Quetzalcóatl hails originally from Santos Reyes Nopala, a small community in the heart of Oaxaca’s Chatino country. Throughout his childhood, he was able to spend time visiting the many distinct regions of this mountainous southern state that is also partially encircled by water. 
Be it the isthmus region of Tehuantepec, the central valleys or especially the wide open expanse of the many towns along the coast, they all left an indellible mark in the young chef’s culinary tastes. He recalls having clear memories of his encounters with new flavors and combinations that would stick around for decades and are now reflected in his contemporary gastronomic creations.   Among the memorable discoveries, he remembers the vivid aromas of firewood heating up the comal (the traditional Mexican clay griddle), fresh milk and cheese made by his grandmother, tomatoes and tusta chiles roasting, which were then transferred to the ancient stone molcajete (mortar) to be mashed and create the most delicious salsas and moles.

He credits his nanny Doña Aurea Santiago for inspiring his love for cooking. As an eight-year old, he began to help her and learn from her. The flavors he tasted watching her create as she moved about her kitchen are the foundations of his cuisine; flavors which left more traces than any other in his culinary memory.    Later, he studied at the Instituto Culinario de México in the state of Puebla’s capital city – also a culinary hub with deep traditions in central Mexico- this experience, opened his eyes to new flavors and techniques, reaffirming his passion for cooking.


In his career as a professional cook, he has had the opportunity to learn from top mexican chefs as he became involved in several contemporary kitchens across the country and now internationally. Amongst them, his training at Pujol in Mexico City, considered one of the best restaurants in the world, taught him a cuisine with world class standards, a love for fresh produce and ingredients, as well as great attention to detailed processes.   At the age of 23, as a full-fledged chef, he decided to embark on an entrepeneurial quest and opened his first restaurant in the hidden port of Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca. The result is an
haute-cuisine Oaxacan restaurant that revives the ingredients from his childhood kitchen mixed with the professional-creative-experimental manner of contemporary Mexican cuisine. The name honors his Nana’s favorite herb-- a commemoration of the gift of his first great mentor and teacher