Chef Luis Morillo Arcila

Chef At Home in Cañas

With over 20 years of experience, I have explored the kitchens of the world, infusing my soul into every dish I create. From the bold flavors of Venezuela to the rich traditions of Colombia, the vibrant fusion of Panama, and the natural bounty of Costa Rica, each place has shaped my culinary identity. I don’t just cook—I craft experiences, honoring the flavors and stories of the places I have called home.

For me, cooking is...

The kitchen is my sanctuary, where tradition and creativity blend to create flavors that tell stories, turning each dish into a cherished memory.

I learned to cook at...

I trained as a professional chef, blending culinary education with global experiences to master techniques and create exceptional flavors.

A cooking secret...

The secret in the kitchen? Passion, precision, and respect for each ingredient—because great food starts with love and attention to detail.

My menus

Raíces Cotidianas

STARTER

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House Chifrijo: Crispy pork belly, tender beans, pico de gallo, and rice

Tostones with Creole Sour Cream: Fried green plantains with coastal-style sour cream sauce and cilantro

Traditional Tilapia Ceviche: Citrus-marinated tilapia with red onion, sweet pepper, and toasted corn

FIRST COURSE

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Black Bean Soup with Poached Egg: Black bean broth with local spices and corn toast

Country Salad: Fresh lettuce, tomato, fresh cheese, avocado, and passion fruit vinaigrette

Potato and Artisan Chorizo Hash: Served with homemade tortillas

MAIN COURSE

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Traditional Casado: Rice, beans, sweet plantains, fresh salad, and beef in Creole sauce

Garlic Tilapia: Served with yuca purée and sautéed vegetables

Chicken in Achiote and Coconut Sauce: Served with cilantro rice and white beans

DESSERT

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Coconut and Caramel Flan

Three-Milk Cake with Drip-Brewed Coffee

Papaya Sweet with Fresh Cheese

Chef’s Surprise Essentials Menu

STARTER

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Peruvian causa stuffed with smoked chicken and avocado

Cassava arepitas with coastal-style sour cream and crispy pork rinds

Sweet plantain croquettes with fresh cheese and chili sauce

FIRST COURSE

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Heirloom tomato salad with farmer's cheese and passion fruit vinaigrette

Sweet corn soup with coconut and curry notes

Corn toast with white fish ceviche

MAIN COURSE

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Braised chicken with tamarind sauce and sweet potato purée

Baked fish with an herb crust and coconut rice

Beef stew with Creole spices and tender bean rice

DESSERT

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Soursop mousse with cacao crumble

Coconut flan with panela caramel

Passion fruit tart with oat cookie crust

Origen Privado

STARTER

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Tuna Tartare with Avocado Emulsion and Purple Yuca Chips

Crispy Pork Belly Arepitas with Guasacaca and Smoked Cheese Foam

Octopus Carpaccio with Passion Fruit Vinaigrette and Local Cilantro

Corn Empanadas Stuffed with Lobster and Mandarin Lime Aioli

FIRST COURSE

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Seafood Soup with Coconut Milk, Turmeric, and Panamanian Chili

Fresh hearts of palm salad with avocado and tamarind vinaigrette

Corvina Tiradito with Aji Amarillo, Mango, and Passion Fruit Pearls

Braised Pork Terrine with Guava Chutney and Crispy Plantains

MAIN COURSE

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Whole Grilled Red Snapper with Fresh Herb Mojo and Truffled Yuca Purée

Beef Tenderloin with Local Spice Crust and Drip-Brewed Coffee Reduction

Seabass in Crab Butter Sauce with Pejibaye Risotto

Braised Lamb with Spices and Cane Honey, Served with Sweet Potato Purée and Asparagus

DESSERT

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Costa Rican Cocoa Mousse with Almond Crunch

Artisan Soursop Ice Cream with Spiced Rum Reduction

Passion Fruit and Mango Tart with Ginger Meringue

Coconut Soufflé with Caramel Cream and Rum

Ocean & Catch Prestige Menu

STARTER

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Fresh mussels with passion fruit caviar and yuzu emulsion

Red tuna carpaccio with sesame emulsion and white truffle

King crab toasts with avocado foam and sweet chili

Miso and passion fruit glazed langoustines on crispy yuca

FIRST COURSE

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Blue crab salad with mango pearls and seafood foam

