Cesar Ulloa, Chef de Cuisine – La Mar by Gastón Acurio at Atlantis The Royal.
Cesar Ulloa’s road to success is one filled with magical surprises, determination, and one that led him to a leading role as Chef de Cuisine at La Mar Dubai. Many Chef tales begin with cooking in the kitchen with mothers, grandmothers, and even great-grandmothers, and while Cesar grew up in a close family, his tale is unlike the norm.
Before discovering his passion for food, Cesar’s creative mind was leading down a wonderous career of becoming a magician. After some time, and a few cooking lessons later, he realised that not only did he like to eat well, he loved to cook and create flavoursome dishes. This quickly led Cesar to enroll at Le Cordon Bleu – Peru – where he joined the Cooking and Related Culinary Arts course (circa 2008).
From then Cesar leap-frogged from one incredible Michelin-star work experience to another, from Celler de Can Roca Girona Spain (three-Michelin-star), to Noma Restaurant in Copenhagen (three-Michelin-star), as well as Mugaritz Donostia, San Sebastian (two-Michelin-star). After this incredible whirlwind of top flight experience, Cesar decided to take his newly learned talents back home and see how he could implement them with Peruvian food.
Cesar began working with Gaston Acurio in 2012 in Lima at the original La Mar restaurant, shortly before going to work at the NYC branch. After spending some time in New York City, Cesar returned to the Peruvian capital to work at Astrid & Gaston, which was number 1 on Latin America’s 50 Best restaurant list. Cesar spent four years there before embarking on his next venture which would take him across the Atlantic Ocean to Gaston’s Yukumanka restaurant in Barcelona where he supported the team as Head Chef.
After spending some time in Europe, Cesar was excited by the thought of travel and was curious to see where his journey with Gaston Acurio would lead him. In 2018 he stepped foot in the Middle East and landed in Doha where he was part of the preopening team (preparing for not one but two restaurants) at La Mar and Manko. He then relocated to Geneva for three years to open Yakumanka.
Today, Cesar is the Chef de Cuisine of La Mar Dubai which is located at Atlantis The Royal. Cesar leads an energetic team that is committed to educating the world about the cuisine and flavours of Peru.
Cesar Ulloa comments. “I have absolutely relished every moment working with Gaston Acurio, it’s simply been amazing. Since I began my journey at La Mar I have learned so much – and what drives me is that the learning never stops. Through working as part of the La Mar team I strive for perfection (but in a simple way) and always look for intense flavours with the aim of ensuring each bite gives an explosion of flavour. I’m excited to educate the world about Peruvian Cuisine.
“Passion, commitment, responsibility, and love for what you do – is what drives me in my career”.
