Tuesday, July 6, 2021

SMA is finding out what Riviera Maya has known all along - Chef Daniel Camacho is one talented chef. The new chef at Casa Sierra Nevada in San Miguel de Allende is no stranger to the Belmond brand. He also runs the kitchen at Belmond Maroma Resort, which is temporarily closed for renovation. He’s in the process of redoing all the menus at Casa de Sierra Nevada, including the one at Andanza, which has more than a few surprises.
You can order many Mexican dishes with all the delightful extras but we ordered the Eggs Benedict with Short Rib; we’re a sucker for Short Rib, even in the morning we just discovered. When was the last time you had Short Rib, much less the perfect amount tucked under two poached eggs on melt-in-your-mouth Brioche topped with a delicate Hollandaise sauce? You can put this one in our top five breakfast meals in SMA at $220 pesos.
Order dessert, even at breakfast; it’s a must when it comes to Chef Ruben Yanez Hernandez’s pastries and cakes. In this case, but hardly an afterthought, was a beautifully decorated chocolate birthday cake for my friend Sally Reid. Of course, there’s also Churros on the side. Now, you get a double dose of sweet: Chef Annabel Ruiz Gonzalez, the Pastry Chef from Belmond Maroma Resort, is working with Chef Ruben Yanez Hernandez here in SMA while the resort is being renovated. Chef Daniel Camacho’s first job was in Spain, at the restaurant of Juan Carlos Galbis, the first chef to obtain a Michelin Star in the city of Valencia.Daniel went on to work six years at Banyan Tree Mayakoba and one year at Grand Hyatt Playa del Carmen before joining Belmond Maroma Resort in 2016. We got a sneak peek at their new dinner menu that comes out today and it’s impressive. We’ve always loved this restaurant; it sits in the middle of an indoor garden where the service is better than textbook. We think the food at Andanza just took a huge step up. Now all we have to do is figure out how to keep him in SMA. Andanza at Casa de Sierra Nevada, A Belmond Hotel Hospicio #35 San Miguel 37700 Chef: Daniel Camacho Pastry Chefs: Ruben Yanez Hernandez and Annabel Ruiz Gonzalez Daily: 7:30 AM – 11:00 PM Phone: 415 150 2018 All safety protocols followed/Tables have been spaced Masks required Health First certified by the city of SMA