Last day / The culinary highlight

The last day in Peru still had something very special. Dining in South America's best and the world 4th best restaurant.

 

There are only the following well known restaurantslisted better in 2015; El Celler De Can Rocca,

Noma and Osteria Francescana. Central was the "Highest Climber" on the list both in 2014 and 2015. 

 

The restaurant takes diners on a vertical journey across Peru’s landscape, serving native ingredients sourced at various altitudes. The mountains, sea, desert and jungle are all represented as Central’s tasting menu travels from 25 metres below to 4,200 metres above sea level.

 

 

The chef Virgilio Martínez Véliz  born 1977 like me is considered one of the new generation of Peruvian chefs promoting the spread of Peruvian cuisine. He is known for his use of applying modern cooking techniques to indigenous Peruvian ingredients. Marie Claire magazine calls him "the new star of Lima's gastro sky."

I was trying the 12 course mater ecosytems degustations menu as follows:

 Spiders on a rock (-5m) / (Sargassum, Limpet, Crab)

 Valley of a tree (230m) / (Avocado/Panca Chili Pepper, Paico)

High altitude rainforest (860m) /(Yacon, Baston, Bark)
and
River scales (180m)/ (River Snails, Gamitana/ Sangre die Grado)

 Andean Plateau (3900m) / (Tunta, Annato, Coca)

 Marine Soil (-20m) /(Clams, Sweet Cucumber, Lime)

 Close fishing (-10m) / (Octopus, Coral, Barquillo)

 Lake Floor (2900m) / (Chicken, Moraya,Cushuro)

 Low Andes Mountains (1800m) /(Quinoas, Beef,Ayrampo)

 Green Highlands (1050m) /(Lucuma, Cacao, Chacco Clay)

Valley between the Andes (2190m) /(Tuber,Sanki,Sancha Inchi)
and
Solar Mucilage (200m) / (Water-Theobromas)

 

 

 The bill.....

 After hours visit to the kitchen...

Unlike European restaurants, the tasting time is shorter, sometimes leaving almost no time to enjoy the courses. For the 12 courses there are 90-120 mins foreseen. This very precise timing of serving courses, felt for my taste a bit pushy. On the other hand maybe it is prefered like that by guests from the USA or South America.
I have also to admit that the presentation, the ingredients and all the ideas around are extraordinarry, still the tastes are nothing exceptional. Compared to other restaurants in Europe and Asia I ve been to, the composition of tastes is rather carefull and defensive. They do not dare to take any risks appareantly. All in all in was a nice experience and a last evening of this trip of mine in Peru and Bolivia.

For more about the restaurant
http://www.theworlds50best.com/list/1-50-winners/Central
For more pics
https://picasaweb.google.com/109547197400653381375/PeruBolivia#