Ajua Maya Restaurant Celebrates 10th Anniversary in Playa del Carmen
May 19th, 2011
The Alfaro Group Celebrates Ajua Maya Restaurant 10th Anniversary in Playa del Carmen.

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Ajua Maya Restaurant is celebrating ten years in Playa del Carmen on May 21, 2011 with an Invitation-Only Celebration of Traditional Mayan, Mestizo and Mexican cuisine plus a touch of Virginia with live music all night – and, featuring, Chef Gabriel Sanchez Gómez, Ajua Maya’s new Executive Chef, will provide a sampling of his extraordinary traditional exican and Mestizo cuisines.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Press Release) May 19, 2011 – Playa del Carmen, Q. Roo, Mexico

On March 21, 2001, Jorge and Brenda Alfaro acquired Ajua Restaurant (now Ajua Maya) in Playa del Carmen. Their 2001 acquisition began a fantastic culinary journey, which transformed a small Playa restaurant into the current, Ajua Maya — a casual, sophisticated, five star dining experience. Ajua Maya specializes in Mayan, Mestizo, Mexican and a touch of Virginian cuisine; and now, ten years later, the Alfaros enjoy working with many of the same staff and wonderful Ajua friends who return each and every year to share their success.

“Immediately after the acquisition of Ajua, we worked hard to provide our customers with the highest quality ingredients and preparations available on the Riviera Maya,” said Brenda Alfaro, the Virginian partner. “This commitment to excellence for our customers and our staff has created a wonderfully warm and trusted environment, coupled with the extraordinary friendly service our Mayan staff provides, and the memorable culinary experiences created by our Mayan chefs.”

“We feel blessed,” said Jorge Alfaro, the Mexican-Mayan side of the couple. “Those who experience our creative and inclusive restaurant style, convey to us that we
are one of the best, if not the best, restaurant experiences they have ever had in their life. What a compliment. “

The Alfaros attribute their restaurant’s success to the extraordinary Mayan staff they have worked with for ten years. Brenda explained that the Maya infuse Ajua Maya with
their noble heritage, including their traditional community culture, which ensures harmony in daily life and in work, free of negativity and full of the joy of working together as a family and a village.

Their General Manager, Jorge Huchim Martin, and their In-House Accountant, Amilcar Torres Canul, along with their long term Ajua Maya brothers (yes, they have an all male staff – the norm in this part of the world — except for the lonely Virginian, Brenda), have dedicated the past ten years to ensure Ajua Maya not only maintains its commitment to quality but continues to strive to be better than before. They have been successful beyond anyone’s goals and expectations.

In 2011, with the extraordinary growth of Ajua Maya and its expanding reputation, the executive staff strategized it was time to bring additional talent into the fold at a management level, an executive chef , and the search began.

“It was quite a challenge to find the right personality match,” said Brenda Alfaro. “First, we reviewed many resumes and interviewed quite a few candidates. We felt we needed a chef who specialized in ancient Mexican Indian cuisine as well as Mestizo style (the fusion of ancient Indian recipes with those of the Mexican’s Spanish and French conquerors). In addition, we searched for a chef who was trained professionally and had a degree in culinary arts.

The challenge was not to find that combination; the challenge was to find someone outside of the Mayan world that would be able to respect the Mayan culture and the Mayan staff at Ajua Maya. Not an easy task.”

“We are proud to announce that Chef Gabriel Sánchez Gómez. originally from Puebla, Puebla, is a chef with great talent and dedication to traditional Mexican cuisine, joined us three months ago and has successfully bonded with his new Ajua Maya family plus the one Virginian female, my wife and partner!”, said Jorge Alfaro. “We are proud to have him with us and look forward to many more years of success and growth under his and all of our staff’s guidance.”

On May 21, 2011, Chef Gabriel will debut his Mexican and Mestizo cuisine in Ajua Maya, along with ancient Mayan dishes, at the ten year invitation-only anniversary bash at Ajua Maya for Ajua Maya’s friends, patrons, and VIP guests from Playa del Carmen.

Chef Gabriel debut will be supported by the incredible Ajua Maya staff, along with live music including Mariachis, Tierra Vera – Ajua ‘s Salsa and Latin Jazz Band, and “UnRated” – Ajua’ s Rock ‘n Roll Sundays band.

