At Chicago’s Toro, Chef Richard Sandoval Blends Latin Traditions with Thrilling Presentations

This is what you can expect when you dine at Toro, the newest restaurant from the unofficial “father of modern Mexican cuisine” chef Richard Sandoval. Opened on October 21 at the Fairmont Hotel overlooking downtown Chicago’s Millennium Park, Toro is a place where you don’t need to choose between dinner or a show. Here, the Flaming Coffee comes mixed with your choice of bourbon, rum, or tequila; flavored with creamy Kahlúa, cinnamon, sugar, and Aztec chocolate bitters; and set afire tableside. The signature dessert—La Bomba—is a smooth chocolate sphere filled with housemade ice cream, cookies, and fruit coulis that gets dropped into the center of the table to explode in a blast of texture and color like a fully edible piñata.

"My primary vision for Toro is deeply rooted in my mantra: ‘old ways, new hands,’” says Sandoval. “What makes Toro unique is our commitment to offering an authentic, pan-Latin experience that goes beyond food. We want our guests to feel immersed in the vibrant cultures of Latin America, from the atmosphere to the flavors on the plate.”

For the award-winning chef—who has won just about every dining accolade there is to win and spread the gospel of Latin cuisine to the UAE, Qatar, Serbia, and beyond—respecting traditional Latin flavors goes hand in hand with delighting modern diners. “Latin America has such a rich culinary heritage, and I wanted to tell that story through our dishes—capturing the diverse traditions across countries, from Mexico to Peru to Argentina, and presenting them in a contemporary way,” he says. “My goal with Toro was to create an experience that honors these roots yet feels fresh, allowing guests to explore both familiar and innovative flavors in every bite.”

For Sandoval, the story of Latin cuisine is not just academic—it’s personal. Born and raised in Mexico City, he learned the art of Mexican cooking from his grandmother, who had a knack for turning meals into full-throated celebrations. And although he started his career as a professional tennis player, it was because of his father’s restaurateur-based footsteps that he eventually decided to follow. After graduating from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in New York, Sandoval opened his first restaurant, Maya, as a way of showcasing both the food traditions of his childhood and the global culinary techniques he learned at the institute. He now owns more than 60 restaurants worldwide, and has maintained this dedication to honoring his family’s history with each and every one.

“One of the dishes that holds special meaning to me at Toro is the Yellow Corn Cake, which is actually my grandmother’s recipe,” Sandoval says of a dessert that comes bathed in a hibiscus mezcal sauce and is served with almond, crème anglaise, caramel corn, and vanilla ice cream. “It’s a simple yet deeply personal dish, embodying the flavors of my childhood in Mexico and the warmth of home-cooked meals. My grandmother made it with the same care and attention I try to bring to all our dishes here at Toro.”

Incorporating it into Toro’s menu, he says, “is my way of honoring her legacy and sharing a piece of my heritage with our guests. That dish, like many on our menu, is a bridge between my personal history and the vibrant traditions of Latin cuisine."

And this is what makes Toro so special: an uncanny ability to effortlessly blend together all the best things about dining out, without ever letting anything feel like a gimmick. One of the places this strength shines most brightly is in the restaurant’s Suviche Bar, an open-concept chef’s counter where diners can watch chefs marry carefully sourced raw seafood and other proteins into fanciful dishes that toe the line between Peruvian ceviche and Japanese sushi.

But don’t call it fusion. This blend of foodways dates back to the end of the 19th century, when Japanese immigrants arrived in Peru to work on the country’s sugar haciendas. Using familiar Japanese culinary techniques on what was available to them in Peru, they created a whole new type of cuisine called Nikkei.

Perhaps the most notable dish to come out of the Nikkei tradition is tiradito, a Peruvian version of Japanese sashimi that shines at Toro. Try the whitefish iteration with leche de tigre and crispy shrimp tempura, or go full carnivore with the Wagyu version, a delicious cut of tender Japanese beef bathed in truffle ponzu.

“By sourcing local ingredients alongside specialty imports from Latin America, we’re able to bring bolder, richer flavors to our dishes,” says Sandoval. “At Toro, diners can taste the true diversity and spirit of Latin America in the heart of Chicago, experiencing flavors and traditions they might not encounter elsewhere."

Ready to experience Toro for yourself? Make a reservation today.

Book a stay at the Fairmont Chicago at Fairmont.com.