History

Why El Arrayán?

What prompted this project from the beginning was the search for authentic Mexican food in Puerto Vallarta. A few years back the owner, Carmen Porras, tried to find typical food from the region and found that what was available focused mainly on the local market, with limited service and facilities of questionable quality and deficient hygiene.

Background

My first memories of the word "Arrayán" go back to childhood family vacations in Guadalajara, Jalisco's State capital. My mother would take my brothers and me along in her search for typical candy. We were only allowed a bite or two while my mother decided what to order. I admired the enormous array of shapes and colors in each of the candy stores and the "dulceros" (candy makers and vendors) craftsmanship; they always smiled while tending to their business. We always left carrying several little cardboard boxes, carefully tied with hemp thread. When we arrived home, we opened the boxes and indulged ourselves: "Bolitas de tamarindo y azúcar", "trompadas", "pepitorias" and "dulces de arrayán", which to me seemed to be very similar to the tamarindo candy, but as the years passed, I was able to ascertain the differences: arrayanes had smaller stones and their flavor was a little subtler than the tamarind's. The trees are also very different. The arrayán is an uncommon fruit; the size of a glass marble, its scent and delicate flavor are similar to the guava, a cousin of the arrayán and also the "tejocote" (Mexican crab apple). To this day, there has always been a fruit-bearing arrayán tree at my great-grandfather's home in Guadalajara.

Mission

Our mission is to rescue old family recipes using 100% locally produced ingredients, including the use of our locally produced corn which is milled every day and utilized in our dishes. We strive to showcase authentic regional cuisine and offer the highest quality in service to make this a complete experience for our guests, all under strict operational control. We seek perfection in everything we do while showing respect for our environment, customers and suppliers; with honesty in the price/quality relation, always searching for beauty in each dish, drink and with the best service.

Philosophy

EL ARRAYÁN is arduously dedicated to changing Mexican food stereotypes, such as the belief that all Mexican food must be deep fried and must have lots of melted cheese on top. We are actively rescuing old Mexican cooking techniques and trying to show the world that Puerto Vallarta has one of the highest levels of international cuisine. El Arrayán strives to bring traditional Mexican cuisine up to these internationally renowned standards. We serve our guests with a respectful yet informal attitude at all times, reflecting the characteristic Puerto Vallarta friendliness towards everybody. We anticipate our guests? needs and we always have a positive attitude to any of our guests? special requests. We try our hardest to satisfy every need with a smile.