Other
Gilberto Centina
Michelin-starred chef
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
Gilberto Centina runs Holbox in Los Angeles as chef, owner, and head chef, a position that asks for both kitchen discipline and a working knowledge of seafood from the source outward. Growing up fishing and diving in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula gave his cooking its central reference point: the sea as supply, memory, and standard. What emerges at Holbox is Modern Mexican mariscos with clear coastal logic—built from catch, movement, and the practical skill of making seafood read cleanly on a contemporary Los Angeles table.
The Path
Family restaurants can train a cook in the parts of the job that matter longest: pace, repetition, and attention. At Chichén Itza in Mercado la Paloma, South Los Angeles, California, United States, Gilberto Centina learned those rhythms early, starting in a room where timing and consistency carried as much weight as flavor. Since 2017, he has carried that foundation into Holbox, where the line from family kitchen to independent operation remains visible in the way the restaurant is built around seafood and a direct point of view. The progression is steady, and the training reads in the work.
The Work Today
Since 2017, Holbox in Los Angeles, California has been the place where Gilberto Centina has shaped a seafood program with the responsibilities of both operator and cook. As owner and head chef, he sets the pace of the kitchen and the restaurant itself, with Mexican seafood as the center of gravity. His cooking is identified with Modern Mexican mariscos, a register that keeps the focus on freshness, clarity, and tradition without overcomplicating the plate. The result is a tight seafood kitchen, where the daily work depends on exact handling and a clear sense of what the ingredient needs.
Signature
Baja Fish Taco with local rockfish, Langosta al Carbon (local spiny lobster), and Live Urchin & Scallop Ceviche are the dishes named with Gilberto Centina's work. They point to a kitchen that gives seafood room to lead, with preparation serving the ingredient rather than masking it. Grilled, folded, or served as ceviche, the format changes; the underlying method stays consistent. The common thread is clean expression, with enough structure around the seafood to keep the flavor legible.
Acclaim
The recognition around his work comes from consistency rather than breadth: a focused seafood kitchen in Los Angeles, run with a clear point of view. Gilberto Centina's profile is built on that concentration, and on the way his Yucatán background, family kitchen training, and present-day restaurant practice remain connected through the same oceanic frame of reference.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Gilberto
Where did Gilberto Centina work before?
Gilberto Centina's earlier career included Chichén Itza.
What is Gilberto Centina known for?
Modern Mexican mariscos.
