Chef Aarón Sánchez
CHEF AARÓN SÁNCHEZ KNOWS THE BEST INGREDIENTS TO PUT IN A DISH AND IN HIS CAR.
Chef Aarón Sánchez is an award-winning chef, TV personality, author, and philanthropist. You may recognize him from his work as a judge on FOX’s hit culinary competition series “MasterChef” and “MasterChef Junior” or as the host on Discovery’s “El Sabor de Aarón”.
Chef Aarón is not only an expert at selecting the best ingredients in his kitchen, but also when it comes to his cars. It is no wonder that he trusts Quaker State motor oil to protect his vehicle’s engine. Whether driving to his restaurant, Johnny Sánchez, hitting the highway for a Sunday cruise, or taking a cross-country road trip, Chef Aarón knows that Quaker State motor oil energizes your engine.
In the Latino community, many share a passion for cuisine and cars. Quaker State and Chef Aarón recently teamed up to showcase this natural connection by road tripping across the southern United States in pursuit of tasting authentic Latin cuisines from different cities and countries. He kicked off his culinary road trip in Atlanta with his friend and chef Hector Santiago who owns El Super Pan to taste some Puerto Rican delicacies.
QUAKER STATE Transcript— Aarón Sánchez/Quaker State Culinary Road Trip - Atlanta
[Title] Aarón Sánchez/Quaker State Culinary Road Trip - Atlanta
Description: We had to kick off our culinary road trip with Chef Aarón Sánchez in our favorite city! Chef Aarón cruised over to El Super Pan at Ponce City Market to try Top Chef Hector Santiago’s Puerto Rican inspired Latin cuisine, including a traditional Mofongo. With Quaker State under the hood, Chef Aarón spends less time worrying about his vehicle on the road and more time celebrating Latino culture and cuisine! Thank you Atlanta 🚗On to the next…
[Background music featuring guitar plays] Aarón Sánchez in front of Ponce City Market, standing next to a white Chevrolet Silverado.
Aarón: ¡Hola mi gente! I am here at Ponce City Market in Atlanta, and I am super excited because I’m going on this Culinary Road Trip with Quaker State. I am hooking up with an old friend, Chef Hector, at El Super Pan. Acompañame.
[In vision]
[Background music plays] Aarón is inside Ponce City Market dancing. Camera switches, showing the El Super Pan menu. Chef Hector completes the garnish on a dish in the kitchen and displays the completed dish to the camera.
[In vision]
[Background music continues] Aarón and Hector are standing behind a counter at El Super Pan, Aarón holding the completed dish.
Aarón: Alright so I can’t wait to get into this, Chef. It has been a minute since I’ve had a beautiful Mofongo, and I can already tell…
[In vision] Aarón puts his fork into the dish and begins to pick some up on the fork.
Aarón: …this is a beautiful Mofongo. It should not be hard, it should be soft like that; break up and have all of these beautiful little textures. And the fact that he put cilantro in it, is going to add another layer of flavor!
[In vision] Aarón takes a bite of the Mofongo and nods in approval. Music continues, and Aarón and Hector talk over the meal inaudibly.
[In vision] Aarón is outside of Ponce City Market and is standing next to his Chevrolet Silverado. His driver’s side door is open as he prepares to get in.
Aarón: Atlanta was super rico! Thanks so much, Super Pan in the house! But now, it’s time to continue this Culinary Road Trip to my hometown, New Orleans. I’ll see you there.
[In vision] Aarón hops in the driver’s seat of the Silverado.
[Guitar background music fades]
Over the next few months, Chef Aarón will venture to multiple Latin American cuisine hot spots across the southern United States on his culinary road trip.
Make sure to follow both Chef Aarón and Quaker State on Instagram to join the road trip and witness Chef Aarón as he experiences cuisines from Mexico, Honduras, and more!
QUAKER STATE Transcript— Aarón Sánchez/Quaker State Culinary Road Trip – New Orleans
[Title] Aarón Sánchez/Quaker State Culinary Road Trip – New Orleans
Description: For the next stop on our #CulinaryRoadTrip, Chef Aarón Sánchez headed back to his hometown of NOLA to enjoy Honduran cuisine at Alma Cafe! Together with Chef Melissa Araujo we learned about the classic Mayan ingredients used in Honduran food. Whether it be aspects of Latino culture, such as a love of cars, love for incredible food, or the common history between different regions, the Latino community is tied together in many ways. Follow along to see how Chef Aarón is bringing these communities together and trusting Quaker State to protect his vehicle along the way.
[Background music featuring drums plays] Aarón Sánchez exiting a White Chevrolet Silverado
Aarón: ¡Hola mi gente! I am continuing my culinary road trip with good friends at Quaker State motor oil. And guess what? I am in my hometown. And, with Quaker State motor oil under my hood, I can focus on beautiful Honduran cuisine with my good friend Chef Melissa at Alma Café. Check it out.
[In vision]
[Background music plays] Aarón walks into the café and shakes hands with Chef Melissa. Chef Melissa and Aarón are standing in the kitchen of Alma café.
Aarón: Here we are in your kitchen Chef Melissa and what a lot of people don’t realize is New Orleans has one of the largest Honduran communities anywhere in the United States.
