian, Spain. In 2001, Cuevas traveled to New York as Sous Chef under Chef Christian Delouvrier of the legendary restaurant, Lespinasse. During his tenure at Lespinasse, the restaurant received the highest accolade a food critic for the New York Times can award a New York restaurant, four stars. His next move was to join Chef Dan Barber at Blue Hill where they both were internationally recognized by numerous critics and publications. Under the command of Cuevas, Blue Hill was recognized and rated three-stars by the New York Times and one-star by Michelin. Such stellar tenure brought Cuevas to join with Chef Ed Brown as Chef de Cuisine at Restaurant Eighty One, achieving one star from Michelin during their first year. Awarded the Chef de l’ Avenir, (Chef of the Future) by the International Academy of Gastronomy I 2009, Cuevas then went on to serve as Executive Chef at The Pluckemin Inn at Bedminster, New Jersey. Returning to the island after almost two decades abroad, Cuevas was named Executive Chef of the luxurious Condado Vanderbilt in San Juan, Puerto Rico where he oversees the dining room at Restaurant 1919.
1. What’s your regular comfort meal?
Fish broth with local lime and pique (local hot sauce). Fried whole local snapper with pana tostones.
2. Do you have any kitchen battle scars?
No thanks!
4. If your last day was tomorrow, what would be your last meal?
With my daughter Alejandra. It will include: roasted chicken, vegetables, salads, great wines….plus raw oysters, clams and sushi.
5. What is and who makes your favorite knife?
10 inch Chef knife by Misono.
6. Finish this sentence:
If I wasn’t a Chef, I would be a teacher/surfer because I love to teach.
7. What do you do to decompress?
Before a long day at work…a very long run by the beach by myself.
8. What do you wish you had more time to do?
Travel.
9. Besides cooking, what do you enjoy?
I love the beach and river, and I love to read.
10. What is your culinary “best case” scenario?
Be surrounded by people who are passionate and want to learn and teach.
Learn more about Chef Juan Jose Cuevas on his Chef’s Roll profile here.
Chef Juan Jose Cuevas will be participating at Puerto Rico Meets NYC in October 2015. Learn more about the event by clicking on the image below.