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For
additional information, please contact Brenda Long Alfaro (Brenda@ajua.biz )

Office: +52 984 803 1118
skype: ajuaevents

About The Alfaro Group

The Alfaro Group was formed in 2001 in Playa del Carmen and includes Ajua Maya Restaurant, Ajua Weddings and Ajua Events.

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We wish to take a moment and thank all of our followers, former brides and friends for enjoying our services and our blog. We do appreciate each and every one.

May has been a busy month for us. Lot’s of positive changes and we look forward to the future. Our signature restaurant, Ajua Maya, will be celebrating our 10th year in Playa del Carmen and we look forward to the great 4th Street party at Ajua Maya Restaurant. If you are in town, please stop by and enjoy the music and more! You may find me in a hammock – per doctor’s orders – since I am just a few weeks out of surgery. Doing well, feeling great, just do not have the stamina I normally have.

Per doctor’s order, I will have to have a sign on my hanmock “Brenda in repose per Dr. Moreno’s order for a post-op party!”

Enjoy life, have fun, find peace and love,
Brenda Alfaro & Jorge Alfaro

I can’t remember in what year I first ate at the Ajúa Maya — probably when it opened, but I keep going back. Since I live inland I usually choose seafood: the shrimp in its many presentations (salad, wine sauce, etc.), the lobster flambéd with an anis liqueur, the salmon steak. Also, I’ve enjoyed the food typical of the Yucatán peninsula: the pok chuk (poc chuk), chicken pibil, pork pibil (cochinita pibil), chicken in relleno negro, and recommend guests to order the assorted platter of this.
What I like best, is that mostly Mexican food is offered, though there are international dishes as well. Also, the setting is Mexican style at its most festive.
The margaritas (my favorite drink) are great.
The musical group from Vera Cruz inspired these old bones to get up and dance.

Jolly Crone – Trip Advisor Member since: May 13, 2009
Would you recommend this restaurant to a friend? Yes

… and his cuisine is delicious. Just tried a fantastic salad with goat cheese, pears, caramelized pecans and a dijon vinagrette. It was yummy as is his thick, rich lobster bisque. Tonight we are trying a dish from our new Mestizo Event Menu — Risotto with Huitlacoche. Sounds yummy to me. I will keep you posted.

Stayed tuned for more news and join us on Facebook by searching ajua weddings and/or ajua maya. We are also on twitter. What next, maybe Yelp! They have not expanded to Mexico yet but when they do we will be the first to enter.

Want a fun activity for your wedding guests? How about a Treasure Hunt Tour of Playa del Carmen. Just contact us. It is great fun and a perfect way to blend the families!

Riviera Maya: Affordable luxury in the Mexican Caribbean

Want all-inclusive accommodations?
The Barcelo Maya Beach Resort is an all-inclusive resort complex comprising a natural park and five hotels: Barcelo Maya Beach, Barcelo Maya Caribe Beach, Barcelo Maya Colonial Beach, Barcelo Maya Tropical Beach and Barcelo Maya Palace Deluxe. With all hotels in the resort built or refurbished in 2005 or later, the complex includes 2,741 guest rooms, over 55,000 square feet of meeting and event space, 43 restaurants and bars, three theaters, a chapel and a 24-hour medical center. Also on-site is the Barcelo Maya Convention Center, which has space for up to 1,400 guests. Amenities include A/V equipment and services, catering, administrative support and more.

Want green meetings?
The AAA Five-Diamond Fairmont Mayakoba is a member of the World Heritage Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (WHA), an organization that promotes conservation, sustainable tourism, and economic development for communities located in and around UNESCO World Heritage sites. Through the resort’s “green partnership,” planners can incorporate sustainable menus, recycling initiatives, ecotourism options and more into their programs. In addition to the resort’s 401 rooms, which are located throughout the property in two-story casitas (some with oceanfront views) and traditional low-rise buildings, there is 40,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor meeting space. Other amenities include several Mexican and international restaurants, a 20-room spa, an 18-hole Greg Norman-designed golf course, five swimming pools, and private beach access with views of Cancun and Cozumel. Groups staying at the resort also have access to an on-site DMC, resort-based transportation such as golf carts and lanchas (boats), BMW bicycles and a fleet of luxury automobiles.

