THE WORLD’S NO.1 Restaurant in 2023 - Central, Peru (Virgilio Martínez)

180 ingredients and 50% of them are unknown. This is a journey like no other. Welcome to Peru. It all starts with understanding the culture and the land. As we will soon discover, we have a lot to learn. They took us on a journey to discover what makes Central different. It's hard to describe this experience, but I'll tell you the story so it all fits together later. They pick us up at the airport and take us directly to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The Sacred Valley is in the Andean mountains. Together with the nearby town of Cusco and the ancient city of Machu Picchu, it formed the center of the Inca Empire.

The terraces of Moray look like an open pit mine. The temperature and soil conditions were different at each level. Allowing the Inca to experiment and learn. We met some of the indigenous people who are instrumental in making Virgilio's

restaurant

unique. We saw some of the ingredients they grow and heard the stories behind them. It's hard to put into words how incredible it felt to see the roots of Peru, to be there with people so connected to nature. It is here that we meet a gastronomic pioneer and begin our culinary journey. Our host is Chef Virgilio Martínez.

Chef Virgilio enrolled in the

world

-famous Cordon Blue culinary school and graduated in 1998. He then went to work. In France, Italy, Singapore, the United States and the United Kingdom, I master a spectrum of cuisines. He then took a position with Peruvian superchef Gastón Acurio. He helped Gastón build a fine dining franchise, opening new

restaurant

s in Bogotá and Madrid. It was a staycation that would send Chef Virgilio in a totally new direction. In a market in Peru, he noticed many ingredients that did not exist anywhere else in the

world

. It was a Eureka moment. A vocation for cooking foods that were from his land and his people.

Now that you know about the chef, let's go back to the Sacred Valley for a while. Also in Moray is one of Chef Virgilio's projects. The Food Laboratory and Interpretation Center called MIL. It is more than just a restaurant. Here they work with indigenous people to grow, ferment and distill ingredients. We had lunch here. It was our first experience in Virgilio's kitchen and it took us one step closer to Peruvian culture. Chef Virgilio is a man of few words, but he radiates a lot of positive energy. It shows in his focus, discipline and passion. Dedicating itself to preserving the heritage and tradition of Peruvian cuisine.

It already seemed like we were on the verge of something truly incredible. We were surprised to learn that Virgilio is much more than a chef. He and his sister Malena founded a scientific research organization in 2013. It is called MATER. Its objective is to preserve the biodiversity of Peru's ecosystems. They collect and analyze the thousands of plants that grow in Peru and sometimes discover new ones as well. It is the beating heart that gives Virgilio's cuisine the special ingredients they are known for. The next day we are back in Lima. We headed to the bohemian neighborhood of Barranco.

That's where we find our current restaurant Central. The walls that surround the garden give it a harsh and industrial appearance. The interior couldn't be more different. It is an oasis. With smiling faces and a botanical garden. A selection of the ingredients that will make up our lunch awaits us. Each one grown and cultivated by Chef Virgilio and his team. I don't know the half of this stuff and I can't wait to try it. Inside we find an informal and bright restaurant with minimalist decoration made with natural materials. From trees running through the floor to the wood on the ceiling and plants everywhere.

Everything on the table looks like the work of artisans. In addition to the actual tables. These are amazing. I once said my favorite tables were on Clare Smyth's Core, but these are very strong contenders. The background music is slow and relaxing. It creates an almost church-like feel. The menu here at Cental is truly something to marvel at. Each field shows an ecosystem at a specific altitude. With 14 fields, they can barely scratch the surface. The earth has 103 ecosystems, and 84 can be found here in Peru. Of the 32 climates in the world, Peru has 28. In other words, Peru is megadiverse.

