Guatemalan Chefs to Watch

If you like to eat well, keep an eye out for the following Guatemalan chefs.

First up is Mario Enrique Campollo, who works at Casa Santo Domingo in Antigua. It’s one of the best-known hotels in town, and the food is a major reason why. Another Antigua-based chef is Kenny Aldana from Hotel El Convento, definitely worth a visit.

Over in Guatemala City, try the food at upmarket Italian restaurant Pecorino in Zone 10 to admire the handiwork of Christian Rossell, or go to Mercado 24 in Zone 4 for innovative modern cuisine by Pablo Diaz. Another good bet is Flor de Lis in zone 16, where Diego Télles works his magic.

In addition, there are a number of well-known Guatemalan chefs working abroad. The first one to mention is Amalia Moreno-Damgaard, who had a successful corporate career in the United States before deciding to become a full-time chef. She now promotes Guatemalan food from her U.S. base and has published several recipe books.

Then we have arguably the most interesting story of them all: Fernando Lopez. After falling in love with a Japanese woman while working in Hawai’i, Lopez found himself moving to the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Instead of setting up a Guatemalan restaurant, he decided to learn how to make the traditional okonomiyaki pancakes that hail from the city.