Set off on the tree-lined stretch of road between 5th and 10th Avenues on 34th Street in Playa del Carmen is nothing less than one of Playa del Carmen’s top restaurants.
Known as Axiote, pronounced Ash-ee-oh-teh, this superb eatery is a tribute to the depth, diversity, and outright deliciousness of Mexican cuisine.
Xavier Perez Stone, the culinary mastermind behind Axiote, started the restaurant in 2011 following his being crowned as Mexico’s best chef.
Part of the prize included a capital investment to help start up a restaurant.
Alas, Playa del Carmen had the honor of seeing the birth of Xavier’s first restaurant: Axiote.
The atmosphere is inviting and rustic, with an open kitchen at the back providing a welcoming view of a complete culinary experience for the senses.
The winner of Iron Chef Canada in 2014, Xavier continues to garner recognition for his talent and dedication to Mexican cuisine both nationally and aboard.
Chef Xavier Perez Stone
Speaking with Xavier is a no-nonsense affair.
He’s someone who is confident and proud, conscious of who he is and what he gives of himself through food.
And he’s generous.
Not only does he sincerely hope that each and every client leaves his restaurant satisfied for an integral sensorial dining experience; part of his gastronomic journey includes inviting some of the top chefs from all over Mexico to prepare their specialties in his restaurant.
In a world of über-competition, chronic narcissism, and little to no solidarity in society, his proposal and generosity to share and learn among equals are enriching for both the participating chefs as well as those fortunate to try their fantastic creations.
Xavier on Mexican Cuisine & the Concept of Axiote
We sat down with Xavier to learn more about the concept of Axiote.
His answers were as direct as they were enlightening.
Before I knew that Axiote belonged on the list of best Riviera Maya and Playa del Carmen restaurants, now I understand why.
My respect.
What’s the concept of Axiote?
Mexican cuisine. Food that is 100% made out of Mexican products. We don’t use anything that comes from somewhere else in the world. So to be that; to represent Mexican cuisine in our own understanding and our own experience, with our vision as both cooks and people who love to eat. That’s what Axiote is all about. Making good dishes that are well-served and satisfy any appetite in terms of portion and taste, and always looking to have fun. For me, the kitchen has to be festive, entertaining.
How would you define Mexican cuisine?
In my opinion, it’s the best in the world. We have absolutely everything we need to be the best. I do think we can learn from other cultures, for instance in terms of certain techniques or food handling, taking carry of the ingredients, which we can then use to complement our own cuisine. We could eat a different meal 365 days a year in Mexico.
A lot of people confuse Mexican cuisine with Tex-Mex and that’s all they see…
Mexican cuisine is much more than just tacos or mole. We have an amazing culture, and we can make millions of different things. More than define Mexican cuisine, I think we should invite people to go outside of their culinary comfort zone. For instance, to be curious and investigate where to eat, what they prepare, who’s doing it, and the type of food they serve up, and then to go outside their normal boundaries and try something new.
At Axiote you have a menu plus daily specials. Why’s that?
Yes, we do have a fixed menu but the truth is we are a little restless. So we have a menu and then daily specials, but the menu changes constantly as well. We are very dependent on the season, and we’re definitely of the philosophy that if something isn’t available then it simply isn’t available. There’s no need to go complaining, fighting with the supplier or trying to bring it in from somewhere else. We can’t get it? Okay, then we don’t have it. Likewise, when it’s close season on certain species of fish then it’s no question, we have to respect that. For instance, we’ll purchase frozen lobster when there’s a ban on lobster, but when it’s in season then we’ll have it fresh.
However, we don’t consume local fish. Some people hear that and are surprised, but we have a lot of contact with the local seafood stores and fishing cooperatives. The thing is, it’s increasingly more difficult to get good fish here. This whole strip, this whole zone, produces reef fish. Fish such as grouper are being brought in smaller all the time. The poor grouper should be left alone because they’re being overfished. The same goes for boquinete (hogfish snapper).
That’s why we bring in fish from Cozumel. We have the advantage that they bring them in from the other side of the island, about two to three nautical miles away. They catch good-sized fish. Whenever they have something and call us to ask us if we want it. If we do, they’ll bring it to us.
What role do pairings play in the concept of Axiote?
Well, pairings are definitely in vogue right now. At Axiote, for instance, we give preference to local craft brews. We serve those that we believe are the best regional beers including Akumal, Mundo Maya, Pescadores, and Tulum. Then we also serve a few from other states in Mexico. We have some from Monterrey and Colima, a few from San Miguel de Allende, and also from Oaxaca.
