The chef Robert Martinez and his son of the same name are responsible for Latin flavors like those of the guavathe tamarind or the ripe banana have been quietly incorporated in the last decades to the menu of the universal park in orlando (Florida), so that the food is also “a very big part” of the entertainment.
Father and sonboth chefs with 30 and 20 years at Universal, respectively, say they are looking “elevate” the palate experience of its visitors along with the emotions of the roller coasters or virtual attractions of Universal Studios Florida.
Photo: Ivonne Malaver
The best chef in the world is Latin American: meet the Colombian Leonor Espinosa and her proposal of traditional cuisine
The directors of the company gave us “the green light to attract and develop different dishes, including the (food) of the Hispanics, that of usand me being in this place and my son entering as well, we took advantage of that opportunity”, says the oldest of the chefs.
At 59 years old, Martinez, the chef in charge of the Volcano Bay water parksays that the company has always wanted Universal’s food to be famous not only for the famous turkey legs.
More than just turkey legs
Together with his son, who is now Sous Chef Executive Research and Development of Universal Orlando Resort, have included paellas, arepas, mofongos or Cuban sandwicheseither in the permanent menus of the park or in special projects such as the Mardi Gras or the menu Springfield Boulevard from The Simpsons.
“Little by little we introduced little things like that, but Without anyone noticing and when we looked there was a lot of Latin (food), “says the father.
For its part, Robert Martinez Jr, 40points out that it has been a great experience to have seen his father cook since he was a child and he is a “dream come true” to be able to work together.
The chef, who admires his father’s work ethic and “humility” in dealing with his colleagues, as if “all the employees were the boss”, he says that he enjoys working together because they both understand what “hard” that is the work of the kitchen.
“This is something that we share together, many people will not understand what a person has to give to the kitchen every day and give to this race every day, well me and my dad do not understand each other because we know that we both give the same,” he adds.
Father and son swap roles in the kitchen
The father, for his part, assures that the student has surpassed the teacher and especially appreciates the way in which he presents the dishes. He says that he “turns” his food presentation upside down.
“The most impressive thing is seeing my son be where he is now, and not only for me but for the whole family, it is a great pride,” he says.
Isicio, Claudine and Ricardo, Ecuadorian chefs in their first rungs
A lover of tropical and Latin flavors, Martínez senior says that being Volcano Bay a park that evokes tropical islands, has been lent to add in his creations some guava, pineapple or tamarind sauceLatin flavors that in a very subtle way give a seasoning different. He adds that Hispanics recognize these ingredients very well, but that international visitors to the park also love them.
Both also say that social networks have been “a blessing” because the world’s diners now anticipate through their phones the new flavors and that helps them to be more “receptive” to other flavors.
to a wide variety of universal international foodboth chefs have added over time ingredients such as yucca, canoes of ripe plantain, roasted corn, arepas with carnitas and many Latin flavors to drinks and food.
“People actually love the ripe banananot only to Latinos but to many Americans,” says Martínez Jr, who initially worked as a uneducated production cook culinary and now has an executive position as chef in Research and Development.
He says that from working with his father developing menus for Volcano Bay or numerous special projects for Universal such as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter-Diagon Alley what he appreciates most is being able to call him every day at any time to ask him something.
That is why he rejects the idea of an eventual retirement of his father. “I would like to work more projects with him because nowadays experience is hard to come by”, he assures. Martínez Sr. immediately answers that although he is not in the company “I will always be with my son, he will not lose me as a co-worker”, he indicates.
“My mentality is to get out when I’m up, I don’t want to get out when I have to get out,” he stresses.
Source: Eluniverso
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
