In November of last year, within a week of the first-ever PGA-sponsored golf tour event teeing off in Cabo San Lucas, a new restaurant opened: The Woods Cabo, the newest of the famed golfer's business ventures in the area. This is a very particular sports bar, some could say, a Mexican brother to The Woods Jupiter – Tiger Woods’ flagship restaurant in Jupiter, Florida, which started when Woods himself, after years of meals on the road, decided to bring his vision of an elevated sports bar to life at his home in Florida. It is said it was envisioned as a place where friends and family could come together to relax and refuel.
The Woods Cabo, on the other hand, invites its guests to elevated dining and drinks, while they take in a sporting event on one of the big screens, all while overlooking the 18th ocean-view hole at El Cardonal – the first course designed by TGR Design, Tiger Woods' firm.
It should be noted Woods isn’t the only legendary symbol associated with this project. We are talking about the main man in the kitchen: chef Larbi Dahrouch.
As a young boy in Morocco helping his mother prepare large family meals every night, Executive Chef Larbi Dahrouch discovered his passion for bringing people together over excellent food. Though grounded in his mother’s initial training, it was following a family move to Toulouse, France, as a teenager that presented Larbi the opportunity to attend cooking school and foster his innate talent and drive for culinary arts. There, he studied under the tutelage of two-starred Michelin Chef Jean-Louis Palladin at France’s La Table des Cordeliers and honed the classic skills that have shaped him into the award-winning cook he is today.
In 1979, Chef Palladin invited Larbi to join him in the U.S. to open his namesake restaurant in Washington, DC, at the famed Watergate Hotel. Chef Dahrouch served as Executive Sous Chef for three years at Jean-Louise before taking the helm of the kitchens of other esteemed restaurants including the Country Inn at Princeton in Massachusetts, Philadelphia’s Wayne Hotel, and Michel Richard’s Citronelle in Washington, DC.
After three decades of a storied career, it was in 2003 when Chef Larbi came to Mexico after being recruited by the One & Only Palmilla Resort to establish and grow the Coral Reef restaurant. The restaurant was later renamed Agua by Larbi in 2013 to leverage his strong international reputation and local following. From there, Chef Larbi went on to become Executive Chef at Acre Hotel + Restaurant and further refined his unique cuisine known as Mexiterranean, an innovative blend of Mediterranean and Mexican influences.
Chef Larbi now steps into his role as Executive Chef of the Woods Cabo, bringing decades of prestige and expertise. Whether it be premier, hand-cut proteins, organic vegetables grown on the property’s farm, or seafood caught that morning from the Pacific Ocean, the sources used by Chef Larbi all exemplify his philosophy of devotion to using the best, freshest ingredients possible. Influences of his French-Mediterranean culinary roots meld with accents of local Mexican flavor to create innovative menu dishes synonymous with the quality and excellence Chef Larbi is known for, all combined with the laidback luxury of Diamante.
Chef Larbi Dahrouch’s culinary creations fuse the essence of Baja with his pedigree and training to create a menu built on his philosophy of freshly and locally sourced cuisine.
I recently had the pleasure of dining with the Gringo Gazette’s David Flores in this hidden gem with spectacular views, and I can attest it was a very pleasant experience. We began with a very polite hostess walking us to our booth. Depending on the size of the group, you can choose to be seated at a table or a booth. Our assigned waiter told us a special menu had been prepared by the chef for us to try the majority of the dishes offered there. It was going to be tough, but we were definitely up for the task, only having had a very light breakfast that morning.
And so, we started with five Nigiris, and I kid you not, one was better than the last one. No need for soy sauce, pickled ginger or spicy wasabi. That Asian delicacy was followed by two very European salads – one with a mouth-watering burrata and the other with some very nice mushrooms and delicious beet in it.
We then made room for some juicy medium-rare lamb chops, a spectacular New York strip, and an apple sauce-infused pork loin with a side of celery dip accompanied by some jocoque. The celery dip was worth mentioning because of its uniqueness and original flavor. Of course, we had to have wine with all that meat… and the red recommended by the sommelier did not disappoint at all. It was a velvety 2022 “Reserva” Cabernet Sauvignon, from Bodegas Punto Norte, Coahuila.
Freshly made bread, an artisanal pizza and a Baba ghanoush to die for were the last dishes served! Finally, a crème brûlée with berries paired with a shaken Carajillo, and that was all for the evening.
During our private tour, we even had the chance to see Tiger’s secret dining room and the door that he uses to enter the restaurant covertly to avoid any unwanted attention!
All in all, The Woods Cabo is a destination for friends and families alike to experience the Diamante lifestyle, offering a delightful culinary journey that tantalizes the taste buds and leaves a lasting impression. It is a jewel that is sure to please even the most discerning diner.
Open to the public for reservations (strongly recommended). https://thewoodscabo.com/ Phone: +52-624-144-2960, WhatsApp: 624-237-1395.
