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.
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