Category: Latin

Astrid Y Gaston
Av. Paz Soldán 290, San Isidro
Lima 27, Perú
+511 442-2775
Official Site

For those that don’t know who Gaston Acurio is, he is one of Peru’s greatest ambassadors; bringing Peruvian food and ingredients to the world. He is the Rene Redzepi and the Ferran Adria of Peru, giving birth to nouvelle Peruvian cuisine that we all know. A restaurateur with an empire of more than 40 restaurants stretching in three different continents and arguably one of the most and influential figures in the world of gastronomy. His flagship Astrid Y Gaston in Lima was voted as one of the 50 best restaurants in the world, occupying the 18th spot in 2014.

After studying at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, he came back to Lima, Peru and opened Astrid Y Gaston in 1995. Chef Acurio began serving French cuisine and later turning it into a Peruvian inspired fare using only local ingredients while applying the techniques and skills that he acquired in Europe. In September 2014, he announced his retirement from the restaurant relinquishing control of his flagship to Executive Chef Diego Munoz who had been in that position for the past two years.

Prior to this year, the restaurant was located in Miraflores for twenty years after relocating to Casa Moreyra in San Isidro (the only restaurant I visited outside of Miraflores). Walled in from the outside, Casa Morerya is an elegant Spanish colonial hacienda. Complete with its own garden, patio, event space, a food lab and another restaurant called La Barra that offer a la carte dishes of Astrid Y Gaston’s tasting menu.

On my arrival at this Relais & Chateaux property, I was received at the restaurants spacious reception area, then after verifying my reservation I was asked to be seated at the patio to wait as my table was prepared. A few minutes later the hostess emerged and gave me an escorted tour of the compound that eventually led to kitchen where Chef Munoz was busy with his brigade and then to my table.

The restaurant’s modern décor has a dining room that’s clean, airy with high ceilings and bookshelves throughout.There were plenty of windows to brighten up the room with hardwood flooring and grey walls that has beautiful artwork. Large round oak tables paired with ivory padded chairs were distanced far apart from each other giving each guest their own personal space.

Astrid Y Gaston offers one tasting menu ($125 or Sol 386) for both lunch and dinner that consist of 27 courses and changes every six months. The menu tells the story of Peru and on my visit it was titled Memories of My Land inspired by food and flavors that every Peruvian had growing up.

The first chapter was “Let Us Toast in The Good Old Days”. I was served with cocktail called guinda of Huaura made from Huara cherry (a province in Peru) and was accompanied by a snack. That was followed with“Sweet After School”, a cookie tin that contained an ambrosial of small bites. Barquillos made of lemon basil, strawberry, rocoto pepper and yogurt. Ginger and chicken skin camotitos, merengue kisses with black botija olives and anchovies, then the charada made with prawns and peanuts. They were served with lucuma chocolate and chestnut ice cream.

Memories of My Land:

The next chapter was “Home Memories”. A trio consisting of interesting dishes that were meticulously crafted beginning with the medlar beverage called Garden Fruits. Water infused with exotic Peruvian fruits encased in a large ice cube that needed to be drunken right away. Then there was the vibrant “Mom’s Patita”, suckling pig trotter (substituted with chicken) with mustard and cress. To finish, a crispy Grandma’s Torrejita or chickpea with white asparagus caviar.

“Summer at The Beach” is the “Raspadilla” made with vegetable ice, syrups, fruits and herbs from the restaurants garden. It had a refreshing and wonderful vegetable essence. “Morning of Punta avocado and crackers” sliced avocado, garnished with white sesame seeds, green onions, aji limo pepper, maca, and candied lemon slices. The plate was placed the long way on the table then I was instructed to eat from the front. There was a lot of elements on one plate that produced some very good flavors. It got better with the next course. “Frozen Delicia Apple”, apple ceviche with leche de tigre of rocoto, sea urchin and borage. The curled thinly sliced apple gave the fruitiness that the compliment the citrusy sauce and creaminess of the urchin. Lastly, “That Pink-Clam Chowder” made with fake pink clams from pacae (with a taste and texture like clam) with tender fava beans, creamy potatoes and swimming in spicy sea food broth. A light dish with a profound savor from the sea. The trio makes up “Products that are leaving us”, local ingredients that either disappeared or were replaced.

