You´ve tried Thai food…Japanese food…maybe even food from different regions of Mexico. But have you ever tried a meal from a “Cocina Libre”?
What even is that?
Let us introduce you to something very cool: the concept of a freestyle kitchen. It’s our style of cooking at ATTA Cenote Restaurant, one of Tulum’s most adventurous dining experiences.
Cocina Libre, Explained
In a freestyle or free kitchen, there’s no traditional recipe to follow. Instead, the chef chooses new ways to combine fresh ingredients, guided by their senses and instincts.
It’s ok in a free kitchen to combine parts of totally different world cuisines, play with ancient ingredients in new ways, and use haute cuisine techniques on back-patio garden herbs.
“In free cooking, the chef’s imagination becomes the main ingredient,” explains ATTA Chef Daniel Franco. “It’s the freedom to innovate, without being tied down to conventional norms.”
To understand better, imagine you are a chef who has just arrived on Earth.
You’re trying pomegranates, raspberries, and chiles anchos for the first time, and notice that mixed together over crunchy fresh lettuce, they taste wonderful. You experiment, adding tart Anjou pears and cured lemon peel strips to some capulin berries you found on a nearby tree, and a splash of fresh cucumber juice. Mmm…delicious!
You’re using your taste buds and smell receptors to create your meal, without getting stuck in old ideas of “what goes together”.
That’s the basic idea behind “Cocina Libre,” at ATTA Restaurant on the banks of Cenote Tuuch in Tulum.
“The result of the free kitchen is surprising dishes full of personality,” Chef Daniel says. Let us introduce you to just a few:
ATTA’s Cocina Libre fave dishes
“At ATTA we seek to offer our guests special dishes every day, based on the day’s harvest, and in-season ingredients,” says Chef Daniel. Get ready for your mouth to water as you imagine a few examples:
Huitlacoche Ravioli with Pumpkin Flower Sauce, Caramelized Hazelnuts and Truffles
If you’re craving a new twist on deeply authentic Mexican ingredients, try this meal fit for one of Moctezuma’s legendary banquets. Italian ravioli get stuffed with huitlacoche—a delicious organic corn fungus popular in Central Mexico for millennia. They’re served with a delicate pumpkin flower sauce, caramelized hazelnuts, and a touch of truffles, creating a surprising soft-crunchy-earthy blend of flavors and textures.
Daily Local Catch Ceviche with Coconut and Rocoto Tiger’s Milk, Achiote Oil and Fried Cancha Corn Kernels:
This dish combines the freshness of Peruvian ceviche techniques with flavorful local ingredients from the Riviera Maya. Fresh locally-caught fish is marinated in a tiger´s milk made of coconut and rocoto peppers (think an apple meets a tomato meets a chile pepper). We add a dash of achiote (annato) oil for color and flavor. Then on top, crispy fried giant cancha corn kernels, yuca, and freshly squeezed lemon make for a pop-pop-pop taste and crunch explosion.
Tempura Soft Shell Crab Tacos with Black Garlic Aioli and Ancho Chile, Miltomate Marmelade and Jocoque with Hoja Santa
If you have never experienced a truly gourmet taco, get ready. These fuse Japanese cuisine with Mexican ingredients and preparation techniques. Soft shell crab is prepared in a tempura batter, then served in tacos with black garlic and chile ancho aioli. Add marmalade made with small green miltomate tomatoes, and jocoque (a thick fermented milk spread) with those fragrant hoja santa leaves that grow in local back patios, to create layers upon layers of perfectly balanced flavors.
So..by now, you’ve probably got the idea. “Cocina libre” means unique, adventurous, and truly unusual dishes we believe will totally delight your senses.
From Tradition to Adventure: Chef Daniel’s Path Into Freestyle Cooking
“Right at the beginning of my culinary career I had the opportunity to create menus for the restaurants I worked at,” remembers Daniel, whose cooking roots trace back to his Pueblan and Yucatecan grandparents.
“I was excited but it was also a huge challenge. I wanted to offer something unique that would stand out from the competition, but still respect the essence of traditional cuisine. That’s when I discovered the beauty of open cooking, because I realized that I could fuse ingredients creatively without losing authenticity.”
Chef Daniel started experimenting with surprising twists on his dishes, like mixing tropical fruits with traditional spices, or adding cutting-edge cooking techniques to classic dishes.
With each new dish he created, the buzz grew. Chef Daniel soon gained a following among customers who were looking for something different, “something that would awaken their senses and transport them beyond the known.”
As his reputation grew, he never lost sight of his Mexican traditions, but also never stopped experimenting.
“In the open kitchen chefs have the opportunity to change and adapt the menu according to the season, the availability of fresh ingredients or simply according to their current inspiration. I love keeping the menu fresh and exciting.”
Come visit us at ATTA, one of Tulum’s best new restaurants, and try Cocina Libre for yourself. We guarantee it will thrill your taste buds like never before.
