Ajua Maya's Chef Pedro & Chef Brenda

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Maya and Virginia -- an unprecedented blending of two southern chefs create a culinary experience nightly at Ajua Maya which balances a perfectionist style with playful presentations.

Mayan Chef Pedro and Virginian Chef Brenda Moore Long de Alfaro unique culinary expertises have won rave reviews from around the world. It is as if they were destined to be together to create their fusion Mayan-Virginia cuisine, each and every night in Ajua Maya, under the star filled skies of the Riviera Maya in Playa del Carmen.

They both share many similarities in their histories -- both are self taught chefs, both came to Cancun in 1983, both are from the Southern cultures of their countries, both are passionate about their cultures and their cuisines, and both love blending together to create an explosion of tastes and experiences for your palate.

Chef Pedro Balam Dzul

Born in a small Mayan village on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, Chef Pedro moved to Cancun in 1983 when he was only 13 years old to work and support his parents, brothers and sisters. His first employment was as an assistant construction worker, where he carried at age 13 two 100 pound cement bags at a time to the high girders on the hotels being constructed in Cancun. Hurricane Gilbert came along in 1984, destroying much of Cancun, and he returned to his home town for a few months.

Upon his return to Cancun a few months later, he decided to change from the dangerous high girder work and at the age of 14 began working as a dishwasher in a small Cancun restaurant. That was a magical moment for him. He saw his destiny in that kitchen, quickly moving up to Cook Assistant and learning as much as he could absorb from the chefs and then slowly worked his way up a different ladder in various Cancun and Playa del Carmen restaurants.

He came to Ajua as the Chef in September 2000, nine months prior to the acquisition by Brenda and Jorge Alfaro in May 2001. It was after this acquisition, he truly was able to discover his true talent and evolve into an executive chef. With the Alfaro's acquisition, he was given the tools to become a great chef -- the highest quality ingredients and a dedication by the new owners to have the highest quality restaurant possible on the Riviera Maya.

Chef Brenda Moore Long de Alfaro

Perhaps Brenda was destined to be in the Latin world -- certainly her name has become long enough to qualify!

Born into an old Virginia Southern family from West Point, which is nestled between three magnificent rivers and just 40 miles east of Richmond, Virginia, she always had a special touch for creating flavorful dishes and a passion for preparing pastries, biscuits, scones and breads. She has brought that culinary touch to Ajua Maya and combined her knowledge with that of Chef Pedro.

She met her Mayan soul mate, Jorge Luis Alfaro Mérida, in Cozumel in 1983 and it was love at first sight. Two months later, Jorge came to visit in Virginia and she decided to lure him to her by fulfilling his passion for desserts and it worked! They were married in 1984. From this desire, came Ajua Maya's famous New York style cheesecake, made from love and the finest ingredients each and every time. Just recently she has shared her secret recipe with Chef Pedro and now he and his staff are carrying on Brenda and Jorge's passionate culinary tradition.

Brenda's personal recipes are found in so many of the dishes at Ajua Maya including her Mayan-Virginia BBQ sauce, coconut shrimp, lobster bisque, spaghetti sauce, curry chicken, spinach crepes stuffed with fresh salmon, Ajua's own bread and many of the 19th century French inspired menu items including those famous soft shell crabs, venison and duck dishes she grew up on near the shores of Virginia's bountiful rivers.

Brenda's Southern gourmet and childhood experiences, learned from her grandmothers and her father's gourmet cuisine , have now blended with the fantastically rich and varied Mexican and Mayan cuisines of her husband's heritage. Together they produce a dining experience you will never forget.

Brenda's touch is found in all parts of the restaurant from the kitchen to the decor. She laughs when she relates the story from Thanksgiving morning 2001. While she awaited the arrival of Chef Pedro to teach him her Old Virginia family recipes for turkey and dressing, which they would serve that night, she jotted down the now sought after recipe for her Mayan-Virginia BBQ sauce and gave it to the chef when he arrived to prepare and taste. It was a perfect blend of Mayan spices and chiles with a Virginia style BBQ sauce and now it is served nightly on baby back ribs, shrimp and chicken wings in Ajua Maya.

So, we invite you to come and experience this marvelous new cuisine along with our authentic Mayan and Mexican cuisine and to enjoy the fun of bohemian, five star dining brought to you by this Mayan-Virginia pairing of two fine chefs on the shores of the Riviera Maya's Caribbean sea.