“Recipes That Are Leaving Us” are split into two courses. The first was shrimp tails cooked with roasted peanuts, garlic roasted onion broth, mirasol pepper, nuts, huacatay and shrimp essence oil. The shrimp had a lovely firm textures that was married to an outstanding pungent aromatic sauce. The second was the “Escabeche of Cojinova”, smoked onions with marinade oil, tomatoes and aji pepper which had a terrific intense smokiness to it.

“Homage to mashed potatoes with fried eggs” the sole representation of “Going Back Home”and was inspired from a home coming dish after being gone for such a long time. Made with chaulina potato cream, chicken jus, dried tomatoes and pocini, fried quail eggs, tomato powder and spinach.Poached eggs on top it had a creamy texture along with a complexity of flavors.

A journey to the different region of Peru in“Regional Longing” began with a tasty dish called “Between a Potato Ajiaco and a Tongue”. Semi-dried native potatoes, fresh cheese cream, onions, roasted yellow aji pepper and beef tongue. It was followed by “Rabbit Pachamanca”, rabbit loin and liver with corn, garlic cream, oca and olluco. The lean rabbit loin and the nuttiness of liver shared with all the other ingridients created a pleasant dish. “Homage to Shambar”, brisket, pork rib broth (was substituted), bean germs and peppermint sprout. The tender pieces of briskets were flavored superbly and marked the completion of the savory courses.

“Children Pranks” was playful introduction to the sweet plates. The enjoyable “The tasty banana and cheese” was made with Isla banana, spices caramel and pisco, crumbs of paria cheese, arugula and black pepper. “Pomegranate Wars During the Break” pomegranate bombe was served on woven steel wires. A dish that had the WOW factor. An explosion in the mouth that felt like a broken glass. “Strawberry with Milk” was a sugary blend of condensed milk and strawberries while the U-Alianza, homage to Mazamorra Morada (Peruvian purple pudding) and arroz con leche was a small bite of compacted saccharine.

Sweet Memory were “Lima blanquillos”, apricot cooked with chamomile, almond cake, apricot kernel ice cream and “Why is it called King Kong?” Made with quince compote, peanut jelly, herb soup and flower ice cream, it was a big mess of goodness on plate.

The kitchen reminisced with the flavors that were changed in the last chapter “Lost Flavors”. “Real Chocolate Bar with Peanut and Cocada” was the petit fours. Finally to conclude this monumental meal was a made to serve “Emoliente”, a classic Peruvian drink is typically served hot during winter. Here it was served in both cold and hot together in one glass with a plantain leaf that served as a separator between two temperatures.

After nearly four hours I was finally done. This was a fine meal, each of the 27 or so courses flowed fluidly with an excellent succession of taste with one to two bites one after the other. Everything about this meal was theatric, from the moment the server explained the theme of the tasting menu and the story of each dish to the presentation of some of the courses that were crafted in front of my table. The cooking techniques were interesting and even playful in creating different textures, elaborate flavors that carefully constructed in each plate. The successful pairing of wines (Sol 255 or $84 for the wine pairing) from Spain, Italy, Portugal, Chile and South Africa was just an exclamation to excellence.

Wine Pairing:

Service at Astrid Y Gaston was formal and professional. Majority of the time there’s one individual server focused on one specific table creating a more personal experience. There was definitely no shortage of staff and each and every one of them spoke perfect English which was expected to handle the influx of foreign diners that visits this restaurant on a daily basis.

As the birthplace of nouvelle Peruvian cuisine, Astrid Y Gaston paved the way to restaurants like Central and IK Restaurante. This is just not any other restaurant but an institution. For 20 years it has been on top of its game and still lives up to its reputation among the very best not only in Peru but the world. Though Gaston Acurio is no longer in the kitchen the restaurant is in good hands under Chef Diego Munoz.

