A taste of . . . PERU
About a year ago we decided it was time to step up the Peruvian influence at Madame George, both in our cuisine and drinks offerings. Together with Patrick Schmitt, my business partner and head chef, we started a fun journey exploring Peruvian cuisine, flavours and techniques.
My wife Fang and I have recently returned from a three-and-a-half week trip to Peru. We stayed in Barranco, a bohemian, old-school district in the capital, Lima. Having retained most of its classic architecture and small urban scale, it was the perfect place for me to introduce Fang to my childhood memories of a barrio, or neighbourhood. Together we visited some amazing spaces, art galleries, museums, cafes and restaurants, while walking through some of the areas I grew up in.
We had the pleasure of meeting Javier Wong, the godfather of Peruvian ceviche, and experiencing unique Peruvian hospitality in places like Central and Maido, both ranked in the top 10 by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
They showcase some of the contemporary expressions of Peruvian cuisine, as well as some of the more traditional ones. We were pleasantly overwhelmed by the richness and depth of Peruvian cuisine, its fragrant flavours, fresh ingredients and friendly hospitality — I can close my eyes and almost recall the smiles, laughter and amazing memories created around food, family and friends.
Some dishes transported me back to growing up in Peru, I was surprised by how emotional it was to eat them. One is called arroz con pato, Peruvian green rice with duck. It’s a traditional dish from the northern part of Peru, where I was born. Another dish that took me back — and it is one of my favourites — was tiradito, a perfect crossover, in my opinion, of ceviche and sashimi. Unfortunately, arroz con pato requires some ingredients currently hard to find in New Zealand, but fear not — we are working on that. The tiradito can be a little technical, but luckily for you, and me, we are now serving it at Madame George.