VUE

What to Do in Lima Five-star restaurant, Maido, offers a wide selection of Japanese-Peruvian fusion dishes with an emphasis on seafood; and was voted number nine on the list of the World's Best Restaurants. Chef Mitsuharu Tsumura was born in Lima and returned to Japan during his culinary training to learn more about his Japanese culture. He moved back to Peru and is always working with his team to create new dishes that harmonize both Peruvian and Japanese cuisine. Specialties at Maido include sea urchin rice and legendary dishes like 50- hour cooked short rib and liquid nitrogen ceviche. However, the most thoughtful dish seems to be the Pulpo al Olivo or octopus with olive sauce. Historically, Peruvian fishermen threw away octopus as it was not part of the local cuisine. Noticing this, Japanese migrants grabbed the octopus when they saw they were not desired. Chef Tsumura's Pulpo al Olivo is exemplary of his ability to blend a locally sourced ingredient to a culture that, for so long, did not acknowledge its utility or know how to use it. It's important to point out that all of the dishes served at Maido are locally sourced from Peru. Astrid y Gastón is both a culinary and architectural landmark in Lima. Known for its focus on elevating local Peruvian cuisine, the mastermind behind the food is Gastón Acurio. Known in the culinary community as one of the most significant contributors to the modernization of Pervuian dishes, Gastón and his wife Astrid Gutsche opened their restaurant in one of the oldest buildings in Lima. From its beginnings as a hacienda (former plantation house) to its preservation and modern-day use as a five-star restaurant, the building itself represents Lima's transformation from a small rural town to one of the world's food capitals. e menu offers a variety of Peruvian delicacies with modern twists such as peking guinea pig, a variation of peking duck, asado de tira or stewed beef ribs, and their corvina ceviche. eir tasting menu option allows you to try a little bit of everything and comes with a wine pairing. All ingredients used in the dishes are locally sourced in Peru. Apart from the prestigious cuisine there are many places to get a great lunch or fresh fruit. Mercado de Surquillo is one of those places, it is one of the biggest markets in Lima and is a perfect place to brush shoulders with locals. Many small restaurants nearby offer lunch specials on fresh meat and fish meals, in other words, it's a foodie's heaven. ere are many different kinds of dishes to indulge in, one in particular being anticuchos, or beef hearts. Many dishes that are typical in Lima today date back to slavery, utilizing cuts of meat that masters didn't want to eat. Aer the mass migration in the 1980s, many of those dishes were brought to Lima and became a part of the DNA of the city's food culture. V U E N J . C O M 132

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