Chef Jersaí Miranda Sánchez

Mexican-born Jersaí Miranda Sánchez grew up in the kitchen—his mother, father, and older brother all loved to cook—Sánchez remembers the constant scent of firewood and carnitas wafting from their family’s courtyard. His first job as a teenager was at a fast food restaurant—and he fell in love with the energy, the pace, the frenetic combination of it all. He went on to study at the Culinary College of Morelia, traveling across the country learning about the vast range of regional ingredients, techniques, and flavors.

Upon moving to the Mexican Caribbean, Sánchez worked at Thompson Hotel Playa del Carmen, and then joined the award-winning team at PRIMO, led by Chef Pedro Abascal, where he helped earn the restaurant’s nomination for “Best Restaurant in Riviera Maya” by Travel & Leisure in 2019. That same year, Sánchez was a semifinalist in the Cocinero del Año (Chef of the Year) Awards. Chef Jersaí is best recognized for his honest, impassioned cooking and artful mix of modern and traditional Mexican cuisine—his love for it all clearly evident in every dish.