- CHEF -

ALEJANDRO

CUELLAR

Born in Puebla, Mexico, Alejandro Cuellar grew up in the atmosphere of flavors, colors, and history. Tasting the Mexican Kitchen's true flavors, fascinated with the use of local ingredients by his mother and her expert ability to make complex mixtures of herbs and spices.

Inspired by the flavors and essences, he moved to California in 1994. He started with great enthusiasm to navigate every Restaurant's task from a dishwasher until developing high effectiveness in managing the entire restaurant operations.

Alejandro worked and climbed the ranks, overseeing food quality, creating menus. He was a lead staff in famous restaurants like Black Agnus, P.F.Chang, and Ritz Carlton.In 2004, Alejandro met the chef/proprietor Dee Nguyen, a pioneer of Asian fusion innovative cuisine. Today, his mentor and friend, who shared his creativity and experience cooking for many years, turned Alejandro's passion for running his own culinary business.

Balvina's Kitchen is the name selected as a tribute to his mother. A woman who taught him not only cuisine techniques and ingredients but also the best advice: "if you love what you do, you put everything in that."