The self-taught chef with Peruvian genes serves up the best ceviche in San Antonio and maybe in all of Texas.
Emil Oliva has the awards to prove it. But how did he wind up with a top prize for Tex-Mex? The master of ceviche is now king of a taco.
It’s true. The James Beard finalist who gave locals Michelin-recognized Leche de Tigre recently won the third annual Fajita Lounge Showdown.
You won’t find skirt steak on the menu at Leche de Tigre or any Tex-Mex ingredients to throw on the grill and toss in a tortilla.
Which raises the question: How did Oliva and his team best chefs from Mixtli, Bar Loretta, Cullum’s Attaboy and other establishments to become El Jefe de Fajitas?
“Some people know this and some people don’t,” Oliva began, “that we are half Peruvian and half Mexican.”
Peruvian blood from Oliva’s father drives Leche de Tigre. Mexican blood from his mother drives backyard grilling. Three brothers, Emil, 33, Axel, 30 and Alec Oliva, 25, produce an enchanting experience at the restaurant and flavorful fajitas outdoors.
At the showdown, they blended Peruvian and Mexican ingredients and served their creation to judges and taco lovers at Gimme Gimme.
Leche de Tigre’s Ceviche Criollo is a mixed ceviche with Spanish octopus, shrimp, squid, choclo and sweet potato served in an ají amarillo Leche de Tigre with cilantro and red onions to garnish. Credit: Amber Esparza / San Antonio Report
“Our winning taco had anticuchera rubbed wagyu skirt steak,” said Axel, Leche de Tigre’s general manager. “Our anticuchera is a bold, smoky and slightly spicy sauce made with aji panca, a Peruvian pepper. We topped it off with habanero tomatillo avocado tatemada sauce made from scratch. We added charred onions, cilantro and of course a little lime to bring it all together.”
How did it taste?
“The taco was mouthwatering just by watching the chefs assemble it,” said fajita showdown judge Jose Arredondo. “And it delivered when I took that first bite. The tortilla was stunning. The meat was sliced perfectly and every flavor complimented the other.”
The Olivas have been grilling together since they were teenagers. Born and raised in Laredo for part of their childhood, the brothers spent eight years in Lima, Peru and dreamed of opening their own restaurant.
Emil’s original ambition was not to work in the kitchen but to become a restaurateur. He studied restaurant management at St. Philip’s College and began a long, steady climb in the business, from busboy and server to bartender and assistant general manager.
Ten years ago, Emil developed a culinary itch. Unable to afford culinary school, a colleague invited him to observe in the kitchen at Costa Pacifica, a Mexican seafood concept near Stone Oak. On occasion, Emil moved from managerial responsibilities to line cook duties to get a feel for work in the kitchen.
Peruvian-Mexican chef Emil Oliva poses for a photo in his Southtown cevicheria restaurant Leche de Tigre on Thursday, Sept. 4., 2025. Credit: Amber Esparza / San Antonio Report
“I started to enjoy it a lot,” said Emil, whose mother taught him to cook when he was a young teen. “I’m that person that went through a lot of cookbooks and a lot of YouTube videos. I also learned by going out and visiting other Peruvian restaurants.”
Emil left Costa Pacifica for an event company and then later for a distributing company that sold wine and spirits.
“I was still inside restaurants every day, speaking to owners, managers and bartenders,” he said. “It was still hospitality.”
He worked at other restaurants with Axel and Alec until an opportunity opened in Southtown. With the help of investor cousins Sebastian Montante and Paloma Palos, Leche de Tigre launched in 2023.
With Emil in the kitchen, Alec managing the bar and Axel at the front of house, the brothers made a quick impression. Within four months of opening, Texas Monthly reviewed the cevicheria, calling it “one of the most engaging restaurants to have opened in the Alamo City in quite a while.”
One year later, the Michelin Guide wrote, “A ceviche bar, a cocktail menu full of pisco sours, and a cute patio? What’s not to like? This colorful hotspot is buzzing for good reason.”
The rave review caught Alec by surprise. “Being recognized by Michelin feels incredible,” he said. “We put a lot of passion into sharing Peruvian flavors with San Antonio. So seeing our cocktail program, especially the pisco sour, highlighted was an amazing honor for the whole team.”
Fast forward to June 16. The Oliva brothers and two cousins arrived at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in tuxedos, accompanied by their girlfriends, two aunts and mother in formal dresses. The event: The James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards.
In a sea of culinary stars, Emil emerged as a finalist for Best Chef: Texas.
Leche de Tigre’s Lomo Saltado is a traditional Peruvian stir-fry featuring beef tenderloin, Andean potatoes and vegetables and is served with a side of choclo rice. Credit: Amber Esparza / San Antonio Report
“It was beautiful, the Oscars of the food world,” Emil said. “Apart from the aesthetics and the glamour, you start to see people you’ve been following for years, people you’ve admired for their food and restaurants. People like Timothy Flores from Kasama (a Michelin Star restaurant) and Andrew Zimmerman from Sepia (a Michelin Star restaurant) and Edgar Rico (James Beard Emerging Chef Award) from Austin.”
Emil left without a Beard but not empty-handed. He made new friends, met Michelin chefs and moved among culinary cognoscenti. It was magical. It was motivational. He returned with his brothers to the restaurant, determined to improve food and service, elevate customer experience, and perhaps one day to capture a food industry Oscar.