In the heart of Monterrey, three brothers with a shared passion transformed northern Mexican cuisine into a language of identity, memory, and emotion. Rodrigo, Daniel, and Patricio Rivera Río have made KOLI a benchmark of contemporary Mexican gastronomy, where each dish becomes a story told slowly and carefully.
In this exclusive conversation for ÖVRFLÖD , the Rivera Río brothers share the spark that united them, the challenges of working as a family, and the vision with which they have elevated the gastronomy of northern Mexico.
What was the origin that led them to create KOLI?
Rodrigo Rivera Río: After ten years in the industry, I decided to get my brothers together to open a fine dining restaurant specializing in northeastern Mexican cuisine. It was my last attempt; if it didn't work, I would do something else. But it did.
Daniel Rivera Río: Rodrigo was the pioneer. We wanted to create something that honored the cuisine of Monterrey, the cuisine of family banquets, the cuisine that saw us grow up.
Patricio Rivera Río: KOLI was born from that fraternal union. We planned a tasting menu for two years, and from day one each of us found our voice within the restaurant.
What does making contemporary Mexican cuisine mean to you?
Rodrigo: It's about reinterpreting tradition without losing its essence. Nothing modern exists that doesn't stem from tradition.
Daniel: It's about experiencing Mexico's history through the kitchen. Respecting its roots while also allowing ourselves to play with form, color, and emotion.
Patricio: It's about honoring who we already are, but with an eye toward the future. Every Mexican ingredient has a story; our job is to tell it from a new perspective.
“Our seven commandments are not cooking rules; they are a philosophy of life.” — Daniel Rivera Rio
How do you define KOLI's philosophy?
Rodrigo: Absolute respect for tradition. Memory is our creative engine.
Daniel: Our philosophy is governed by seven commandments, a decalogue that guides how we work, create, and live.
Patricio: KOLI is a way of seeing the world: discipline, sensitivity and community.
What role does family memory play in your cooking?
Rodrigo: KOLI functions like a family. Each team member has a role, just like in any household.
Daniel: Our grandparents are the emotional root of this project. They taught us that cooking not only nourishes: it unites.
Patricio: In each dish there is something of our history, reinterpreted with respect and emotion.
“Gastronomic luxury lies in authenticity, not in origin.” — Rodrigo Rivera Río
What is your creative process when designing a tasting menu?
Rodrigo: Each season is born from a story. I write a prologue and divide it into thirteen chapters: the thirteen courses of the menu.
Daniel: Desserts are the emotional closing of that narrative: the last word of a story told with fire, knives and memory.
Patricio: The wine echoes the dish. We seek to prolong the experience, not just accompany it.
What role does innovation play in your proposal?
Rodrigo: Research is the soul of innovation. We've collaborated with architects, designers, and scientists. With Tec de Monterrey, we created a 3D-printed beet with a meaty texture. It took us a year, but we did it.
Daniel: In my field, innovation means reinterpreting sweetness through emotion. I don't aim to surprise through technique, but through memory.
Patricio: To innovate is to keep curiosity alive without losing respect for the product.
How would you like KOLI to be remembered in 50 years?
Rodrigo: Like a restaurant that left a legacy on how northern gastronomy is understood.
Daniel: As a philosophy of life and work based on our seven commandments.
Patricio: As an inspiration for those who seek to do things differently, from the ground up.
KOLI is not just a restaurant: it's a statement about memory, identity, and emotion. The Rivera Río brothers have shown that true innovation lies not in breaking with the past, but in honoring it with authenticity.
“At KOLI, memory isn't served on a plate: it's revived with every bite.” — Daniel Rivera Río
Photos: courtesy.
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