Central
It might come as a surprise to some that two of the “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” are in Peru. Having never been to South America prior to 2018, I can’t say that I would’ve guess that myself. But, having been to Peru and experiencing the culture, food, and ingredients there it definitely makes sense to me now. I imagine that Peru’s presence on the world food stage will continue grow (along with Central and South America in general).
Flying all the way to South America from Hawaii, it was important for me to secure reservations at Central. On my list since seeing it featured on Netflix’s Chef’s Table, I wanted to go to Central to experience all of the unique ingredients and the unique perspective of how the menu was designed. As with many restaurants of this level, Central offers a set tasting menu. However, the approach is a little different in that the courses are themed after different elevations, with the ingredients for that course coming from what can be found at those elevations.
As excited as I was to eat at Central, I, unfortunately, got very sick in the two days leading up to dinner. I think the culprit was some fruit I had at a market in Cusco which gave me food poisoning. But, even though I was sick I couldn’t be deterred from trying Central, so I kept my reservation and managed to make it through about twelve of the sixteen or so courses. While I made it through most of the courses, since I wasn’t feeling well I didn’t get to take notes or have as sharp a recollection of every course as I normally would. But, I wanted to share the photos I did take along with some quick notes from the courses that stood out.
“Red Rocks (-10 meters)” - Piure, percebe, clams
“Edge of the Dessert (180 meters)” - Sargassum, huarango, cactus, uni
Uni with cactus juice
I love Japan and the wonderful quality of seafood there. Hokkaido uni has always been a favorite of mine. But, I dare say this Peruvian uni gives Hokkaido a run for its money! Incredibly fresh and sweet, these couple bites of uni were some of the best I’ve ever had. This dish, which was simply uni with cactus juice, was a masterclass in simplicity.
“Dark Purple Root (2,450 meters)” - Mashwa duck, chijchipa leaves
Mashwa duck tartare
A superb and surprisingly robust duck tartare. The flavor of this particular duck variety is very deep and rich. If I hadn’t known otherwise, I might’ve been convinced it was deer or lamb.
“Forest Cotton (106 meters)” - Ungurahu, arapaima
“Jungle Highlands (1,890 meters)” - Copoazu, dale-dale tree tomato
“Ocean Floor (-25 meters)” - Scallop, sweet cucumber, seaweed
“Coastal Foothills (450 meters)” - Oca, tumbo, lupinus
“High Valley (2,800 meters)” - Avocado, Kaniwa river shrimp
“Plant Dyes of Moray (4,050 meters)” - Tubers, clay ch’illka
Similar to a dish we had at Central’s sister restaurant, MIL, which is located overlooking the archeological ruins of Moray.
“Amazonian Waters (120 meters)” - Piranha, araza, yuca root
The most visually striking dish of the night, the yuca root crackers had a wonderfully crispy texture. I was able to taste the piranha, but couldn’t necessarily distinguish it from other fish.
“Jungle Plains (165 meters)” - Amazonian langoustine, cecina, bellaco, plantain
“Deep Sea Coral (-9 meters)” - Octopus, squid, sea lettuce
A showcase of the fresh bounty that the Peruvian waters have to offer, this dish was a wonderful representation of oceanic flavors.
Central’s focus on highlighting the unique diversity of ingredients from Peru and the Andean mountains makes it a very interesting restaurant unlike any other that I’ve been to (except for its sister restaurant, MIL). I deeply regret having been sick and being unable to finish out the last handful of courses, but my partial meal at Central was still an incredible experience.
Central
Pedro de Osma 301
Barranco 15063
Lima, Peru
+51 12 428 515
centralrestaurante.com.pe
