REVISTA PALMAS_66 ABRIL 2022

FOOD NETWORK
KITCHEN
expenses etc. That’s given me an
advantage many chefs don’t have.
I am thankful for that.”
She became an observer, she
traveled to learn, and she even
worked backstage at the Food
Channel. “It’s a very competitive
world, and you have to be always
learning and creating.”
Another aspect of her development
as chef was the experience
of being forced to leave Puerto
Rico. “I was so sad. Being separated
from my kids, from all my family…we
lost everything. I arrived
in Texas with a backpack and the
shoes I was wearing, nothing else.
The rest is history.” Yia worked
as an Executive Chef at Le Cirque
and at El Bellagio both ranked
among the best restaurants in the
world.
“That nostalgia made me cling
more to what Puerto Rico is. This
sparked my creativity and made
me look for inspiration in the
things I saw. The colors…I learned
to see the colors of my island and
to create dishes. I discovered that
creativity is what makes you different.
I learned to play with food,
(contrary to what they teach us at
home). I learned about French,
Italian cuisine, etc. and made my
own dishes. I have a saying that
goes: If you tell me I can’t do it I’m
going to do it twice and I’m going
to take pictures.”
The role of the female chef
In this industry, women are underestimated.
It is a male dominated
industry. One would think that
women own the kitchen but ironically
this is not the case. There are
many additional pressures that
men do not have. “Many times, I
went to job interviews that asked
me if I was married and if I had
children, something that they
wouldn’t even think to ask men.
Instead of getting frustrated, I
turned it into something positive
and a teaching moment for my
daughters and my son (15, 11
and 7 years old) -- you can have
it all! You can be a mother and a
professional.
The come back
“I was in another interview for a
hotel in Miami when they called
me from the Wyndham Palmas,
Puerto Rico. When they told me
it was to work in Palmas del Mar
and they showed me pictures, I
immediately said yes!” The rest
is history. Within three weeks, Yia
was back in her adored Puerto
Rico and in Palmas.
Yia’s plans for us
She began with re-imagining
everything about the hotels’
restaurants, starting with the
transformation of the Lobby Café
that will be based on the history of
coffee in PR.
Every space has its story, every
space has a story to tell. The main
restaurant is called Trova because
the trova is an improvisation,
like the food, which arises from
inspiration. “I want to use local
products as much as possible,
and thanks to the Farmers Market
I have been able to contact
many local producers and support
them, putting them on the
menu.” At night, Trova becomes -
T - a fine dining restaurant, based
on dishes to share. Everything is
designed to be shared. “After all,
the most important decisions in
history have been made around
a table, that’s how important food
is,” she stated.
Food affects the spirit...
Food, as we know, is essential, it
can change a person’s mood. “I experienced
it when Hurricane Maria.
When I was there with José Andrés
who started the World Center Kitchen,
I saw how a sandwich changes a person’s
life. I joined them. I’ve been with
World Center Kitchen for 5 years—travelling
with them to wherever we are
needed. I spent two weeks with them
during the earthquakes in southern PR
working under a tent providing food to
12,000 people every day because one
day they did it for me. Food, apart from
the stomach, affects the spirit. When
I was in the US they made me some
pickled guineitos (green bananas)…I
burst into tears. It reminded me of
my grandmother’s guineitos. Food
transports you, brings back memories,
experiences from the past.”
Sushi in sight
“We are going to have a Sushi
restaurant where the Wine Cellar is.
Something small, exclusive, where
our customers can witness how the
chef prepares dishes, all fresh in
front of them.”
The oven returns...
The pool oven is returning with
new things besides pizza.
We keep inventing. We are open
to new ideas and projects. The sky is
the limit and Yia doesn’t believe in
impossibilities. s