Federico Lizano has been appointed as Executive Chef at Hotel Punta Islita, Autograph Collection

Federico Lizano is a Costa Rican chef passionate about responsible fishing and seafood.His career began in 1999 in San José, Costa Rica where he worked as a steward at the Club Alemán restaurant. His love for flavors, aromas and textures prompted him to study Culinary Arts at the Art Institute of F ort Lauderdale in Florida, United States, where he graduated with an Associate Degree in Culinary Management.

In 2004 he returned to Costa Rica to begin a work adventure in a hotel located in the Gulf of Papagayo. There he started as a C Cook and worked his way up to A Cook.

Three years later he left the hotel business to pursue a personal dream, to have his own business and that is how he created Texturas, an avant-garde restaurant.

In 2010 he ventured out of the country again, this time to Mexico, to take the position of chef de cuisine at a resort in Los Cabos. "I was in charge of the Cocina del Mar restaurant; there I developed and absorbed a lot of information and knowledge of how to work with fresh fish, seafood and ancestral techniques when preparing seafood.

Later, in 2013 he returned to Costa Rica to be part of the inauguration of the hotel El Mangroove, Autograph Collection, where he held the position of chef de partie.

Again, he ventured into personal business and opened Maza Bistro, a restaurant that was located for 4 years in San Jose and had a proposal of Costa Rican cocktails paired with dishes oriented to the brunch concept, using local product.

After the closing of Maza Bistro, Federico returned to the hotel business, first as executive chef of a property in the Central Pacific of Costa Rica and currently at Hotel Punta Islita, Autograph Collection.

Now based in Punta Islita, his idea is to continue with the line of sustainability carried out by the hotel, taking advantage of the Kilometer 0 concept - he acquires ingredients produced in a sustainable way within a kilometer or less of the hotel - and implementing new culinary trends, always aligned with the Agro-Marine concept.