Visiting Peru is not complete without coming to Astrid Y Gaston. The restaurant and Gaston Acurio is as synonymous to Peru as Machu Pichu and the lines of Nazca.

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IK Restaurante
Calle Elías Aguirre 179,
Miraflores 15074,
Lima, Peru
+511 6521692
Official Site

When travelling I make an effort to choose at least one restaurant to visit in that city without the Michelin guide credentials or the 50 Best Restaurant accolades. The ones that are deemed underrated with cries of injustice from their avid fans. That’s when I came across IK Restaurante and added it to my dining itinerary in Lima, Peru.

IK Restaurante was the first solo project of young and talented chef Ivan Kisic. A rising star in Peruvian gastronomy, he was set to open this restaurant three years ago until a tragic accident took his life at the age of 34. Instead of scrapping the project, his brother Franco, who at that time was working with Albert Adria in Barcelona, decided to return back to Peru and continue what Ivan had begun. In 2013 the doors were opened and has been well received by critics and the dining public.

In the kitchen, Franco works with a team of talented chefs that include his cousin Monica Kisic, designing menus that utilize local ingredients prepared with modern techniques. A la carte and six and eight course tasting menu is available for both lunch and dinner but to get a better understanding of the skills the kitchen possesses I had the ten course tasting menu for Sol 280 ($94).

Tasting Menu:

To start I was served a trio of pacae (a local fruit), araccha and coconut mouse and finally the avante-gardish alpaca loin with chocolate. It was stimulating to my palate, teasing it for what is to come next.

The first course was a large river prawn in a fava bean puree, coral bread, and Andean herbs. Served whole, the meaty prawns were cooked in four different textures but with similar tastes. Grilled scallops in coffee butter sauce with camu camu and celery followed after. Swimming in coffee butter, the scallops were able to absorb the buttery and bitter taste while the camu camu provided some tartness to this excellent dish. The third course was a grilled veal sweetbreads, ollucos, chalaquita sauce also known as “Highland Sweetbreads”. Scrumptious and colorful, this dish was outstanding.

Before the next course arrived, I was presented with a sardine in oil and garlic served in a can accompanied by a piece of pickle. Bonito fish lacquered in escabeche sauce with pickled vegetables and cause vinaigrette followed. The contrast of sweet and sour was wonderfully paired with a fresh piece of bonito. The spicy yuyo was the next, made with native potatoes, Peruvian chili sea-weed and mushrooms. Combined, this dish was a savory collision of earth and ocean with a hint of spiciness.

Sudado de anguila or eel, cooked in eel sauce, saffron, tomatoes, chilli and mushroom served and cooked in an oven bag. When opened an aroma of scrumptiousness was released along with an intense flavor. Plátano with Lima beans, egg yolk, rice crisp and pallar puré was beautifully served in dried leaves with a delightful creamy texture. Alpaca stew or “La Puna” was the eighth and final course before the sweet dishes. The stew has a bounty of flavors that brilliantly coexist with the roast beef, charqui, quinoa, and Andean perfumes.

There were two desserts to finish the tasting, the first was the broken bon-bon wrapped in Peruvian chocolate with a rich citrusy filling of key lime cream and rocoto chili paper. Finally, cooling of the palate was the refreshing “Selva Blanca” made with cocoa mucilage sorbet, cupuaçu iced mousse, chirimoya.

This was an outstanding meal and inexpensive compared to other restaurants in the US and Europe of the same caliber. Having the ten courses tasting portioned properly was enough to let diners get a grasp of each dish. There was a lot of creativity and precise execution in the kitchen. The flavors are defined and have Peru all over it. To add, Sommelier, Pedro Guerero, beverage pairing (an additional Sol 120 or $40) was spot on. His choice of three types of wine from Chile, Argentina and Spain, and a cocktail with sake, fino Sherry and lychee liquor drops. Delizzia and cream of organic chocolate from Quillabamba Cusco and pisco brandy from Ica, Perú was paired with the desserts.

