Lima Trip, Central

So, going to Central was the main highlight of the trip. Partially because I had already eaten at Maido, and largely because I fell in love with the thought of the place after watching the Virgilio Martinez episode on Chef's Table. There were a few differences between Central today and the one from Chef's Table - first they largely re-did the interior to a much darker, homier vibe. Second, these almost art piece dishes from those days were replaced by smaller art pieces - still probably every bit as tasty, but I have to admit less 'wow' than it looked on camera. No matter, though, the experience, the meal, was perfect.

Oddly, the 14 course meal is actually reduced from 18 courses (pre-covid), but it still ended being probably the most filling tasting menu I've had, and maybe right behind Azurmendi as my second favorite meal (on a good day, maybe I'll give the edge to Central. Anyway, on to the dishes

Yuvo Seaweed, Clams and Squid (10 metres below sea level - MBSL)

Every dish here was a holy fuck - I mean in reality the entire meal was. The seaweed dish was a lovely blue color, with some unknown yogurt like thing underneath. The clams ceviche was beautiful. But the squid cracker was a perfect amouse bouche. At this point I knew I was in for a ridiculous treat.

Shrimp, Loche Squash, Avocado snacks (55 metres above sea level - MASL)

This is where things got crazy, it in a sense is a squash and shrimp soup, but it was in a hollowed out squash, with dust of squash skin and squash leaf, which just a perfectly heavenly soup underneath. Somehow it had a clear squash flavor and an incredible shrimp curry flavor, with neither cutting each other out.

Cocona, Papa Voladora and Yacon Root (1350 MASL)

This is where the dishes just became unexplainable. What was hilarious is most times as they brought out the dish each time they also brought out the peruvian ingredient that it came from and here they were like "we took the skin of this cocona seed and turned it into a pulpy thing" and then made a dumpling with the outside and made honey from a root. And I was just like - well, god knows how they even thought of this, but let's do it.

Corns, Kiwicha's and Sweet Potato Leaf (4200 MASL)

This was, I guess the "simplest" dish, which was a perfectly hearty corn puree, two types of sweet potato "leafs", with little 'kiwicha' like berry things. This looked like one of the dishes I had in mind when I had in mind when I was coming to central. So simple, in a way, but so delicate.

Murike Grouper, Razor Clams and Vongole (15 MBSL)

If there was any 9/10 dish, it was this one, which was anyway great. A lightly friend grouper in a truly heavenly razor clam broth, with vongole seeds on top as a spice. The vongole was far more imapctful, spice-wise, than I was expecting.

Cecina, Aparaima fish and Cassava (148 MASL)

This was another ridiciulous dish with a beautifully cooked fish with a cassava and pork foam (another "sure, why not?" dish) and a andean salt spice powdered on top. Just an amazing combination all things considered - with the pork foam being just a great thing to put on top.

Scallops, Sargassum and Cucumber (0 MASL)

This, oddly enough, was my favorite dish. A scallop ceviche with an emulsion of coral, coral and seaweed crackers and beet-pickled cucumbers (yeah, again, what?) layered on top. Again, this is what I mentally had in mind for Central - even if the dish was 'smaller' than the plates they had on Chef's Table.

Octopus, Sea Lettuce and Codium (25 MBSL)

The shaved octopus was nice, but the codium (no idea....) and mint sauce underneath was even better. The sea letter lattice was just a beautiful topper. This was something, I guess, of a palate cleanser before the 'mains' but was great all by itself.

Oca, Chaco clay and high altitude leaves (3750 MASL)

This is one of the dishes that got a lot of play on chef's table, a perfectly cooked potato, cooked in a Hautia (versoin of an underneath clay oven), with another random root-based mustard sauce. It was amazing how soft, smokey and perfect that little potato was.

Pacu fish, Watermelon and Coca leaf (190 MASL)

I might have lied, this might have been my favorite dish. The pacu fish underneath was nice, but the watermelon sheet was just incredible. The coca leaf sauce on top was great as well. Just perfect, just a perfect damn little bowl of something I would never even consider making (but will try!)

Pork Belly, Olluco and Callampa Mushroom (2700 MASL)

The last main was a perfect, and I mean truly damn perfect, pork belly with olluco shavings on top (they called it the yam version of a truffle - for whatever that means) and the mushroom string on top. I'll say this, Central loves their little string/lattice toppers and they were all just amazing.

Chriimoya, Andean Verbena and Cualiflower (2800 MALS)

I'll say this without a doubt, Central had the best desserts of any tasting menu I've ever had, save for maybe Sud 777 in Mexico City. This was a great start with chrimoya underneath the charred slate of cauliflower. I love when these places just audiociously throw a random vegetable in a dessert - here with the cauliflower; Sud 777 with onion. This was excellent.

Cabuya, muna leaf and Kjolle (3600 MASL)

This might have been better. I truly have no idea what I had, other than this quinoa looking thing was ice cold (perfect) and the 'kjolle' based jelly (again, what in God's name is this). It was a small, almost sorbet like dish, but just the wildest take at it.

Mucilage, seeds and shells (1800 MASL)

Okay, I get they called it mucilage, seeds and shells, but this was basically just cocao like eight different ways - and it all generally worked. My favorite was the gremolate (right most, colorful) and the jelly (middle of the middle), but really this was just a smorgasbord of Peruvian Cocao. What a capper.