Perhaps the best way to recognize Peru's diversity is to express it via food. Peruvian food is often described as the ultimate fusion, where you'll find a mix of Andean, Amazonian, coastal, European, and Asian influences. On the cutting edge of the culinary arts, innovative chefs are pushing the envelope and constantly evolving the Peruvian food scene. However, Central, run and owned by Virgilio Martinez and Pia Leon, shows that Peru's natural diversity is so great that chefs need not look beyond the country's borders for new plates and flavors. The 16-course meal at Central showcases the delicious possibilities made when creative chefs come upon the nearly endless options offered by a variety of herbs, meats, and produce. This can be described as a culinary trip through Peru, taken from your table in Barranco, Lima. Each plate has a name and a number, the number being the altitude where all the ingredients from the plate are found. The numbers start at below zero for seafood dishes, climb up to 4,500 meters where plates are sourced from frigid Andean ecosystems, and then drop again for tropical-inspired dishes. Plates are small and can be simple, including ingredients diners are not familiar with but often surprise. For our first dish, we had the grilled octopus, which was Janina's favorite dish of our meal- shocking considering she normally stays far away from eating the 8-legged mollusk! Tip for those on a budget: The price for the set meal is currently S/.592, however if you are looking for a less expense option try the bar area. There is no regular set menu but instead one may order full plate options from a selection of the 16 courses. The two of us did this and were content and full after sharing the octopus plus two more dishes, desert, and drinks. The drinks were refreshing fruit juices, mine made with camu-camu, by far my favorite hard-to-find fruit. Desert was lucuma bark drizzled with chocolate sourced from the Peruvian amazon and it was the perfect ending to the meal.With a generous tip the total came to S/.300. Less than $100 total for a date at one of the highest-ranked restaurants in the world definitely seemed like a deal to us. Central is currently ranked as the #5 restaurant in the world, tops in Latin America. The restaurant and bar only accept reservations up to a certain date set in advance. To see the menu and other options offered by Martinez and Leon, go to https://centralrestaurante.com.pe/en/index.html. If you've been to Central or have other comments on innovative Peruvian food, please leave a comment below!
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AuthorBrad Goodman Archives
May 2019
CategoriesAll Amazonas Andes Chachapoyas Huancayo Peru Rural Tourism Trains |