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Fauna

Valle de Guadalupe

• Highest New Entry Award 2022

Taste Baja California through experimental menus and good wine

On the Pass

David Castro Hussong (left)

Pastry Chef

Maribel Aldaco Silva (right)

Tell us a story: Chef David Castro Hussong and pastry chef Maribel Aldaco Silva opened Fauna in 2017 after working and traveling around the world. Castro was born and raised in Ensenada and had always dreamed that one day he’d pay homage to the ingredients of his hometown and its surrounding region. Today, the couple creates daily-changing experimental menus using exclusively seasonal and local ingredients.

What’s the setting? Fauna has evolved a lot since 2017. It is now part of the Bruma project, featuring a vineyard, a beautiful cellar, a hotel with 15 villas and a B&B with eight rooms. The dining room holds a big, communal wooden table that was constructed to create a sense of community among diners. The view from this room and the terrace is stunning, especially at sunset.

On the menu: Chefs Castro and Aldaco mix ingredients in creative ways with incredibly tasty results. The grilled octopus with chicharrón (crispy pork skin) and wagyu fat is a perfect example. The best way to enjoy the dishes on the à la carte is by sharing, but there is also a tasting menu with the happy ending of Aldaco’s desserts, which bring local ingredients to the table with a spectacular technique.

Bonus point: Fauna won the One To Watch award in 2020 and debuts on Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022 with the highest ranking of any new venues, earning it the Highest New Entry Award.

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