Here at Central they take you on a gastronomic tour of the diversity of Peru. Virglio opened Central in 2008 with his wife Pia, who is also head chef, putting Virgilio's ideas into practice. Together, they launched the high-end menu in 2012. The next year, Central made the list of the world's 50 best restaurants. In 2015, they were catapulted to number 4. And last year they reached number 2. In

2023

, they will reach number one, however, they do not have any Michelin stars. The Michelin guide does not operate in much of Latin America. In 2014 it was announced that they would be expanding to the region, but at this time they only cover Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo in Brazil.

To accompany the Altitudes menu here at Central, there are three drink combinations. One with international wine, a pairing of local spirits and wines and a pairing of juices. We're going for one of the local pairings. Menu prices are a fraction of what we normally see on this channel. The Altitudes menu costs 250 euros and the drink pairing costs between 50 and 115 euros. Our first course is called Black Rocks. The ingredients are found 10 meters below sea level. These are all snacks made with seaweed, clams and squid. Three different tastes with the same ingredients. It shows the diversity of the menu and sets the tone for our food.

Notice the lack of fancy tableware. Everything is locally sourced and one of a kind. It adds an almost spiritual connection to the experience. Our first drink pairing is a cocktail with coastal spirit, cucumber melon and sea lettuce. For the juice it is cucumber, melon and loche. The drinks are fresh and naturally flavored. For the second route we go back to 600 meters above sea level. This field is called Dry Valley. It is a shrimp soup with pumpkin and avocado. It has a lovely creaminess and the crab adds some sweet and fatty flavors. This dish is brilliant. It was paired with a Vivente Vinhos Chardonnay and a Brazilian Muscat.

Both interesting wines and different from what I am used to. We climb to 1350 meters to the Selva Alta for our next course. Contains flying potato potatoes and yacoon root. Papa flyinga in Spanish means "flying potato" because it grows on a tree instead of on the ground. There are two dishes with this potato. We made this one with the potato skin. and this one with the potato pulp added. The red vegetable on top is hibiscus, which gives the dish a pleasant acidity. A waiter drizzled yacon root syrup on the plate and we were invited to use our fingers.

The presentation here is really exciting. Mixing these flavors was a first for me, but also delicious. For drinks: Moscatel del Valle del Bio Bio in Chile This is a skin contact wine. It is a white wine that has turned orange because the grape must has been allowed to remain in contact with the grape skins. Although I don't generally prefer biowine, I was happy to try it. Our next course is called Extreme Altitude and we are at 4200 meters above sea level. In front of you we prepare 5 different types of corn. If you visit a high altitude place in the Andes mountain range, you can find different varieties of corn.

The hot corn porridge is topped with kiwicha, which are caviar-like balls that belong to the quinoa family. It is finished with crisp red and green potato leaves. The mix of textures is really pleasant and the flavors are dynamic. For drinks we have a top wine from Marcelo Vacaflores. He is from Bolivia. It is stored in a traditional vessel made of clay called an amphora. I admire his deep respect for heritage. It is a natural wine and has a pleasant cocoa flavor. For our next course we are going down. At 15 meters below sea level For a dish called Warm Sea Current With grouper and razor clams.

When you remove the top part you see razor clams with fried grouper. Words cannot express how interesting this experience is. Then we climbed to 148 meters through the Amazon Connection Not to the jungle, but to the river. The arapaima is one of the largest river fish in the world. It is found in the Amazon River and can grow up to 3 meters and weigh up to 200 kilograms. We had the fish belly served with two types of foam, this orange one is made with cured meat. Cecina is smoked and cured pork from the Amazon rainforest. and this black one made with a tucupi.

Tucupi is a fermented tuber, also from the jungle. The flavors were out of this world. The centerpiece they bring to the table is spectacular and shows us what the fish is like. It's not for eating. It is truly a work of art. It is combined with a Peruvian chardonnay from 2012. It is a refreshing wine with fruity aromas. Very pretty. Our seventh course is at ground level. It's called Blue-Green Ocean, it's scallops, seaweed and cucumber. Three different scallop textures. Purple and yellow sweet potato and sea urchin foam. We are instructed to drink the foam while eating the dish.