Beverage Pairing:

Set in the busier part of Miraflores in Lima, I was welcomed with the warmth of Peruvian hospitality on my arrival and was immediately drawn to the cozy sunken bar that resides in the front for pre meal drinks.The dining room has tall ceilings with plenty of wood and designed to replicate a wooden food crate. The atmosphere is hushed with lots of vibrant green plants on the wall and the humming of the forest and sound of sea wave is played throughout, allowing me to be one with nature.

Not all of the staff speak English well but they were very attentive to every guest that are occupying one of those smooth uncovered round tables that are clustered together in the dining room. A window that stretches the length of the kitchen shows the kitchen staff in action while guests enjoy their meal.

Although there is no shortage of fine dining in Lima Peru, IK Restaurante is a great addition to grown trend of Modern Peruvian cuisine that is sweeping the gastronomic world. Sure it might not have the star power like the more established restaurant like Central and Astrid Y Gaston, but in the span of less than three years, it has impressed the dining public. Soon there will be flocks of travelling epicureans from all over the world visiting this restaurant. IK Restaurante will be a force to be reckoned with in years to come.

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Central
Calle Santa Isabel 376 Miraflores,
Lima 18, Peru
+511 2428515
Official Site

In the past few years there has been an explosion of Latin cuisine in the global gastronomy stage which can be compared to the New Nordic movement in Scandinavia. Peru and its capital city, Lima, is the epicenter of this trend. With influences from Pre-Columbian, Spanish, African and East Asian, the city has been dubbed as the gastronomic capital of Latin America. In the past twenty years, Lima’s restaurant scene has blossomed and has seen an influx of fine dining along with young and innovative chefs, like Chef Virgilio Martinez, who are popularizing Modern Peruvian cuisine.

Chef Martinez’s restaurant, Central, is considered to be amongst the top restaurants not only in Peru, but throughout the world. This year, Central was awarded the top spot in the 50 best restaurants in Latin America and no. 15 on the prestigious San Pellegrino The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. It was also voted as the top restaurant in the nation by SUMMUM Peru for the past three years.

Early in his career, Chef Martinez cooked in the US, Europe, and Asia. Upon returning to his native homeland he became the head chef of Gaston Acurio’s flagship restaurant, Astrid y Gaston in Lima, arguably the most celebrated restaurant in Peru. He was also chosen to be the head chef in the Madrid and Bogota branches. Afterwards, he opened Central with his then girlfriend Pia Leoni (now his wife). To date, he also has a restaurant in Cuzco and in London also called Lima, the first Peruvian restaurant to receive a Michelin star.

Central is located on the quiet residential street of Miraflores, a few blocks away from Larcomar shopping mall and can be easily bypassed if you’re not looking for it. The restaurants modest exterior blends in with the rest of the homes in the area. Two tall wooden doors serve as the entrance. In the front is a pisco bar with dark lighting and it was also where I waited as my table was being prepared. The bi-level layout is designed with a modern interior and the main dining room is bright with high ceiling and plenty of natural light. An open kitchen behind glass walls looked out into the dining room. The tables were covered in neat white cloth and sparsely spaced with affluent locals who make up the majority of the guests. On the second floor are more tables and a wine storage area enclosed in glass.

For both lunch and dinner the restaurant offers a la carte and two types of tasting menus, “The Matter of Elevation” (seventeen courses) for 388 Sol ($132) and the “Corto Central” (eleven courses) for 288 Sol ($97). I opted for the “Matter of Elevation” on my visit.

The tasting began with pisco and grapefruit juice that included herbs made of oranges. A parade of small dishes followed, beginning with Paita Expedition, frog fish with crispy algae. Then, Orchard of Mala or cactus milk with retama petals that was lightly citrusy and floral. Dry Andes made with chacao clay and ocas (a form of tuber). This was the first time I’ve eaten clay, it had a fascinating soiled flavor. The Ten Mile Fish was calamari with sargassum (seaweed) served atop sea rock. Diversity of Corn, created with three types of local corn (choclo, kculli and corn from San Geronimo) in different textures. High Jungles was made with Yacón, a yam grown in the Andes, and duck, all served in a wooden box of open achiote. The Dead Amazon, Ungurahui, Achiote and Coca Leaf was made into crunchy chips finished off this part of the tasting.