Salmon tiradito with dry white wine reduction and cilantro oil

Lobster bisque with coconut and ginger foam

Crab-stuffed ravioli with butter and sage sauce

MAIN COURSE

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Red snapper with nut crust, artichoke purée, and vanilla oil

Grilled lobster with fine herb butter and creamy saffron rice

Papillote-cooked sea bass with sea urchin butter and steamed vegetables

Caribbean lobster risotto with seafood reduction and black truffle oil

DESSERT

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Chocolate soufflé with aged rum reduction and vanilla cream

Tropical pavlova with passion fruit meringue and exotic fruits

Coconut crème brûlée with cane caramel and cocoa crunch

Pistachio ice cream with soursop reduction and almond crumble

Chef’s Surprise Prestige Menu

STARTER

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Fresh oysters with passion fruit granita and citrus

Wagyu tartare with mustard emulsion and wasabi caviar

Lobster fritters with saffron mayonnaise

Mini corn arepas with foie gras and red wine reduction

FIRST COURSE

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Octopus carpaccio with truffle oil and black olive powder

Artichoke cream with crispy parmesan and Iberian ham

Burrata salad with roasted peaches and pistachio pesto

Confit langoustines with coconut foam and yellow chili

MAIN COURSE

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Beef tenderloin with Malbec wine reduction and cauliflower purée

Confit duck with wild mushroom risotto and fig sauce

Salt-baked sea bass with lemon emulsion and basil foam

Crispy suckling pig with tamarind reduction and fondant potatoes

DESSERT

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70% chocolate mousse with hazelnut crumble

Vanilla mille-feuille with passion fruit cream and toasted almonds

Soursop soufflé with raspberry coulis

White truffle ice cream with cacao crumble and sea salt

Sazón Mestizo

STARTER

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Plantain toston with Creole guacamole and fresh cheese

Heart of palm and mango ceviche with yellow chili

Fried arepitas with hogao sauce and coastal sour cream

FIRST COURSE

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Corn and smoked cheese soup

Heirloom tomato salad with avocado and passion fruit vinaigrette

Cassava toast with bean cream and pico de gallo

MAIN COURSE

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Grilled chicken with fresh herb chimichurri and sweet potato purée

Pabellón Criollo (black beans, rice, shredded beef, and ripe plantain)

Tilapia in a coconut crust with pigeon pea rice

DESSERT

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Coffee and cocoa flan

Passion fruit tres leches

Churros with dulce de leche and cinnamon

SURPRISE MENU - BASIC

STARTER

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Peruvian causa stuffed with smoked chicken and avocado

Cassava arepitas with coastal-style sour cream and crispy pork rinds

Sweet plantain croquettes with fresh cheese and chili sauce

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Heirloom tomato salad with farmer's cheese and passion fruit vinaigrette

Sweet corn soup with coconut and curry notes

Corn toast with white fish ceviche

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Braised chicken with tamarind sauce and sweet potato purée

Baked fish with an herb crust and coconut rice

Beef stew with Creole spices and tender bean rice

DESSERT

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Soursop mousse with cacao crumble

Coconut flan with panela caramel

Passion fruit tart with oat cookie crust

Local Cuisine - Temptation Menu

STARTER

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Mini Arepas with Braised Pork and Guasacaca

Corvina Ceviche with Passion Fruit and Plantain Chips

Patacones with Garlic Shrimp and Avocado Cream

FIRST COURSE

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Pejibaye Soup with Smoked Cheese and Homemade Croutons

Beef Carpaccio with Cilantro Aioli and Yuca Tostones

Warm Palm Heart Salad with Fresh Cheese and Guava Vinaigrette

MAIN COURSE

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Fried Red Snapper with Coconut Rice and Caribbean Salad

Braised Beef Ribs with Sweet Potato Purée and Grilled Vegetables

Stuffed Chicken with Palm Cheese and Spinach, Tamarind Sauce, and Creamy Rice

DESSERT

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Soursop Cheesecake with Cane Honey Reduction

Rice Pudding Infused with Spices and Artisan Rum

Costa Rican Cocoa Tart with Local Vanilla Ice Cream

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Chef Luis's reviews

4.72

•

82 services

Unbelievable experience with Chef Luis and his team, highly recommend to everyone. Thank you for making our trip unforgettable

Primer me parece fabuloso el sistema de la página, una forma fácil y sencilla de encontrar lo que necesitas. El chef Luis, cumplió todas nuestras expectativas y más, fue muy agradable su presencia y servicio. Se preparó desde muy antes, trabajó en silencio en su espacio, ordenado, meticuloso, tiene una personalidad preciosa, que transmite confianza y seguridad de que él puede con todo y que uno sencillamente debe relajarse. La comida deliciosa, la presentación preciosa, explicaba cada plato antes de comerlo y luego al final cuando recogieron y limpiaron todo quedó tan bien, que parece que en esa cocina nada pasó. Nos sentimos muy consentidos por él.

