Authentic Mexican food requires many herbs, spices, and vegetables that can't be found here, Perez says, noting that he brought many ingredients with him. That will give Chinese diners the chance to experience the most authentic dishes of his country.
Besides traditional dishes he grew up eating, Perez will showcase some modern twists, like his tequila-style shrimps. The trendy Mexican liquor is not there for its alcoholic effect, he says, but to impart the complex flavor of agave, the desert plant distilled to make tequila.
Perez got through school with no clear idea what he wanted for a career, and ultimately harkened back to his childhood.
"My father and mother both cooked," he says, but it's his nanny that evokes the most vivid kitchen memories.
"Food was the way she showed me love," he says with a big grin, and that idea resonated long after.
Today, Perez is a roving ambassador for the cuisine of his country, which was declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2010. Most recently he spent three months in India, hosting weeklong food festivals in cities all over that food-loving country, and another stint in Ethiopia, where he cooked for 450 diplomats at a dinner for the Mexican embassy.
"I like to prepare foods I think will amaze people," he says.
If you go
Flavors of Mexico
Through May 1: A la carte menu at One East restaurant; lunch and dinner buffet at Elements restaurant
April 23-24: Tequila tasting at Zeta bar (RSVP required)
April 25, 3-4:30 pm: Cooking class at Elements (RSVP required)
Address: Hilton Beijing, 1 Dongfang Road, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-5865-5125.