Likewise, our entire wine menu is made up of Mexican wines; none are imported from other countries. Furthermore, we don’t sell any of the wines from the more commercial wineries such as Casa Madero, Monte Xanic or Santo Tomas. Instead, we want to give preference to the smaller wineries or ones that are just trying to get started. We work with Aborigen, Norte 32, and Pijoan. They are small wineries that are currently making a lot of noise.
Finally, we also have a menu of over 80 different mezcals. We make sure they are all certified, participate in reseeding campaigns, and take care of the land.
What experience do you want your guests to get out of a meal at Axiote?
Man, I want 100% of everyone who comes in to leave happy. That would be the best I could achieve. I know that it’s a bit complicated at times. It’s not like I can offer a kilo of gold and everybody goes away totally stoked. Here, they come to eat, have fun, and learn a little. That’s what matters to us. We want they to eat well and have a good time. We also do our best each and every day and then try and improve on that the next day. People need to come and try it for themselves to find out if they like it. If they like it, this will always be there home. And if they don’t, well we hope they give us a second chance to make up their mind.
We also do our best each and every day and then try and improve on that the next day. People need to come and try it for themselves to find out if they like it. If they like it, this will always be there home. And if they don’t, well we hope they give us a second chance to make up their mind.
You also organize special events with invited chefs from other parts of Mexico. Tell us about it.
We do these events every two months. There’s not an exact date, but it always falls on a Wednesday. The idea is to bring a cook here and have him or her bring the idea and concept of their restaurant where we tropicalize it or “axioticise” it a little while allowing them to do absolutely anything they want.
I never say to them, “I want you to do this.” Each chef does exactly what he or she wants. They decide how and what to do, and even if they want something served in the middle of the table, shared portions or individual plates as well as how many courses they want to present.
They usually select their own wine pairings as well and bring in their favorite products, some of which wind up as a fixture of the restaurant. That happened, for instance, when Nico Mejia, who is an ambassador for Colomita beer, brought in his product and I liked it so much we now officially sell it.
The same thing happened with Alejandro Ruiz, who brought with him his mezcal, which is now our house mezcal. It’s called Rio Revuelto and we even wear the logo on our uniforms.
So the idea is that the chefs come, that they have a good time, take a few days off work to relax and get to know Playa del Carmen. We want them to become ambassadors of our destination, and ambassadors of Axiote as well.
Obviously, another aspect to this is all of the knowledge we acquire, which we also incorporate into our menu. We learn new techniques, new dishes, different products, which allows us to have more culinary elements tomorrow.
You say that this next event on May 31st with Eduardo Morali is going to be really special. What can we expect?
It’s an 8-course meal on the 31st of May. Lalo Morali will be here. The first course is going to be paired with Colimita craft beer. I’m still not sure what comes after that, but there will be like five or six wines as well. One of them will definitely be from the Aborigen winery led by Hugo D’Acosta. The desert will also be paired with a dark beer from Colimita.
The menu is going to be spectacular. We’re almost finished; we just have to finalize a few more things. He’s going to be bringing some products that he makes at his restaurant. There will be a terrine de foie and a risotto-style rice but with escamoles (ant larvae). He has some really fun ideas. We will be serving duck with what’s called a “mancha manteles” (a special stew combining meats and fruits). Honestly, Lalo is an outstanding cook.
We do these events every two months. There’s not an exact date, but it always falls on a Wednesday. The idea is to bring a cook here and have him or her bring the idea and concept of their restaurant where we tropicalize it or “axioticise” it a little while allowing them to do absolutely anything they want.
8-COURSE WINE & BEER PAIRING DINNER WITH CHEF EDUARDO MORALI
Chef Eduador Morali graduated with honors from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY.
He learned his cooking skills in the Big Apple under the guidance of chefs such as Daniel Boulud (Café Boulud, NY) and Floyd Cardoz (Tabla NYC, Top Chef Masters).
Following his involvement in several projects, Morali started as Head Chef at Eloise and then moved on to Sous Chef at the Anatol restaurant in the luxurious Las Alcobas Hotel before continuing his career as Executive Chef at Beefbar Mexico in the Camino Real Polanco Hotel.
Today, he’s back at Eloise this time as a partner to Abel Hernández and Laura Santander who together have started a new venture called Loretta Chic Bistrot.
More recently, Morali won the prize “Chef Revelación” (Breakout Chef) of the 2015 Food and Travel People´s Choice Award 2015 as well as earning 2nd place on the popular reality TV show “Top Chef México,” aired by the Sony channel in 2016.
- What: 8-Course Pairing Dinner with Chef Eduardo Morali
- When: May 31st
- Price: Early bird sale price of $720 MXN until May 10th
- R.S.V.P.: 984-803-1727 or axioteplaya@gmail.com
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