We had Chef Luis and with him was chef/bartender Alejandro- and they were incredible. We booked them for both breakfast and dinner and we were wishing we hired them for every day of our trip. Their service was outstanding. They were very personable, punctual, polite and their stories behind what they do were the best part. They definitely left as our friends. If you want an experience that not only entails the best food you will ever taste in your life, but people with a great heart behind it- these are your people! I will continue to book and recommend them to anyone when they come to Costa Rica. Thank you again. You guys made our first experience in Costa Rica incredible. ❤️

Our chef adjusted the menu for a meat allergy as well as a vegetarian family member. He and his wife were very attentive and just a plain joy in all our interactions! We would hire them again in a heartbeat!

Luis and his team were fabolous. Loved them as people and Luis as a chef. It was a sad sad day when our time with him ended. Would hire him again and recommend him without hestitation.

Luis was amazing and made everything about our night truly one to remember. Food was delicious the plate up was very pretty and each course was explained perfectly. Definitely recommend Luis for dinner.

Chef Luis was very professional and polite. We loved that the menu was printed each night showing the order in which the food would arrive. The food was delicious and presented beautifully. The chef prepared meals was one of the biggest highlights of our trip. I can’t say enough good things about the experience.

Muy buen servicio personalizado. Estuvieron atentos y el almuerzo de 4 tiempos fue de muy buena calidad. En general los comentarios de la familia fue de alta satisfacción. Los recomiendo para este tipo de actividades.

Chef Luis Ramón Morillo Arcila was absolutely amazing! This was my first time hiring a private chef, and we decided to hire Chef Luis for a 7-day stay in the Uvita region in Costa Rica. We stayed with another family (4 adults, and 4 kids 5-9yo with picky tastes). Before our trip: he gave us a variety of sample menus to pick from, worked with our budget, and picked out some meals that were more and less fancy depending on the day. That's what led us to choose him. He was also flexible with the method we paid him, which was very nice. We had him come daily! He fixed us excellent 3-4 course meals, appetizers, starters, mains and desserts for every meal. Every meal was different, so fresh, creative, and he incorporated tons of seafood, lobster, seasonal fruit and veggies - We did NOT go hungry this trip. Quite the opposite! His chilled, fresh-squeezed juices (mango/papaya/pineapple mixes) I am still craving days later. The kiddos tried everything, but he also prepared them more simple meals during our very fancy ones (tuna tartare, lobster risotto). He made them mac and cheese/grilled cheese or other sandwiches. He asked for feedback between meals, and how he could improve - he worked with our busy schedule for timing too. Two of the days, we booked him for 2 meals! I think I would have been just fine with 1 meal a day (it was so filling), so that would be the only thing we would change (only having him do 1 meal a day). He served drinks while we waited, and cleaned up 125% including taking out the trash, and leaving the place spotless, and taking care of a few extra messy dishes we created. We tipped him mid-week and at the end on top for his superior service :). Would hire again, and left a great impression of private chefs -which we will do for other countries in the future. Just a warning: it will spoil you for any restaurants in the region, as he cooked better than all of them! Katie and Justin C; Charleston, South Carolina

Luis Ramon and his assistant cook were a wonderful addition to our stay in La Fortuna. We had Luis Ramon cook for us in our Airbnb one of our nights - The food was incredible and Chef took special care to make all of the dishes meet our friend's dietary restrictions. Not only that but they communicated clearly through out the whole process, arrived on time, spaced the courses out perfectly, and left our kitchen in pristine condition. I couldn't recommend Luis Ramon more highly!

Un menú delicioso y una maravillosa experiencia. Mi hija y mi esposo quedaron encantados con el servicio y la calidad de la comida. Altamente recomendado para eventos privados.

Luis was great! He was very communicative, responsive. The food was delicious. My friends were very happy to receive such a wonderful birthday present. Thank you!