Meet Our Team
Meet Our Team
Founder & Head Chef · Puerto Aventuras
Our Founder
Between 2014 and 2020, I built and led Mocha, a much-loved café brand with three locations across Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, Gujarat, in western India. Those six years taught me what hospitality truly means — creating welcoming spaces, serving with consistency, and turning first-time guests into familiar faces.
Years later, on the beautiful marina of Puerto Aventuras, Mexico, I saw an opportunity to share another part of my world: the rich flavours, vibrant spices, and culinary traditions of India. With the Caribbean Sea as our backdrop and a talented chef from India bringing our vision to life, Marina Masala was born.
Our philosophy is simple: serve food with soul, let authentic Indian flavours shine, and create an experience that feels both exciting and welcoming. From traditional favourites to creative cocktails where Indian spices meet Mexican spirit, every detail reflects our love for bringing cultures together.
At Marina Masala, you’re not just here for a meal. You’re here to discover new flavours, share good moments, and feel like part of the family.
Chef Pavankumar ShriwasHead Chef of Marina Masala
The hands behind the tandoor
A love of spice, learned over a lifetime
Marina Masala’s kitchen is led by Chef Pavankumar Shriwas — a career chef with more than thirteen years in professional kitchens across India. A graduate in Hospitality Studies from Pune, he has worked every station from the ground up: starting as a commis, rising through chef de partie and sous chef, and going on to run kitchens as Executive Chef and Senior Sous Chef.
He is no stranger to us. Chef Pavan cooked alongside Shiv in the kitchens of Mocha in Ahmedabad — and it was there, over those years, that his talent made the lasting impression that has now brought him across the world. He became known for one thing above all: menus that marry Indian soul with continental technique. When it came time to build Marina Masala, there was only ever one chef in mind.
A specialist in both traditional and modern Indian cooking, he brings a deep command of the tandoor, careful plating, and the kind of recipe discipline that keeps a dish tasting the same on a quiet Tuesday and a packed Saturday night. He leads from the pass — training his team, holding the line on quality, and cooking everything to order.
- years in professional kitchens
- 13+years in professional kitchens
- traditional & modern Indian specialist
- Tandoortraditional & modern Indian specialist
- hospitality studies, Pune
- B.Sc.hospitality studies, Pune
- kitchen team led & trained
- 15+kitchen team led & trained
“Good Indian food is about balance and patience — the right spice, cooked with care, served with heart. That’s what I want every plate at Marina Masala to carry.”