Want to go where the locals go?
In the heart of downtown Playa Del Carmen, Fifth Avenue is a bustling, red brick-paved pedestrian street packed with several stores, including the high-end department store Liverpool, souvenir shops, street vendors and open air restaurants. It makes for a fun day trip, but the street really comes alive at night. Mexico is considered the birthplace of real chocolate, so it only makes sense to incorporate it into your event. Ah Cacao Real Chocolate is a café that specializes in artisan-made premium cacao and chocolate products. The TripAdvisor Popularity Index ranked it as the second-most popular (out of 286) restaurant in the Riviera Maya.

Want to shake up a meal function?
Ajua Maya Restaurant is a favorite among locals and tourists alike. With its live Latin jazz, bohemian gardens and palapa dining, this five-star restaurant specializes in seafood, steak, authentic Mayan and Mexican cuisine and 19th century French-influenced Mestizo fare served by dancing waiters.

Want to get acquainted with the area?
Go on a tour led by a native guide. Your group will likely learn more about the Mayan culture during a two-hour tour than they will their entire stay. Riviera Maya has many nature theme parks that make for informative and exciting day trips. Ask your DMC for suggestions, or visit websites such as travelyucatan.com or locogringo.com.

Want adventurous group outings?
Take the 45-minute ferry ride to Cozumel, a popular diving and snorkeling destination, where groups can explore the jungle on ATVs, ride horses and Segways along the beach or swim with the dolphins, and more. All Tour Native is an adventure travel and ecotourism company that connects tourists to the region’s indigenous Mayan communities via exhilarating day tours. Their Jungle Maya Expedition, which includes zip lining, mountain biking, snorkeling and cavern swimming, is an exciting way to include sustainable tourism in your event agenda. Trekking through ancient Mayan ruins are also popular group activities, as there are numerous sites to explore in the area. Chichen Itza is among Mexico’s most famous ruins and is home to El Castillo, also known as the Pyramid of Kukulkan. Other nearby ruins include Chacchoben, Chac Mool, Coba, Mayapan, Kohunlich, Dzibanche and Oxtankah.

By ASHLEY BRAZZEL
Published: August 6, 2010

Ajua Maya Restaurant – All About Playa.

A fantastic mix of five star dining, entertaining waiter, Latin music and great service …Ajua Maya, one of the most popular restaurants in Playa del Carmen with a warm and welcoming Mayan ambiance, is highly recommend on many websites and travel guides, including Trip Advisor and Josh Hindale’s “Complete Guide to Playa del Carmen, Tulum and the Riviera Maya.”

Ajua was purchased by Brenda Alfaro (an American from Virginia) and Jorge Alfaro (a Mexican from Chiapas) in 2001. With their Chef Pedro Balam, they created a fantastic menu that includes fresh lobster and seafood, USA Black Angus steaks, traditional Mayan and Mexican dishes, Mayan-Virginian BBQ ribs and shrimp, Caesar salad, and flambé dishes prepared at your table, and more. Truly, Ajua Maya offers one of the finest dining experiences in Playa del Carmen.

Under the helm of Mayan Chef Pedro Balam Dzul, Manager Jorge Huchim Martin, and owners Brenda and Jorge Alfaro, Ajua has become one of the most popular restaurants in Playa del Carmen for fine dining, wedding receptions and great parties. Their upstairs palapa offers an upscale intimate private dining experience and is perfect for special events.

Dining there is an experience you should not miss while you are on the Riviera Maya. The lobster and steaks are grilled to perfection, their Mayan and Mexican dishes are the best in Playa, the BBQ Platter is a must, and the Caesar salad along with the appetizer of shrimp sizzling in garlic oil is a taste experience not to be missed.

Also, what is fantastic about Ajua Maya, is it extensive menu which includes dishes for those who just want a perfectly Black Angus steak grilled or chicken breast served with a baked potato and grilled vegetables; to others who wish a more exotic experience. For the adventurous palate, we would recommend the flambéed lobster and shrimp with a Mayan sauce of Xtabentun and Tequila or their Mayan dishes, including such classics as Tkin Xic (steamed fish in banana leaves with a Achiote sauce), Cochinita Pibil (pulled Mayan pork), and Pollo Mole.

