Meet the Team: Executive Chef Arturo Muñoz

Meet Arturo Muñoz, the new Executive Chef at Grand Residences by Royal Resorts. Originally from Mexico City, he joined Royal Resorts in 2019 and brought his knowledge of classic French cuisine and seafood to Captain’s Cove and Club Bistro before joining our resort team.

Passionate about the world of cuisine from an early age, Chef Arturo says, “I became interested in cooking, restaurants and the catering industry as a child. I used to buy magazines and watch all the cooking programs that I could on TV. Back then there weren’t many cooking schools in Mexico and the ones that existed were very expensive, so I studied a college diploma course in computer programming.

“At that time my family moved to Cancun and my father happened to sell a house to a French chef working in the hotel industry. My interest in cooking came up in the conversation and the chef said to my Dad ‘send him to work for me’,” Chef Arturo explains. “I jumped at the opportunity. That is where the magic started and I never looked back. I learned so much from that chef in Gran Solaris who gave me my first chance, I call him my kitchen father.”

Six years followed at Gran Solaris Resort, during which Arturo learned all about French and Spanish cuisine. In June 2012, he took the opportunity to work at the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu hotel in Quebec, Canada, specializing in banquets for events and as garde manger (pantry chef).

On his return to Cancun in 2013, he joined Le Blanc Palace Resorts and was responsible for production and mise en place and worked in the resort’s five diamond Italian restaurant. A second stint followed at the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu and in December 2013, he joined Oasis Sens Cancun where he was responsible for cold dishes, pastries and desserts and molecular cuisine in two restaurants, one the famous Benazuza.

In 2014, he returned to Le Blanc to work in the resort’s French restaurant and steakhouse. A move to Finest Playa Mujeres resort followed in 2015, as the chef heading up the resort’s French restaurant, weddings and banquet service, during which time he also studied and qualified as a Sommelier. In 2017, he was appointed specialty chef for a French restaurant in Hyatt Ziva Cancun.

In May 2019, Chef Arturo joined Royal Resorts as sous-chef at Captain’s Cove and added many signature dishes to the menu at this classic waterfront restaurant. He has always stressed the importance of sourcing the freshest local seafood and fish as the catch of the day and says, “Fish and seafood are so versatile, I love cooking with them, they go well with wine, tequila, Asian flavors and with traditional French and Italian sauces of course.”

In June 2023, he moved to The Royal Sands as sous-chef in charge of Club Bistro and Veranda del Mar.

Chef Arturo now puts all his knowledge, talent and creativity at your service to continue enriching the gourmet experience at Grand Residences by Royal Resorts.

When asked about culinary influences, he says, “I take my inspiration from France, I love the cuisine, the culture and the language. Although I am Mexican and I love the cuisine of my country, classic French cuisine is my passion. I enjoy cooking with duck, seafood, pairing foie-gras with other ingredients and working with chocolate, not only in desserts but also in savory dishes.”

On the subject of Mexican cuisine and its extraordinary diversity, Arturo explains, “Mexico is one of the few countries that has practically all the world’s climates, landscapes and ecosystems, from cold mountain ranges with snow-capped peaks, canyons and plateaus, temperate woodlands and cloud forests to deserts, plains, savannas, tropical rainforests and wetlands, not to mention the Pacific, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean coastlines. This gives it an abundance of crops and ingredients for chefs to work with. Look at our culinary heritage, our roots date back to ancient times, the days of the Olmecs, Maya and the Aztecs and their diet based on corn, tomatoes, beans, chilies, the fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds that they gathered and wild game they hunted. During the Colonial period, Spanish settlers brought livestock, vegetables, fruits, herbs, nuts and spices from Europe and the Middle East and over time new dishes emerged, a marriage of flavors from the Old World and the New. There are so many recipes and each state is proud of its own specialties. No wonder Mexican cuisine is on the UNESCO World Heritage list.  And I think that for Mexicans, our cuisine is a way to transmit our ideas and feelings, the importance of family and of sharing moments together, through food.”

“If I had to recommend one dish for visitors to try, it would have to be mole,” says Chef Arturo. “It is a sublime blend of spices, nuts, seeds, chili and chocolate, with truly sophisticated flavors. Although it is usually served with chicken and turkey, it goes particularly well with duck. In Flor de Canela, we are showcasing Duck in Mole Rosa this month, serving duck breast with a pink mole sauce made with pine nuts.”

“I would say that Mexican chefs such as José Ramón Cajillo, who has won international awards for his work with chocolate, and Carlos Gaytán, the first Mexican chef to be awarded the coveted Michelin star, and who has worked with the ingredients he has at hand to bring our cuisine to Chicago, are an inspiration to me,” adds Chef Arturo.

At Grand Residences, Chef Arturo will have a team of 30 to 35 chefs, cooks and other kitchen workers, a total of 60 including the cleaning staff. He says, “I am just settling in and right now I am focusing on maintaining our already high standards and identifying areas of opportunity where we must improve. I have been talking to the Advisory Council representatives and their input has been invaluable. Owners and members have told me about dishes they loved that are no longer on the menu and we are surprising them with some of the recipes that they missed.  We are also changing some of the dishes on the theme night menus. In the next few months, I plan to introduce an Asian Night, as it is the one tendency that we are missing in our weekly theme night lineup. Turning to the restaurant menus, I will be working on the menu at Heaven Beach Bar first. I am already thinking about dishes to add, and we may start serving tapas as another dining option.

“I have started giving the weekly cooking class and love it! I have been showcasing recipes for the catch of the day and when I mention that I was the chef at Captain’s Cove, some owners and members have asked me for their favorite recipe, so we have prepared those too,” says Chef Arturo. “Talking to our owners, members and guests is of the utmost importance, I need their feedback and to know what they like, if they have any suggestions and what they would like to see.”

As a certified Sommelier, Chef Arturo knows the importance of a good wine pairing to enhance the flavors of a dish. He works very closely with Grand Residences Sommelier Laura Sanchez and they have plans for some special cooking classes with wine pairings and for wine dinners in the future.

A gourmet experience is in store for you with Chef Arturo at the helm and he has this message for owners and members, “I am at your service and I’m always accessible whenever you want to talk to me. I look forward to meeting you, cooking the dishes you love and serving up a selection of tempting new recipes for your dining pleasure.”