The textures were pleasant and the flavors intense. It was accompanied with a crisp sauvignon blanc from Argentina. Halfway through we are given a short tour to understand the work that Chef Virgilio and his team have been doing. Everything here comes from local communities all over Peru and the chef supports them by using what they make in their restaurants. He really shows his love for his country and the people of it. Our eighth course takes us back under the sea in search of the octopus. This course is called Sea Brain Algae. The octopus usually hides among the coral and this plate represents it.

On top there is a crunchy seaweed and below it is diced octopus and seaweed. The giant blackened octopus on the table was to show us how majestic this animal is. This was another awesome dish with amazing ideas behind it. Before we can blink our ninth year arrives. It is 3600 meters above sea level. It's called MIL Lab and is made up of native potato, meat and egg. What looks like caviar is actually algae from a mountain lake. Then chef Virgilio comes out to serve us Peruvian potatoes cooked in the traditional style, under a mound of hot stones and earth.

He allows us to make a connection with food and where it comes from. Bright. The Peruvian potatoes were served with a thick green cilantro sauce. Beautiful flavors. It's very new and very exciting. The pairing is: A juice with mountain herbs that locals use as a tonic for aches and pains. It is full of antioxidants. Our tenth course was perhaps the most impressive. It takes place 140 meters above sea level in the waters of the Amazon. I didn't know, but not all piranhas eat meat. Some are vegetarians. They eat plants and nuts that fall into the water along the banks of the Amazon.

They show the scene in the centerpiece of piranha heads, pointing upward, as if waiting for food to fall. The fish, along with some of the plants and nuts they eat, are the next dish. The dish made me think about the food chain and the circle of life. The flavors are impressive. I like the acidity and crunch. Served with a beer from a local microbrewery. It works perfectly with fish. Number 11 is our last savory dish. It takes us to the Andean Forest at 2700 meters high. Colorful slices of olluco on tender pork belly in sweet sauce. With a spiral of dried mushrooms on top.

It is quite fatty, but despite the lack of acidity I really liked it. The flavors are fresh and lively. It is paired with two red wines. One is almost 20 years old, from Peru. It is a mixture of red grapes from the Ica de Tacama valley. It has notes of paprika and truffle. and the other is over 40 years old, from Uruguay. It is from Bodega Cerro Chapeu made 100% with tannat grapes. They only have 6 bottles of one and 12 of the other. This wine was given to Virgillo as a gift from a local wine collector. Next we have two sweet dishes at the same time.

Sacred Valley and Moray 2800 and 3600 meters. Moray is a granita with pieces of gelatin using cabuya. a plant used by the Incas, and the muna leaf that had a minty flavor. The second is a fruit called cherimoya. Underneath is a sweet purple pudding. The wine pairing is an exclusive small batch wine made in-house. We were then invited to join a station where we tried lightly fermented drinks using the cocoa fruit. I discovered some new and interesting flavors. The white one was my favorite, I can drink it all day. Our final tour today is at 1800 meters above sea level.

It's called Cacao Chuncho Five ways to enjoy cocoa. We tried one that uses the white pulp around the bean. One with seeds and pieces of shell. They were all good in different ways. Like nothing I've ever tried before. Like all good things, they must come to an end. My heart and my belly are full. This was a trip like no other. An absolutely beautiful experience. I learned about the culture, food and biodiversity of this unique country. I met a great chef and his team who are ambassadors of Peruvian culture and cuisine, making the world a better place for its people and opening the eyes of guests like me.

We need more people with this way of thinking. The world needs it. Dining at Central is much more than eating in a restaurant. It may not be a place you return to every week. But it is definitely a place you should experience. It is an adventure thatIt will warm your soul. and that's it for this episode. Thanks for joining me. If you like this video, hit the subscribe button. See you next time.