First, I'd like to apologize for not writing this review sooner. A year has almost passed since a group of friends and I experienced the amazing food and all-around hospitality provided by Chef Daveed. We are currently planning a new trip to a different destination and couldn't help but reminisce on our experience with Daveed, the single-most memorable highlight from our last trip to Mexico...
Our group of 6-10 thirty-somethings from NYC hired Chef Daveed to provide both breakfast and dinner on each day of our week-long vacation. We were staying at a house in the Sian Ka'an biosphere reserve which is notoriously difficult to access, especially at night. For us, driving to eat in Tulum each day would have been extremely difficult and not worth the hassle. We contemplated cooking ourselves, but this would have taken away from our intended experience. Chef Daveed, coming from Akumal, arrived on time and without complaints, twice a day.
Daveed offers an abundance of options from a designed menu. and we thoroughly enjoyed them all. In addition to this -- and what we eventually preferred -- was having Daveed cook whatever he wanted. Each morning at Breakfast he would talk to us about dinner to feel us out and with every meal we were continually impressed. Some of our favorites were twists on his family recipes -- for which he was slightly hesitant to offer as he considered them "simple" and not as impressive -- but for us they were unbelievable and instant favorites. This also made it more authentic and ultimately more unique. There wasn't a single item that we didn't enjoy. Daveed took great care in plating and setting up the dining area as well. We ate most meals outside on a long rustic table and each time we went out we were thoroughly impressed. From the placements to the overall aesthetic, it was reminiscent of a spread in a magazine and something we continually looked forward to.
The length of stay for each person in our group was different -- with arrivals and departures staggered -- resulting in a different amount of people eating each meal per day. Daveed handled this as efficiently as possible and our grocery bills never exceeded our expectations or what Daveed previously estimated. For meals where we had the most people, Daveed brought an assistant (which was sometimes his mom) to help with prep and clean-up. This made things run even smoother. By the time they left each day the kitchen and dining areas were cleaner then before they arrived and the fridge stocked with any leftovers (though on most nights there wasn't any).
There were so many amazing aspects of the overall experience. From providing birthday cakes to picking up wine or beer on the way in, he continually went out of his way for us and well beyond what we expected. In addition to providing amazing food and service, Daveed was very friendly and humble. A lot of what made the experience so enjoyable was how personable he is. We had a handful of great conversations and really enjoyed getting to know him outside of the chef/client dynamic.
Thank you Daveed and I'm really looking forward to next time! read more