Chef Misael Canché
“Kim Káamikech Yéetel Kiímak Óolal” (I welcome you with joy). This is how chef Misael Canché welcomes guests to his restaurant Kanché, meaning “wooden snake” or “stick snake” in Mayan, a space that seeks to build a bridge between Yucatán and Querétaro.
Canché is a Yucatecan researcher, chef, and entrepreneur. After years of advising restaurants and leading gastronomic projects, he decided to strike out on his own and share his culinary knowledge through an intimate and personal concept.
Thus, Kanché Restaurant was born, in the heart of one of the busiest residential areas of Querétaro. His proposal is nourished by the deep love that this land has for the cuisine of its grandmothers, mothers, and ancestors, as he himself calls them.
Although it officially opened in July 2025, it has quickly become a benchmark; the best-kept secret for breakfast in Querétaro and, according to many, the place with the best Yucatecan food in the Bajío region.
el Restaurante writer Alfredo Espinola interviewed Canché about his restaurant.
Tell us a little about yourself and your career in gastronomy.
I am originally from Peto, a Mayan community in southern Yucatán. From my mother's womb, I was nourished by the flavors of my land, and as I grew up, it was my grandmothers who shaped me. They passed on to me their skills and the gift of seasoning. Every time I cook, I invoke them; they are present in the rituals of the flavors of the Mayab, enriched with the colors of the world.
In 2012, I turned my passion into a profession by graduating as a gastronome and later specializing in restaurant management. I discovered my true calling in the kitchens of my students' grandmothers when I was teaching. In 2020, I received the Ricardo Muñoz Zurita Medal, which for me represents an Olympic gold medal in culinary research.
Today, I travel throughout Mexico and abroad with the banner “Yucatecan cuisine without borders,” spreading and preserving the edible jewels of the land of pheasants and deer. At the same time, I am preparing my most important project in the heart of the country: Restaurante Altar.
How did you end up in Querétaro?
In 2023, I was invited to cook a Day of the Dead menu in San Miguel de Allende. I brought ingredients from the south to the Bajío region, and we transformed them into works of art that connected with and moved the attendees. Like my ancestors, we made offerings before eating. After that experience, a group invited me to collaborate as a consultant in some restaurants, including those in Querétaro.
What inspired you to create a special Yucatecan menu for Kanché in Querétaro?
My teachers. They have names and roots: Mirna, Marina, Eneyda from Tekax, Celia, Mocita from Peto, Carmen from Tixmehuac, Isadora from Ticul, María from Akil, Francisca from Oxkutzcab, Miriam from Mérida, and Luisa from Valladolid. Mothers, grandmothers, and artisans of flavor. My motivation is to transcend their stories and their dishes. Some diners even travel to Yucatán to meet them.
What unique ingredients or spices stand out on this menu?
· Achiote, red like the rising sun
· The ashes of the chawá ik país chili, which evoke the night and the skin of the jaguar.
· Melipona honey, golden like the stars of the Mayab
How do you balance authenticity and innovation in your dishes?
Yucatecan cuisine cannot be improvised. It requires knowledge, respect, and creativity. Like the Maya, who were natural inventors, we use technology and research to recreate authentic flavors outside the peninsula. Each dish is backed by research and heart.
What are the signature dishes that best express your vision?
Yucatecan-style cochinita pibil, made with authentic ingredients and Yucatecan hands. The Yucatecans themselves who try it at Kanché say it reminds them of their homeland. Those who discover it for the first time feel the urge to travel to Yucatan.
How has Kanché impacted the gastronomic experience in Querétaro?
Today, Yucatecan cuisine is on the world stage. At Kanché, we welcome diners who arrive with clear expectations, fueled by their travels or social media. And they leave happy; they write to us to congratulate us and ask us to expand the menu. This motivates the front-of-house and kitchen teams, who joyfully perform the daily ritual of offering an authentic Yucatecan menu in the Bajío region.
Editor's Note: Chef Canché shared two recipes with el Restaurante. Click the links below to read them:
Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to el Restaurante's digital publications for free by clicking here.