Matter Of Elevations:

Bread that was smoked in leaves for an extra smoky flavor came with two types of butter and was served before the big plate arrived. I enjoyed this bread so much that I had to request more!

The first main dish was Rock of the Sea made with clam and sweet lemon. The skillful technique used created a firm yet foamy texture with plenty of acidity, making this a wonderful dish. The next dish was a delicate yet tart Cold Cultivation, made with scallops, loche squash, and tombo. A vegetarian dish called “Valley Between the Andes” made with avocado, tree tomato or “tamarillo”, and a grain known as kiwicha. This was a trifecta of nuttiness, tanginess and sweetness. Octopus in The Dessert continued the tasting. The Octopus was cooked perfectly with airampo (usually used for coloring) along with a creamy sauce and corn for additional texture.

Extreme Altitude, (where the main ingredient, cushuro, a bacteria that grows at altitudes of 11,000 ft in the province of Cusco) followed. It had a look and feel similar to fish roe. This was supplemented by tunta (freeze dried potato) to create a interesting dish. Prior to the next course arriving, the server showed me a whole beef heart that was cooked and dehydrated and later shaved on top of kaniwa(a type of Peruvian quinoa) and served with milk. This delectable dish was called Mountain Beef.

There was an array of dessert that followed. First was a chocolaty Arid Forest with algarrobo and mamey that sweetens the cacao from the Palo Blanco region of Peru. Afterward was Coco Leaf Environment, (coffee, chiromaya, muna mint), such a fruity and refreshing blend. Barks and Resin Jungle followed, shambo quiro, sachapapa, and huampo. This had just a hint of sweetness. To finish the tasting was Theobromas Solar Infusion, an Amazonian fruit macambo infused with stevia as a sweetener.

The Matter of Elevations tasting was an educational and informative culinary tour of Peru’s rich biodiversity landscape. It tells the elevation where each ingredient that was used in the course came from. I enjoyed this meal very much, as the flavors were just fascinating to my palate. Wine pairings were mostly European and can often pose a challenge for such a tasting, but Central’s sommelier conquered it. The wines chosen were paired perfectly with the distinct taste of the food.

Wine Pairing:

Exceptional hospitality at Central was expected and definitely received. The service was attentive and polite. The staff is well trained and spoke excellent English. Courses were explained clearly and they were more than happy to give me a tour of the kitchen when requested.

With all the accolades that have been given to Central, my expectation was running high. It was met with the brilliance of Chef Martinez that was displayed during my visit. The ingredients that were procured from the jungle of the Amazon, to the mountains of the Andes, the ocean of the Pacific and from their own personal garden were masterfully created. The different textures and combination of flavors were both complex and interesting. Each plate was a work of art, beautifully arranged with vigorous colors. This exceptional cuisine merits its place among the very top and continues to impress the dining public. Restaurants like Central have continuously put the city Lima on the world stage.

For individuals who are ordering medicines online, there are several significant factors that must be elaborate. Internet is an ideal practice to get medicaments. Several medicaments are antifungal medicines. There are at least some medicaments for each sicknesses. Levitra is a medication prescribed to treat few ailments. What do you have to view about cialis vs viagra? When you buy remedies like Levitra you have to ask your dispenser about viagra vs cialis. Many drugstores describe it as viagra or cialis. Many probably sure the forcefulness of Levitra is well documented. In supplement, there are some of explanations and pharmacists are mostly able to pinpoint your problem through biological tests. Ordinarily the treatment options may switch on erectile dysfunction medicaments or counseling. Your generic is for you only. Never give your drugs to other men even if their state appears to be the same as yours.