About
Chef Ruffo Ibarra grew up in the metropolis of Tijuana, the entrance to the busiest land border crossing on the planet. He enjoyed cooking from the time he was a small boy, cherishing time in the kitchen with his mom. Once he graduated from high school, there was an expectation from his family for his career choice and a chef ’s life was not it. When Ruffo informed his father of his choice, the young 18 year old was met with skepticism but Ruffo was determined to prove that he had a vision for himself. Working without pay at the Grand Hotel by day and Baci in San Diego as a stagiaire by night, the young man worked without complaint until his father recognized the commitment Ruffo had shown through his hard work. He then enrolled for formal training at theCulinary Arts Institute in Tijuana.
He went on to work in the kitchen of Javier Plascencia at Romesco &Cenador de Amos, a two Michelin Star restaurant in Cantabria, Spain. He returned home where he would put his expanded experience to work as a private catering chef. In 2015, Chef Ruffo opened the doors to Oryx Capital and Nortico the speakeasy 6 months later with his business-minded family, a perfect team balance of creativity and business acumen. The restaurant brings a Cali-Baja fusion to guests with an understanding that the fluid border has greatly influenced the food in this corner on the planet.
