"SABOR" is a food & wine and lifestyle series that savors Latinos' zest for life and passion for home and family.  

Renowned Chef Richard Sandoval has mastered modern and coastal Mexican, Latin-Asian, Peruvian, and Pan-Latin cuisine by impacting the culinary world on a global scale with restaurants spanning from the U.S., to Dubai, Mexico, Qatar, Serbia, China and Japan.

His tremendous work ethic and drive is admirable and his passport would make anyone envious, but it's his big appetite to innovate that stands out from the rest -- and he's always hungry for more.

Latin Post caught up with Sandoval, who was about to embark on an exotic journey to Qatar, Hong Kong, and Tokyo, where he's bringing his top-tier Latin fusion to the mix with his restaurants Toro and Brasa, opening in Hong Kong.

"The great thing is that with Latin food, they are getting a taste of it, so people are getting excited. ... It's a great food scene; there are a lot of great chefs," he told Latin Post. "It's quite interesting introducing Latin flavors and ingredients that they have never had before."

When it comes to running a business, nothing is going to go stale on Sandoval's watch. He constantly keeps things fresh.

"What we're doing in all of our restaurants is that we have a test kitchen where we send our chefs to different regions in Mexico and then they come back and we will feature that region on the menu for six months," he said.  

Music also comes into play in his restaurants, as he features DJs from around the world on Fridays and Saturdays.

"It's a lifestyle experience. ... It's not just a focus on food, but entertainment," he explained. He added that today if people can go to one place and really enjoy all of the elements, then it's a score for everyone.

Most known for his treasured Maya, his flagship modern Mexican restaurant in New York, Sandoval is especially proud of its Tamal Festival, where tamales are showcased from different regions of Mexico.

"For me it's a staple of Mexican cuisine. It's made with corn masa," he said.

"Latin food I think is the best food in the world today, you know you have Peruvian food which is amazing," he added. "People knew very little about it 20 years ago. In New York, people were mostly aware of Tex-Mex, but not the authentic Mexican cuisine. Today, people have more access to it and are learning more about it. We've seen the evolution of it. Twenty years ago, when I opened Maya there were only five or six restaurants that were serving Mexican cuisine. A lot more has happened in the cuisine. ... More people are very interested in these cuisines." 

Sandoval is also thrilled to start yet another venture called Latinicity, which will be located near the theater district in Chicago.

"It's similar to Eataly (in New York), but it has Latin food," he explained. "As far as the retailing, we're bringing stuff from South and Central America. There will be 11 food stations and then each station will have different dishes from different countries." 

"Chicago is a great food city and it has a lot happening there. We're opening in September and I am really excited and looking forward to that," he said. 

Born in Mexico City, Sandoval was inspired by his grandmother's cooking and worldly approach to cuisine where the food was authentic and prepared from scratch.

His restaurateur father, who still lives in Mexico, is the owner of Madeiras in Acapulco and Villa Fiore, also in Acapulco. He too taught Sandoval the fundamentals in running a successful restaurant.

Sandoval started out as a professional tennis player, but his love of food took him off the court and into the kitchen. He enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America, and Upon graduation, he gained the attention of New Yorkers with his contemporary French restaurants, Savann and Savann Est. In 1997, he returned to his roots and opened Maya, his flagship modern Mexican restaurant in New York.

The chef/restaurateur wears many hats besides his chef's hat. He's a culinary consultant, TV personality (he's appeared on the fifth season of Bravo's "Top Chef Masters"), cookbook author and brand ambassador.

Named "25 Coolest Multi-concept Companies," Richard Sandoval Restaurants (RSR) is now a leading international restaurant group with over 35 concepts spanning Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, New York, Virginia and Washington, D.C., as well as in Dubai, Mexico, Qatar and Serbia.

In 2003, he opened Pampano in New York City with world-renowned opera star Plácido Domingo.

"[Domingo] sings and I cook!" Sandoval said, laughing. "He's an amazing man. I mean he's an icon in the opera world, but he's a very humble man. He's obviously traveled the world and knows a lot about food. It's a great partnership."

Also in 2013 he partnered with Peruvian chef Jaime Pesaque of Mayta restaurant in Lima to open Raymi, also in New York City.

In Washington, D.C., Sandoval partnered with noted sushi chef Kaz Okochi and restaurateur to open Masa 14, El Centro D. F., El Centro D.F. Georgetown, as well as to consult on Ambar, the city's first Eastern European restaurant. Later this year, Sandoval is slated to open a new DC location of his award-winning restaurant and nightlife concept Toro Toro.

Sandoval also introduced Pan-Latin cuisine to Serbia with the opening of Toro Latin Gastrobar in Belgrade, which was named "Best Restaurant in Serbia" by Tripadvisor.

"Belgrade has really embraced it and they really enjoy the flavors," he added.

Given his impressive career, what's Sandoval's secret?

"First of all, I never sleep," he laughed. "I can't sleep, that's my first secret if you want to do this type of business." 

Joking aside, he added, "The most important one is to working with great people. I think that the only way to be able to do what I am trying to accomplish is to surround yourself with amazing people. I have been very fortunate to have been working with those great people for 10-15 years. That's how you stay consistent and relevant. You can try and transport it and embrace it and have them understand that any way to be successful is to really love what you do and be passionate about it."