San Diego Chefs Shake Up Gaslamp Seafood Cuisine
In today’s cult of the kitchen, chefs are the new demi-gods. These three worship-worthy executive chefs, all with exceptionally impressive credentials and distinctive approaches to both the plate and the palate, are putting their marks on the downtown dining scene with delectable results.
Martin San Roman
Martin San Roman became executive chef and partner at Candelas San Diego, in October 2011, bringing his impressive history of celebrity chef status in Mexico and around the world to the Gaslamp Quarter. Raised in Mexico City, classically trained in Paris and a member of the prestigious Academie Culinaire de France, Chef San Roman has spent 23 years fusing French technique with traditional Mexican ingredients. Chef San Roman has helmed his own highly regarded restaurants in Tijuana, cooked for three Mexican presidents, starred on TV cooking shows and was named Mexican Cuisine Ambassador.
“My food has been enjoyed from Russia to the Americas,” Chef San Roman beams. “It has taken me to the best tables in the world, meeting the most fascinating people, all for the food. Now I am excited to bring French flavor to the Candelas tradition, using local produce and seafood with an international flair.”
Martin San Roman became executive chef and partner at Candelas San Diego, in October 2011, bringing his impressive history of celebrity chef status in Mexico and around the world to the Gaslamp Quarter. Raised in Mexico City, classically trained in Paris and a member of the prestigious Academie Culinaire de France, Chef San Roman has spent 23 years fusing French technique with traditional Mexican ingredients. Chef San Roman has helmed his own highly regarded restaurants in Tijuana, cooked for three Mexican presidents, starred on TV cooking shows and was named Mexican Cuisine Ambassador.
“My food has been enjoyed from Russia to the Americas,” Chef San Roman beams. “It has taken me to the best tables in the world, meeting the most fascinating people, all for the food. Now I am excited to bring French flavor to the Candelas tradition, using local produce and seafood with an international flair.”
The fusion of continental gentility and Mexican excitement can be found in Chef San Roman’s exquisite Sopa de Mariscos al Azafrán, with shrimp, scallops, sea bass, salmon, and pearls of caviar, surrounded by a velvety housemade seafood broth redolent of saffron. If you are lucky enough to dine at Candelas when Chilean Sea Bass in Cappuccino Sauce is offered, you’ll be both surprised and enticed by the flaky fish on a bed of spinach, surrounded by the rich flavor of the slightly sweet, creamy sauce with just a hint of coffee.
