Central, Lima

Unicorns, as we say, are people who exist that are too good to be true or have created something so spectacular and meaningful that contribute to the society in a grand scale. They don’t come too often, but when they do, there will be signs of their indelible mark. What I admire about these people is that the pursuit of money becomes secondary, as the main objective that they ask themselves is the question, “How do we contribute to the world and leave our lasting legacy?” When the drive for greatness extends beyond how many times you can flip a table and how much you can charge per diner to validate ingeniousness, your vision changes. People feel and see. I can proudly say that Virgilio, the founder of Central, is a unicorn amongst the greatest chefs in the world.

When I visited Central, my emotions overflowed not just because of the food, but because of what Virgilio has done for Peru and its culture. He has accomplished so much for his people that maybe 90% of them don’t even know or take it for granted. But for us, who travel for these well-sought temporary pleasures and risky (and expensive) satisfactions through dining, we are forever changed. I am forever changed.

As the las leg of our high-end Peruvian gastronomic journey, I don’t want to comment much on the food. The names of the dishes will be written down, but it ends there. It is a journey that you must venture into personally. I want to be up front that not 100% of the dishes were amazing, some techniques or flavors were repetitive, and my wife even bit into a piece of metal while eating our second course. Yes, it happened at an institution as big as Central. But beyond the edible attractions, it was such an experience to be had. Central, that is now part of The Best of The Best Restaurants in the World, is a perpetual living legacy. 

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We begin by entering the well-designed establishment, where the team leads you to a garden. Some of the ingredients that they use are planted along with supporting signs of which type of crop it is. Similar to Mérito, Central, which is not too far from the former restaurant, is situated along a busy road. But once you enter, you begin to hear the birds again and forget that you’re in a major city. 

A dramatic walk will lead you to a platform showcasing some of the chinaware and serve ware that they are utilizing, presented in an organized manner that is highly appealing.

When entering, you are greeted by a lady who will give you a welcome drink. The choice of fixture, furniture, tapestry and motif—very harmonious.

After the welcome drink, you are then lead to the next platform where they showcase some interesting ingredients that they have sourced from the Amazons. It was quite a spread that will make you feel in awe and admire. Just with this presentation, my admiration for the group already doubled. This is something that you don’t see quite often, when a chef is extremely proud of what his country produces that he need not to look for anything else. Everything is extremely local.

The dining area, I mean… I’m in love with it—spacious, well-maintained and elegant.

The menu revolves around the different altitudes of the Amazonian Forest. On the left, you can see a mark of how high up we go on the sourcing of ingredients, 4,200 meter above sea level is the most.

We didn’t opt for any alcohol as we have been defeated from previous dinners. Also, I didn’t want to consume anything that will alter my perception of the food. But we got some amazing non-alcoholic drinks.

And so we begin the journey. Presentations were just spectacular. Everything that I was expecting, realized.

Black Rocks (about 10 meters below sea level)

Crab

Sargassum

Barnacle

Arid North (900 meters above sea level)

Loche Squash with Shrimp

Avocado

Shrimp Fossil

Savanna (380 meters above sea level)

Aguaje and Yacon

You dip the yacon puffs on this

Doncella Fish & Yacon

Doncella Fish

Extreme Altitude (4,200 meters above sea level)

Corn, Kiwicha, Cushuro

Warm Sea Current (15 meters below sea level)

Lobster & Murike Grouper

Razor Clams

Rainforest Connection (148 meters above sea level)

Talk about eating a vegetarian Piranha

Piraña

Arapaima & Yuca

Blue Green Ocean (about 130 meters above sea level)

Scallops, Vongole & Sea Urchin

Sea Brain Algae (at sea level)

Octopus, Sea Lettuce, Codium

Andean Forest (2800 meters above sea level)

Pork Duck Olluco

Sacred Valley (3000 meters above sea level)

Chirimoya, Andean Verbena and Black Maca Root

After we had our first dessert, the team took us to visit the second floor that houses their research lab called Mater, spearheaded by Virgilio’s sister. There, they showed us different cacao varieties and how they come up with exciting things. This is when I started to become overwhelmed by the experience. 

There are different types of chefs in the world :

Some cook out of necessity,

Some live to cook,

Some cook to impress,

Some cook to get rich,

And some live because they have a mission to pursue.

If you are the type of chef who builds a research center that conducts breakthroughs for an entire industry that affects the whole world… then I don’t know what to call you.

You are at the top 0.001% of chefs.

Mil Moray (3600 meters above sea level)

Cabuya, Mùna Leaf, Kunuka Leaf

So while we were doing the tour, I didn’t realize that he was already preparing our dessert.

Heading back down, we finish of with 100% Cacao (1900 meters above sea level)

Mucilage, Nibs, Seed Husk

This is where we end our experience: by consuming the entire fruit of a cacao, in different forms and applications. After the tour that we had upstairs, I couldn’t help but admire all the effort and work that they have done for Peru. It is a continuing pursuit of what can be possible for this lovely country. If you think about it, Cacao is fruit that affects the entire world. Rather than pursuing different projects, the team focused on something so humble and yet, connects us all. Who doesn’t love chocolate? 

To find out that Peru has at least 2500 different types of cacao fruit is astounding. It will be the chef’s lifelong mission to educate us on how they utilize each variety.

I am really thankful for experiencing a once in a lifetime opportunity. This made me want to come back to my home country and just put up a hyper local restaurant that will showcase Filipino ingenuity. 

To me, this is what a restaurant with accolades must be, amazing service, food and a passion project that drives excellence and pride.

To me, this is what the World’s Best Restaurant is.

It’s not just a business. No, it’s bigger than that. It’s an ecosystem that contributes positively to the entire country and even the world. Central brings people from all over the globe, creating an ecosystem that involves not just the Amazonia’s, but also the Peruvian people, culture and cuisine.

Thank you again for Virgilio and the wonderful legacy. We will be back.