And, don’t forget the desserts! From a fabulous cheesecake prepared in house to flambéed crepes with Carjeta (a caramel Brandy and Kahula sauce and Banana’s Foster flambéed at the table, they are not to be missed by those with a sweet tooth. Prices range from $5.50 usd for fish tacos to $20-25 for main entrees.
Open daily from noon – 1 am – Children welcomed

http://www.ajuamaya.com/

Calle 4 is hot for great food!

We are excited that our signature restaurant was recommended by Trip Advisor – how exciting. Hope you come and enjoy lobster, steaks and authentic Mayan foods with us! Also, Carboncitos was recommended as well and is right across the street from us. There you can enjoy great tacos — umm! I love their Tacos al Pastor – the best in the city — and their sauces — too good to describe.

Download Trip Advisor Guide

Many couples want to provide something special to their guests as a thank-you for joining them in celebrating their special day.  Welcome bags filled with goodies are a great idea when planning a destination wedding.  Guests receive the bags in their rooms upon arrival and are delighted to find local treats, maps and snacks.  Here in Playa del Carmen, some great ideas to include in bags are:

• Local chocolates
• Small bottles of Tequila
• Hand-rolled cigars
• Vanilla
• Maps
• Playing cards
• Sunscreen
• Personalized Maracas
• Talavera Tiles which can be used as coasters
• Rainmakers and more!

We are happy to assist couples in putting together these gift bags which can be delivered in Playa del Carmen or ready for pickup.  If your wedding is at an all-inclusive, we are happy to work with your coordinator to make sure your guests receive these when they arrive. 

Stephanie, we got the gift bags and everyone loved them – thanks so much for all of your work on them. They really turned out fabulous – everyone brought their beach bags with them on the whole trip!!

Thanks again – I’ll highly recommend you if anyone else I know gets married in Playa! 

Tara

Please contact us for more information and ideas at stephanie.morton@ajua.biz

Best Destination Weddings Forum:

http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t13757

Non Resort Wedding in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico: A Review

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Wedding Coordinator: Ajua Weddings (Ajua Weddings – Playa del Carmen Wedding Planner, Riviera Maya Wedding Coordinator, Wedding Reception, Akumal, Tulum, Xpu Ha, Cancun, Mexico)
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I don’t even know where to begin to rave about Ajua Weddings! First off, my coordinator was Maartje Oremus. She was absolutely amazing to work with. But before I get into that, I would like to talk more about why we picked Ajua Weddings. The first reason was because we wanted a Catholic ceremony. After much research online, I found that Ajua Weddings are very experienced with planning a Catholic ceremony. With all of the work involved planning a Catholic ceremony, I wanted to make sure we went with someone with experience. Ajua definitely has that! They made the entire process go so smoothly! The second reason why we picked them was because we wanted a non-resort wedding. We wanted our wedding to not only reflect us as a couple, but to also embrace our destination of choice. Ajua definitely made that happen for us! We had our wedding at the AMAZING Capilla Nuestra Senora del Carmen – a cute little chapel centrally located in Avenue 5 in downtown Playa del Carmen.

All of the vendors that Ajua Weddings used for our wedding were absolutely amazing. My bouquet was simply gorgeous as were the bridesmaids’ bouquet and the boutonnieres. The cakes (Tres Leches cake for the wedding cake and chocolate cake/chocolate filling for the groom’s cake) were absolutely delicious. I also had a special request to have 2 eggless miniature cakes made for our vegan guests and we got amazing feedback on that – our vegan friends wanted some to take home with them! The guitarist they picked out (Benjamin Aguilar) was wonderful – the music was beautiful and fit perfectly with the ambiance of the chapel.

