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exploring taste – Spring/Summer 2016 places – Lima’s new stars

lima now so highly regarded worldwide, it is thanks to this chef who refused, in
CULINARY PACHACÚTEC the Eighties, to become a lawyer. Born in Lima in 1967, the son of a prominent
politician, Acurio studied Law at the Pontificia Universidad Católica, and
subsequently relocated to Madrid, in Spain, to further his training. Here,
Words daVide coppo however, he abandoned his legal studies and, unbeknownst to his family,
enrolled in the Escuela de Hostelería. He graduated in 1989 and moved to
Paris to attend the prestigious school, Le Cordon Bleu. This was a turning
It very seldom happens that one person, in an age such as our own, is able point in the life of Gaston, and, in a sense, for the entire country of Peru.
to change the economy and the culture, the face and the destiny of an entire After moving back to Lima with his German-born wife Astrid Gutsche, the
nation, in the short space of a lifetime. two opened their first restaurant, Astrid & Gastón. In this early stage, the
And yet, this is exactly what Gastón Acurio has achieved, and is still in the restaurant’s menu was entirely French. This, however, did not work out, and
process of achieving, for his native country of Peru. If Peruvian cuisine is very soon French cuisine was abandoned in favor of a contemporary take on

photography Cris Bouroncle
LIMA’S

NEW STARS

In the past few years Peru has been experiencing a cultural revolution. It all began with food.

And, of course, it all began in Lima, the capital. With its award-winning restaurants, chefs of world
fame and a territory renowned for the unique quality of its fish, the city is being revitalized with the
construction of new hotels and galleries.

The culinary institute, the
preparation of some foods, and
Summary students at work at Pachacútec.
Culinary Pachacútec photography Katja Kulenkampff
One Wine, Two Cultures: How Ceviche met Brut Rosé
People & Places

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