Chef Melissa: We have something in common, we have Mayan blood too.
Aarón: Yes.
[In vision]
[Background music plays] A mural on the wall of the café that reads, “Feed your soul.” The scene switches to Chef Melissa plating food in the kitchen.
Chef Melissa: So, the ingredients if you go to Oaxaca, Yucatán, and you go to Honduras, the ingredients are going to be exactly the same.
Aarón: Yup.
[In vision]
[Background music plays] Aarón is sitting at the table with Chef Melissa as the camera approaches them. The camera pans over all of the food that was prepared. Aarón is looking at the food and as he is about to take a bite, he laughs with Chef Melissa. The scene changes to Aarón back in his car, ready to drive off to his next destination.
Aarón: Now it’s time to get back on the road with Quaker State motor oil, which always gives me what I need to get to my next destination. And check it out, it’s all about cars, cuisine, and culture and I can’t wait to share it with you, so join me.
For the next stop on the culinary road trip, Chef Aarón enjoyed Honduran cuisine at Alma Café in his hometown of New Orleans, LA. Together with Chef Melissa Araujo, they dove into the classic Mayan ingredients used in Honduran food. Latino communities are tied together in so many ways, whether it’s a shared passion for cars, a love of incredible food or the common history across different regions. Follow along to see Chef Aarón explore beautiful (and delicious) Latino food and trust Quaker State to protect his vehicle along the way.
[In vision] Aaron standing next to his car
[Aaron] Continuing my culinary road trip with Quaker State motor oil and I gotta say it’s kept this beautiful engine protected and smooth as I’ve been traversing from coast to coast. I’m in Los Angeles, I am going to visit my friend Wes Avila, checking out those Yucatan flavors so come join me, come on.
[In vision] Aaron walks through a tunnel into the restaurant, walks up to the chef shakes his hand and gives him a hug.
[In vision] Aaron is seated with the chef with food on the table, camera cuts to Wes cooking and preparing the food that Aaron will be eating.
[Aaron] Here we are we’re in your wonderful restaurant, it’s time to go back to roots. My Mexican identity is so important to me, but I feel like it’s important to highlight other regions of our beautiful country and you’ve done that.
[In vision] Aaron and Wes are seated at the table eating the food.
[Wes] When you come in, it feels like you’re traveling especially at night, it’s lit up, it’s different, you got the music, you got the feel, you got the vibe, you got the food, you got the cocktails, you really try to hit all those aspects when people come and travel and visit with us.
[In vision] Aaron and Wes are standing outside of the restaurant as Aaron is getting ready to leave.
[Aaron] You brought the flavors of Mexico home for me, and I won’t forget that.
[Wes] Thank you Chef.
[Aaron] Gracia mi compa.
[Wes] Safe travels.
[In vision] Wes and Aaron hug and Aaron walks towards his car.
[Aaron] I might be going to my home state of Texas.
[Wes] Nice!
[Aaron] I’ll let you know.
[Wes] Take it easy chef.
Chef’s third stop on his journey was Los Angeles, California, a city known for its rich Latino community and authentic Mexican cuisine. He stopped to see his friend, Chef Wes Avila, at his restaurant KA’TEEN which specializes in Mexican food from the Yucatan Peninsula. With Quaker State motor oil protecting his engine, Chef was able to focus on this exciting journey and the celebration of different Latin flavors across the United States.
[In vision] Aaron standing next to his car.
[Aaron] Continuing my culinary road trip with Quaker State motor oil, we are going to conclude this beautiful journey here in Houston, Texas, my home state. We’re going visit with a chef named David at a beautiful restaurant called Andes Café and he is going to bring to light these beautiful South American flavors so come check it out.
[In vision] Aaron in the Kitchen with Chef David. Aaron points to a bowl.
[Aaron] In here what do you have?
[In vision] Chef David lifts bowl, mixes the contents.
[Chef David] We have a homemade chimichurri with aji panka which is another sundried chili pepper from Peru
[Aaron] Of course!
[In vision] Camera goes to Aaron with David in the background
[Aaron] We’re having a ball, Chef David is throwing down serious ceviche, representing South America. Ecuador is in the house! Olate!
[In vision] Aaron and Chef David laughing while Chef David is preparing the food.
[In vision] Camera shows all the different foods prepared by Chef David then to David and Aaron talking.
[In vision] Aaron sitting in his car.
[Aaron] Chef David thank you for those delicious South American flavors and I also want to say thank you to Quaker State motor oil for energizing my engine from Atlanta to New Orleans, Los Angeles, and finally here in Houston. It’s combining my love for the road! For adventure! Cuisine, all those beautiful things that motivate me every day. So, I just want to say thank you.
Chef’s final stop on the trip was Houston, Texas. On this visit, he made a new friend in Chef David Guerrero, a native of Quito Ecuador who creates dishes inspired by countries that are connected by the Andes mountains at Andes Café. The café specializes in ceviche dishes, the origin of the ceviche is ancient Incan which is now Ecuador and Peru.
With Quaker State motor oil protecting his engine, Chef had the opportunity to combine his love of cars, the road, and cuisine in Atlanta, New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Houston.