Daniela Romero
Bazaar Mar by José Andrés | Las Vegas, NV
April 2026
Daniela Romero grew up in Honduras, where home cooked meals fostered an early love for food. Her grandmother, who was blind, taught her how to cook. Romero eventually took over cooking for the family when her grandmother passed away, and, at nine years old, realized she was destined for culinary school—but not without some initial hesitation from her parents. After working in banquets to prove she took her career path seriously, she attended Johnson & Wales University in North Miami, Florida. From there, Romero went to work in Singapore and Thailand, where a tough kitchen culture temporarily turned her away from cooking. Back in the States, she joined the team at Steak 954 in Fort Lauderdale as a hostess.
Then, at a Johnson & Wales career fair, Romero saw a job posting for The Bazaar by José Andrés in South Beach. Even though she originally applied for a hostess position, the interviewer saw her past experiences and offered her a job as a line cook. Romero was in awe of the welcoming culture of José Andrés’ restaurants and rediscovered her passion for cooking. She rose through the ranks, working her way up from line cook to junior sous chef. In 2016, she got the opportunity to join the opening team of Bazaar Mar in Miami as the sous chef, under the guidance of Rising Stars alum Rubén García where she stayed until 2018. Romero then moved to New York City to open Le Jardinier and trained at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon before returning to Florida to open the Miami locations of both restaurants.
Romero did a quick stint at a caviar company during the pandemic before moving to Chicago, Illinois to become the chef at Bar Mar and Bazaar Meat. She then moved to Nevada to open the Las Vegas outpost of Bazaar Mar in 2024. Now, as executive chef of the seafood-focused restaurant, Romero plates eye-catching dishes like her rossejat with vermicelli, spider crab, cuttlefish, sofrito, and crustacean espuma. She supports causes like Three Square Food Bank and educates her team on the importance of sustainability and sourcing.
