Fine Dining in the Far West: Why Lima is Considered the Gastronomic Capital of Latin America
When considering the most sophisticated culinary destinations on the planet, there are a handful of locations that would naturally spring to mind: Sitting outside on the cobbled streets of Paris under the warm glow of traditional street lamps; in a bustling restaurant, furnished with chic modern decor in the heart of New York’s diverse city centre; or perhaps in a postmodern eatery on the streets of Tokyo, surrounded by implements that would have you second guessing whether you had stepped into the future. What about the South American metropolis of Lima?
Most would be forgiven for not including Peru’s capital city within this bracket of high-end dining experiences. However, the city has made a recent surge towards culinary stardom that has seen it referred to as the gastronomic capital of Latin America. An incredible achievement when you consider the vast geographical scale and diverse cuisine of the region, but you need only step foot in Lima to see that this title is well deserved.
At the start of the century Lima wasn’t a destination highlighted on any traveller’s map, let alone those seeking gastronomic brilliance. The capital was treated as a mere stepping stone on the way to Cusco by those in search of ancient historical wonder at the site of Machu Picchu, or to the Amazon jungle, where true wilderness runs supreme. It is easy to see why this metropolitan giant often slipped the mind of those travelling through. However, that is no longer the case today.
The cuisine in Peru is as varied as the country’s remarkable geography. The wild swill of the Pacific Ocean on the western coastline, through arid deserts towards the high altitude, jungle-clad wilderness of the nation’s eastern borders. Each region has its own specialities. You can wander the vibrant coastal markets in search of the freshest, melt-in-your-mouth ceviche, made from that morning’s catch. Further inland you will encounter street merchants serving curious local delicacies in the form of anticuchos de corazón (grilled cow hearts) and cuy (guinea pig), which are prepared in front of you and will send your taste buds to places that they have never been before. In the high peaks of the Andes, locals even serve an edible clay in the form of chaco – a creamy, salty dish like no other. This wide array of delicious dishes is a nod to the cultural variety of Peru, and Lima is the melting pot where it all comes together.
Those in doubt of Lima’s culinary significance need only be notified of the fact that two of the top ten restaurants in the planet, Central and Maido, can be found in Peru’s capital according to culinary experts of the acclaimed The World’s Best 50 Restaurants awards. The restaurants themselves are a nod to the nation’s expanding food scene.
Central head chef Virgilio Martínez is considered one of the trailblazers in the quest to introduce Peruvian cuisine to the world. Working in the city of his birth, he curates dishes that possess a passionate connection with the land from which they were harvested. Everything from seaweed gathered off the Pacific coast to cooking techniques used by the Incas over 500 years ago are incorporated into his dishes in an effort to rediscover and encapsulate all that has influenced the refined Peruvian cuisine that we know today.
Whilst the core inspirations for Virgilio Martínez reside in the nation’s rich history, Maido chef Mitsuharu Tsumura’s food looks to the nation’s future. The restaurant utilises an ultra-niche fusion of Japanese and Peruvian flavours in the form of Nikkei cuisine. Deriving from the late 19 th century, when the first Japanese immigrants crossed the Pacific and landed in Peru, it sees the fresh ingredients of the South American nation prepared in the style of its Asian counterpart. The result is a remarkably delicate combination of flavour and finesse that is seldom experienced elsewhere
Whilst the inevitable long waiting times may leave Lima’s two culinary giants tantalisingly out of reach, these gastronomic virtuosos are far from all that the capital serves up in terms of fine dining. Wandering the streets of the super sophisticated San Isidro or artsy coastal neighbourhood of Miraflores, you are guaranteed to encounter the emerging Lima food scene in all its flavoursome glory.
Those in search of the traditional cuisine that put the city’s gastronomy on the map could opt for Malabar, a restaurant that supports local communities by sourcing its ingredients from indigenous groups. Or alternatively a trip to Astrid & Gaston, a multi award winning Miraflores restaurant owned by a German-Peruvian couple of the same name. Now run by Head chef Jorge Muñoz, the restaurant is considered to be at the forefront of the movement to bring Peruvian cuisine to the attention of the gastronomic world and is lauded by some as the establishment that started it all.
Fish lovers should opt for El Marcado, a lunchtime spot dedicated to the flavours of the sea, sourcing their ingredients from just off the city’s coastline and specialising in the country’s most famous dish – ceviche. Those with a yearning for red meat on the other hand should pay a visit to San Isidro’s OSSO, an establishment run by butcher Renzo Garibaldi which serves up a tasting menu of charcoal-grilled carnivorous delights. Diversity is also served up in the form of establishments like Chifa Titi, a restaurant that embodies the influence of Chinese immigrants on Peruvian cuisine with its hearty portions of chifa classics. Or if you’re feeling adventurous you could explore the local fish markets and street food hotspots in search of the dishes that inspired it all.
It’s difficult to pinpoint precisely why Lima has seen such a recent surge in both the quantity of establishments and quality of food within its restaurant scene. Although, in a similar vein to many renowned artworks or literary pieces from around the world, some suggest that the creative flare of the city’s culinary scene bloomed from the despair of a national atrocity. It was following Peru’s civil war during the 80s and 90s that restaurants such as Astrid & Gaston opened their doors and introduced an upmarket take on local delicacies to the city’s culinary elite. Seen as a respite from the torrid time that the country was facing, it was also a spectacular manner in which to celebrate something positive about Peru in the form of its distinguishable gastronomy. This intriguing theory is a nod to not only the remarkable ability of human beings to channel creativity from chaos but also a fantastic indication of the passionate national pride of Peru’s population.
This ground-breaking influence of the original haute cuisine establishments still resonates through Lima’s evolving gourmet food scene to this very day. Former rising chefs from Limeño favourite Central have ensured that the culinary expertise that the city has recently obtained lives on through a new generation. Matías Cillóniz, a member of the original kitchen at Central, now runs Mó Bistró, whilst former head chef Pía León opened the doors of the hotly anticipated Kjolle 2018. These restaurants are bastions of a new era that has traded white table cloths and private guest lists for a more casual setting and a primary focus on sustainability. They are a symbol of the forward thinking and fascinating unpredictability that has made Lima the culinary giant that it is today.
Perhaps the most alluring feature of Lima’s food scene is the fact that it is truly unique. Most gastronomic capitals reside in countries with world-renowned dishes that can typically be discovered in any cultural melting pot of a city, however this is not the case for Peruvian cuisine. To sample Lima’s restaurants is to travel in a world of flavour combinations that would have previously seemed inconceivable. With strong influences from the country’s intriguing past and a promising insight into a fascinating future, who knows what exciting instalments lay in store for the emerging Peruvian food scene.