Maartje Oremus (our coordinator) was a joy to work with. The scariest thing for me while planning the wedding was working with someone whom I had never met and with a company that I just randomly found online. To put my dream day on someone I didn’t even know was pretty terrifying. However, Maartje made the whole thing so easy for me. All I had to do was send her pictures of what I wanted and she made sure it happened. She was so patient with me throughout the whole planning process. I don’t know about you girls, but I can be a bit of a bridezilla, but that didn’t faze Maartje at all. She was such a trooper – helping me make my decisions, offering suggestions to me, and letting me change my mind 5 million times without batting an eye! She didn’t even blink when I walked in to our pre-wedding meeting with boxes of wedding stuff! Maartje coordinated everything for me – from transportation, to flowers, to cakes, to music — EVERYTHING! She even arranged for a van to pick my family and I up at the airport upon our arrival in Cancun. Maartje also took care of everything on the wedding day – all we pretty much had to do was show up and enjoy ourselves. Oh, my mom also meet Maartje at the pre-wedding meeting. My mom’s a pretty good judge of character and after our meeting she told me that she could tell that Maartje is a genuinely good person. She couldn’t have done a better job even if she wanted to. She was the perfect wedding coordinator and I will forever be grateful for all the work she did in making sure my dream wedding came true.

Reception Site: Ajua! Maya Restaurant
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We had our reception at the Ajua Maya restaurant, which is also on Avenue 5 and owned by Ajua Weddings. Ajua Maya is by far the best restaurant and the best bar in downtown Playa del Carmen! The food was SOO delicious. We gave our guests a choice of either the BBQ platter or the rib-eye and both were a huge hit! Our vegetarian/vegan option was the spinach enchiladas and those were delicious also. The ceviche was by far their best dish ever – probably the best I’ve ever had! The restaurant is the perfect blend of 5-star dining and laid-back atmosphere. As for the restaurant staff, well, I don’t think there are words to describe what an amazing staff they have at Ajua! They kept all of us entertained throughout the night – from serving food and drinks on their head, to the infamous legs (very funny), and to the best conga line ever (which, I must say, ends with tequila being poured down your mouth!). Ajua Maya also have a live salsa band playing at the restaurant every night. The music was amazing. It definitely gave our wedding the perfect Mexican vibe!

Ajua also catered our beach cocktail party and the food they served at the cocktail hour were also huge hits with all of our guests! I’m telling you, these guys can’t do anything wrong! If you are looking for a unique place to have your reception, rehearsal dinner, whatever, definitely go with Ajua Maya! You will have an absolute blast there and I can guarantee that you will leave the restaurant with happy stomachs!

HUGE kudos to Maartje, Vaughan and all the staff at Ajua Weddings and Ajua Maya Restaurant!

Catherine Solidon

Wedding, November 24, 2007

Our very own Maartje Oremus and her husband Javier Garcia realized their dream of confirming their love through marriage on September 21, 2007. They planned their destination wedding in Holland, where Maartje was born and raised. Their wedding was a traditional Dutch wedding in the beautiful municipal house. Family and friends attended, overfilling their ceremony with support and love. Their ceremony was performed in Dutch, Maartje’s native language, and the vows were exchanged in Spanish, Javier’s native language. It truly was a fairytale event combining the cultures of two amazing people forever. They followed the ceremony with photos against the amazing backdrop of the gorgeous scenery. Her reception, as is tradition, was a simple event of food, games, gifts, dancing and fun with her closest love ones. In true wedding planner form, Maartje will have a second ceremony. Her second ceremony will take place on the breathtaking beach here in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. All of us at Ajua Weddings couldn’t be happier for Maartje and Javier, as they are truly wonderful people with a great future awaiting them. We love and congratulate you!!!

Ajua Weddings wedding coordinator, Maartje, always takes extra time to ensure that every bride we work with gets her dream flowers on her wedding day.
With photos, descriptions and her own experience, Maartje is able to ensure that each arrangement represents the dreams and ideas of the bride, even with limited availability to flowers.

   

   

     

My cousin was searching the web and received an advertisement of Ajua Weddings with a  picture of me. It reminded me of what a good time we had and what a fabulous job you did. I did want to let you know that I had a baby girl March 23, 2006. Yes, she is already going to be a year. I am staying home with her and enjoying my time. I hope that all is well with you and your family. Let me know if you ever need anything. I hope that business is good and you have more and more wedding come your way.

Take Care,
Julie

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