I have been lucky enough to have traveled quite a bit, and I have to say that one of the best dining experiences that I have had over the course of a week was with the Las Tejas restaurant, in San Jose, Costa Rica. It wasn’t just the food that was terrific, but also the friendliness, knowledge and warmth of the staff. The restaurant manager, Esteban, was so good, that even though we were enjoying amazing day trips, we would still look forward to our evenings, and the fantastic “special surprises”, and conversations, with Esteban. Esteban explained that Las Tejas has a ton of options to accommodate all kinds of guests, including vegans! Lucky for us, Esteban is also plant-based, and was quick to recommend the traditional Costa Rican dish, Casado, which is comprised of locally grown ingredients, like yuca, plantains, avocado, beans, homemade hummus, tortilla, and salad. Each dish was bursting with flavor, and nutrition, and we couldn’t have been happier with our meals. And because the food, and dialogue, were so enjoyable, we returned to Las Tejas each night for the remainder of our trip!
I asked Esteban if I could interview him, and he graciously agreed.
Here are a few excerpts from our conversation:
What do you love the most about your job, and this restaurant?
Esteban: “Meeting people from different places around the world. Every day we learn many things about different cultures, languages, and customs. One of our visions is to take good care of the people, and to make the people happy, especially with their stomach (laughs).”
What are you most passionate about?
Esteban: “I love the tourism industry. I have a very small business where I make fresh peanut butter, and different dressings (all vegan). I try to make them only with fresh ingredients, for example, chili pepper, tomato, parsley and oregano. I love plants, and to plant. I also love to make traditional masquerades, which is a very old Costa Rican art. We make them sometimes with paper, and sometimes with glass fiber. We use it for parades, and it is a very traditional Costa Rican art. We use it in celebrations all over the country.”
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Esteban: “One of my dreams is to have my own nursery, and grow my own produce. I have two children, 5, and 7, and they love to learn how to plant, and they are very excited when I am making the masquerades. They love that kind of art. They are vegetarian. It is kind of difficult to make them vegan from the beginning because of ice cream, cheese, and eggs. So, I am trying to explain to them why I am vegan, and the difference between vegan and vegetarian!”
Carlos was another highlight of our stay. Like Esteban, he was wise, enthusiastic, and lots of fun. Since I was on a roll, I asked Carlos a few questions as well.
Why should people eat at Las Tejas?
Carlos: “This restaurant is very particular because it is in one of the oldest hotels in the area, and there are a lot of new buildings. People like this restaurant and hotel because they like old things. We have a lot of nature, and we love it, and we know that for people like you Mike, we know there are some things that you can’t eat, or get outside the hotel, so for us, all the waiters, and our team, when it comes to people like you, we love to make you feel comfortable. When I have an experience of visiting another country, I would love to have somebody say “don’t worry about it, I am going to help you with your food! (laughs).”
What do you love most about this restaurant, Las Tejas?
Carlos: “The people. Like you, for example. 30 minutes ago we had a very good conversation, and it was very nice, it was beautiful. Every single day when I get home, I have a new story to tell my wife. We get up in the night and share stories, and I can tell her about hearing experiences from different cultures from all over the world.”
What is one of your passions in life that you would like to share?
Carlos: “I have 8 nephews, and yesterday they were dealing with ants. I said to them, let me ask you a question, who was first? The ants or you? They waited and then said the ants. And I told them that they have to respect the ants. Everything and everybody in the world needs they’re space (Carlos laughed when he realized that he was a vegan at heart!). I am 35 years old. In the two last years my parents have died. I had another vision that life is so short. Every single day, for real, when I wake up, I know that there is somebody. Every single day you are given a present, and a person.”
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Carlos: “I love the nature. I want to have more connections with the nature. I have worked too much this year. I don’t want to take it too easy, cause life goes by so fast. I am 35, and we live in a beautiful country, and sometimes you, who comes from another country, knows more about my own country! And I was like, man, that is sad. So, in 5 years, I want to know more about Costa Rica…life goes by fast, and whatever happens, I know, something good is going to happen. I always say to my wife, and my kids (Carlos has 3 children), if you foul, don’t worry, whatever happens, happens. You are not going to grow up and say life is so ugly, cause it’s beautiful, please keep doing what you are doing!”
How can you not love Esteban, and Carlos?
The bottom line on Costa Rica’s Las Tejas restaurant: We loved our food, and meeting our new friends Esteban, and Carlos, as well as their entire team (Jose, Maria, Karen, and others). Over the course of 5 nights, we became regulars, and with each successive visit, our fondness, and appreciation grew. If you are lucky enough to be in beautiful Costa Rica, keep your fingers crossed that Esteban will find your party, and with a cool, friendly confidence, say to you, “Come back tomorrow night, and I will have something special for you.” Trust me, you are in for a treat!
Thank you again Esteban, Carlos, and the entire team at Las Tejas! 🙂
