BERLIN, Sept 24 — For the second year in a row, Central restaurant in Lima has been named the best dining destination in Latin America, for taking diners on a culinary expedition of Peru that spans the oceans, the Peruvian Amazon and summit of the Andes mountains.
The win comes as little surprise to those who are already well acquainted with the fine dining landscape in the region and those who follow the international gastronomy scene.
Within just six years of opening Central in Lima, chef Virgilio Martinez has become one of the driving forces propelling Peruvian cuisine — a cross-pollination of Latin, Asian and indigenous influences — onto the global stage, transforming the country into one of the hottest culinary destinations in the world.
At the Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants awards held in Mexico City yesterday, Martinez, took to the stage for the second year in a row to accept the award which is voted for by 250 critics and chefs from across the region.
“Chef Virgílio Martínez’s star has been rising rapidly for the last few years, coinciding with Lima’s ascent to become one of the world’s leading gastronomic destinations,” say organisers of the awards.
“Central is an unmissable part of the itinerary, with its tasting menu travelling from 25 metres below to 4,200 metres above sea level.”
It’s a literal and figurative summary to describe Central’s tasting menu, which takes diners on a vertical tour of the country.
Dishes are labelled by the altitude at which the ingredients are found, starting with sargassum seaweed and chili pepper (-10 m below sea level), to a dish called the ‘Andean Plateau,’ made with tunta (sun-dried potatoes) annatto (a tropical plant) and black herbs (3,900m).
Other signature dishes at Central include razor clams with pepino melon and aji chili pepper and suckling pig with black onion and garlic.
Overall, Lima and Mexico City dominated the top 10 list taking three spots each.
Here are Latin America's top 10 restaurants:
1. Central,Lima, Peru
2. Borago, Santiago, Chile
3. Astrid Y Gaston, Lima, Peru
4. D.O.M., Sao Paulo, Brazil
5. Maido, Lima, Peru
6. Quintonil, Mexico City, Mexico
7. Tegui, Buenos Aires, Argentina
8. Mani, Sao Paulo, Brazil
9. Pujol, Mexico City, Mexico
10. Biko, Mexico City, Mexico — AFP-Relaxnews
