Key Points
Highlight Baja California’s growing culinary influence through the Chileno Bay Resort’s Baja Lab Kitchen series featuring renowned chefs from October to December 2025.
Detail the participation of chefs Evan Funke, Daniela Soto-Innes, and the return of Uchi, each contributing unique culinary experiences blending Baja flavors with global cuisines.
Note the expansion of Baja’s food culture internationally, exemplified by the opening of Playa Mexican restaurant on Australia’s Sunshine Coast inspired by Baja California.
Baja California’s culinary influence is making waves far beyond its sun-drenched shores, inspiring chefs, restaurateurs, and food lovers from Los Cabos to Australia’s Sunshine Coast. As the region’s signature flavors and inventive spirit gain global traction, two standout stories from late 2025—one rooted in the experimental kitchens of Los Cabos and the other at a bustling new eatery in Bokarina—reveal just how far Baja’s food culture has traveled. Yet, as tourism and culinary innovation flourish, concerns about the environmental impact of this boom are also coming to the fore, adding complexity to the region’s evolving identity.
At the heart of Baja’s gastronomic renaissance is the Chileno Bay Resort & Residences, Auberge Collection, which has become a beacon for culinary experimentation thanks to its ongoing Baja Lab Kitchen series. According to the resort, this fall and winter will see a trio of acclaimed chefs take up residency in Los Cabos, turning the resort into a living laboratory for culinary creativity. The series is more than just a parade of pop-up dinners; it’s a platform designed to showcase Baja California’s seasonal bounty while fostering hands-on collaboration between visiting chefs and local culinary leaders.
The 2025 Baja Lab Kitchen line-up is as ambitious as it is eclectic. October brings Los Angeles-based Chef Evan Funke—revered for his mastery of Italian cuisine and his hit restaurants Felix, Mother Wolf, and Funke—to the shores of Cabo. Funke will lead a pasta-making workshop at YAYA on October 30 and 31, giving guests a rare chance to learn from a true artisan. The experience culminates in a four-course dinner at COMAL, co-hosted with Chef Yvan Mucharraz, where traditional Italian techniques meet the bold flavors of Baja. According to Chileno Bay, this hands-on approach is what sets the series apart, offering guests not just a meal but a deep dive into the creative process.
November 21 sees the arrival of Chef Daniela Soto-Innes, a culinary superstar recognized as the youngest and first Mexican chef to be named World’s Best Female Chef by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Soto-Innes, whose résumé includes acclaimed stints at New York’s Cosme and Atla, as well as her current project Rubra in Nayarit, will host a one-night-only event at COMAL. Teaming up with Chef Mucharraz and Executive Chef Orli Del Angel, she’ll present a menu that’s as personal as it is daring, paired with select wines from Napa Valley’s Cervantes Winery. The resort describes the evening as a “refined layer of sensory discovery”—a phrase that hints at the immersive, boundary-pushing ethos of the entire Baja Lab Kitchen program.
As the year winds down, the much-anticipated return of Uchi—a Japanese concept celebrated for its inventive take on sushi and omakase—will cap off the series from December 18 to 21. Uchi’s residency at La Playita promises a fusion of signature nigiri, temaki, and sushi with a special Baja-inspired omakase, reflecting the region’s openness to global influences and culinary cross-pollination. Earlier in 2025, the Baja Lab Kitchen hosted luminaries like Michelin-starred Josiah Citrin and Chef Timothy Hollingsworth, cementing Chileno Bay’s reputation as a destination for those seeking rare, immersive food experiences in a spectacular setting.
Set on one of Cabo’s few year-round swimmable beaches, Chileno Bay Resort offers 119 luxurious accommodations, contemporary design, and a full spectrum of wellness and dining amenities. As the resort puts it, the Baja Lab Kitchen is not just about food—it’s about deepening the connection between local culture and global culinary excellence, making Los Cabos a vibrant hub for gastronomic exploration.
But Baja’s culinary influence isn’t confined to Mexico. Thousands of miles away, on Australia’s Sunshine Coast, restaurateur Tony Kelly has tapped into the spirit of Baja California with the launch of Playa Mexican—a beachside restaurant in Bokarina that’s already making waves. According to Kelly, Playa Mexican is a bold homage to Baja’s coastal cuisine, blending West Coast Mexican food trends with local Australian tastes. The restaurant, which opened in mid-September 2025 at the base of the Seanna Residences, quickly became the busiest opening in the Tony Kelly Restaurant Group’s history—by double, as Kelly proudly notes.
Kelly’s journey to Playa Mexican began years before Mexican cuisine gained its current popularity in Australia. Inspired by new-wave eateries in the United States and a research trip to Los Angeles and Chicago, Kelly and his team immersed themselves in the flavors and culture of Baja Californian Mexican food. “That’s the style of cuisine we wanted to do,” Kelly explains. “We didn’t really want to do traditional Mexican in any way, shape or form and I think the Californians do it really well.”
Playa Mexican is designed to be as flexible as it is inviting, with room for 300 guests across indoor, outdoor, and bar spaces. The venue’s design—described as “an ode to earthy elegance”—draws on both ocean and desert for inspiration, featuring timber, stone, and woven textures alongside a color palette of agave green, terracotta, salt white, and sky blue. The tequila bar, with its own distinct identity, offers a curated selection of tequila, mezcal, and margaritas, alongside a tight, thoughtfully chosen wine list.
What truly sets Playa Mexican apart, though, is its menu. Executive chef Harry Lilai has crafted a seafood-driven lineup that draws heavily on local Mooloolaba produce—think birria beef croquettes, corn ribs with achiote soy crema, and guacamole with crispy tortillas to start. The seafood section features oysters, prawn aguachile, and half-shell scallop ceviche, while tacos come filled with barbecue octopus, duck with orange salsa, pork belly with salsa verde, and fish and prawn taquitos. Larger plates include boneless barbecue chicken with pineapple butter and beef tri-tip with braised beans and salsa borracha. As Kelly puts it, “If there’s anything that I can say about Mexican food, it’s certainly produce driven. If our produce fails, the restaurant will fail, because there’s nowhere to hide with [Mexican cuisine].”
Playa’s runaway success speaks to both the growing appetite for Mexican cuisine on the Sunshine Coast and Kelly’s knack for translating global trends into local hits. “People from on the Sunshine Coast now really know what they’re talking about regarding food,” Kelly says. “They’re not novices – they appreciate great food and they know what great food looks like. So far, it looks as though we’ve given the locals what they wanted.”
Yet, amid the culinary boom and the influx of visitors, Los Cabos faces a pressing challenge: balancing economic growth with environmental stewardship. According to a recent expert warning, the region’s ecotourism surge—while a boon for the local economy—has brought unintended consequences for wildlife. Poorly regulated turtle releases and boat tours are reportedly harming local species, prompting calls for tighter oversight to protect the fragile ecosystems that make Baja so unique.
As Baja California’s food and tourism sectors continue to evolve, the region finds itself at a crossroads. The world is taking notice of its culinary creativity and natural beauty, but the sustainability of this success will depend on careful management and a willingness to protect what makes it special. For now, whether you’re savoring a Baja-inspired omakase in Los Cabos or enjoying a beachside taco on Australia’s Sunshine Coast, it’s clear that Baja’s influence is here to stay—and its future is as tantalizing as its cuisine.
Dining and Cooking