Q&A: Omni Tempe chef shares background, future plans

Chef Chris Castro leads the culinary concepts at the newly-opened Omni Tempe Hotel at ASU as its executive chef, managing the hotel’s restaurants and poolside bar.

Bringing over 19 years of experience in the hospitality and culinary industry, Castro has developed his culinary skills at notable locations such as L'Ermitage Beverly Hills and the Scott Resort and Spa.

According to a press release, the chef has been deeply influenced by the West Coast, and he aims to bring a fresh and innovative approach to his craft.

Read more below about Castro and his work at Omni Tempe Hotel at ASU:

Family: I have one sister and we are five years apart. My parents have been together since I was born so going on 37 years. I have two daughters one 18 (Kaelei) and one 3.5 (Kamila) 

Who is your inspiration and why? From a personal level, I would say my parents. They have always worked so hard to provide and have always been there for me.

My number one supporters from a professional level are chefs like Grant Achatz, Daniel Humm and Thomas Keller. They have built such a huge reputation in our industry for being able to put out some of the best food in the world and always pushing the boundaries of our craft. I hope to one day to be on the same level.  

How did you get into your career? When I was in high school, I did some competitions in cooking classes. I liked the competitive nature and it drove me to want to understand food better. I decided my senior year I was going to go and study culinary arts. I also had my first job in the industry as a dishwasher when I was 16 and worked my way up.   

What originally brought you to the Valley? I moved to Arizona to be closer to my daughter shortly after I finished culinary school.  

What did you want to be as a child? I love sports, and I played soccer for most of my childhood, so I always wanted to be a professional athlete.  

What’s your favorite recipe/dish? As a chef, we get asked this a lot and I never have a direct answer. I love to be creative and push the envelope, always trying new recipes and techniques.   

What has it been like leading the culinary concepts at the Omni Tempe Hotel at ASU? It has been a tough new challenge in my career but as a result, we have built a beautiful hotel with the best food in town, and we continue to grow and give our guests the best experience possible.   

What does your day-to-day look like as the hotel’s executive chef? Depends on the day. Starts with looking at what event we have for the day checking in with my Banquet Chef Jorge Rocha, making sure he is good and set, then a 9 a.m. team standup, after a gem meeting to review any guest issues and how to improve.

I will stop in at Neighborhood Service Restaurant, our 3-meal restaurant, make sure my Chef de Cuisine Richard Castricone is good, see if he needs anything and greet the cooks and stewards. 

Then spend some time in my office working on any menus or projects on deck and make sure to get all my emails handled. In the later afternoon, I go to the 16 floor which has Lucero, our rooftop tapas-style restaurant, make sure to say “Hi” to all the staff, then spend a little time with my Chef de Cuisine Cesar Ruiz and talk through the night.  

How would you describe the hotel’s different dining experiences to first-time guests and visitors? NHS is our 3-meal restaurant which features honest American traditional-style food with lots of local Tempe ASU décor and a very laid-back homestyle vibe.   

Salt & Gila is our pool bar. We feature summer tea items, which we use Numi tea infused in our cocktails and some food offerings that also have it incorporated. We also have lots of pool favorites and some fun dishes available.  

Lucero is a classy tapas restaurant with great cocktails and views of Tempe and Phoenix from the 16th floor. Dishes are built around Mediterranean, Spanish and local flavors.   

What’s in store for the future with your work at the Omni Tempe Hotel at ASU? At NHS we will be launching a new brunch menu on Saturdays and Sundays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

We will be launching a complete seasonal menu change for Lucero, calling it Lucero 2.0, with lots of interactive and different dishes that make you think, yet are mouthwatering. 

Excited to offer guests the best of the best, and we look forward to building into the future of Tempe and ASU here at Omni.