Tierra Unica

Michelin Rated La Mar Cebicheria Peruana SF - Best Latin America Restaurant In The U.S.!

The conquest of Peruvian Cuisine around the world, especial Peruvian haute cuisine, has made giant strides since this Sept, 2009 report about Time Magazine - Peru's Plans For Global Cuisine Conquest!

A couple days ago the following news came out of Peru about a report from Paris, France that Michelin Guide has given to Gaston Acurio's La Mar Cebicheria Peruana San Francisco a rating!  This news would definitely change the landscape and image of Peruvian Cuisine greatly going forward.  Here is the report in Castellano (Castillian Spanish) - "Sepa Que Restaurantes Peruanos Tienen Cubiertos Michelin".

Except of my rough Castillian Spanish to English translation:

"In the first case, La Mar Cebicheria Peruana San Francisco, United States; which has a two-star rating to recognize the comfort and service that it caters to their clients.  Pisco cocktails and adventurous Peruvian Cebiches are its specialty of this Peruvian Cebicheria which overlooks the bay where the sea breeze is felt in the yard...."

To put this in prospective, here in San Francisco not even top rated and very expensive restaurants like Michael Mina or Gary Danko have the same rating as La Mar SF has from Michelin!  A Michelin Restaurant Rating is the most prestigious designation an eating establishment can get in the world.

If this is the case, then La Mar SF is in the major leagues of dining and will be included in the next Paris, France Michelin Guide.  Here is the most recent published guide - The Michelin Guide San Francisco Bay Area & Wine Country Restaurants 2010

La Mar Cebicheria Peruana San Francisco is not only the top rated Peruvian restaurant, but it is now officially the #1 rated Latin American restaurant in the entire United States with 2-star Michelin rating!!!  And it has been open for only 17 months.

According to the Restaurant Magazine in London, England, the highest rated restaurant in all Latin America is another restaurant owned by famed Peruvian chef and restaurateur Gaston Acurio - Astrid y Gaston.  It was rated by Restaurant Magazine as one of the 40 top restaurants in the world.  D.O.M. in Brazil is the only other restaurant in Latin America in the top 100. 

La Mar Cebicheria Peruana San Francisco at night in the patio.

The out of this world Peruvian Cebiches at La Mar SF (clockwise starting at the upper right): Nikei, Clásico, Crudo, Chifa

 

Valentine's Day Dinner Special Menu At La Mar Cebicheria Peruana San Francisco!

Valentine's Day Dinner - If you are looking for a fantastic place to have Valentine's Day dinner tomorrow night Sunday, Feb 14, 2009; then here is a treat for you!  The good folks at La Mar Cebicheria Peruana in San Francisco has a "Special Menu" of Peruvian Haute Cuisine for tomorrow night's festivities.  It is a 4-course dinner which includes one Peruvian Pisco mixed drink for only $75.00 per person.

Here is an excerpt of the Special Menu:

1st Course (choice)
Cebiche Nikei - Ahi Tuna, red onion, Japanese cucumber and avocado in tamarind leche de tigre

Cebiche Crudo - Prawn, sea urchin and scallops in sea urchin leche de tigre

Cebiche Clasico - California Halibut in a classic leche de tigre, red onions, habanero, Peruvian corn and yam

2nd Course (choice)
Causa Duo - Causa Limeña with dungeness crab, avocado purée, quail egg, with basil cilantro oil & Causa Casera with purple potato causa, artichokes, asparagus, avocado and tomato confit

Oysters Duo - A la Chalaca and with Rocoto Caviar

Empanada de Choclo - Stuffed with Peruvian corn choclo, butter, and aji amarillo

Anticuchos de Hongos - Grilled big trumpets with cilantro chimichurri and anticuhera sauce

You can see the full Special Menu here - Download 2010 Valentines Day PDF.

Here is award winning Peruvian Cebiche chef Diego Oka at La Mar Cebicheria Peruana in Mexico City, Mexico demonstrating how to make a Peruvian Causa Pacifico.

La Mar Cebicheria Peruana in San Francisco was classified last week by the prestigious Michelin Rating System in Paris, France.  It is not only the highest rated Peruvian restaurant but also the highest rated Latin American restaurant in the entire United States!!!

Una Causa Peruana de La Mar Cebicheria Peruana

 

Peru's Pisco Cultural Heritage - El Pisco Patrimonio Cultural Del Peru - Part 2

Here is part 2 in Castelliano (Castillian Spanish) of this impressive video called "El Pisco Patrimonio Cultural Del Peru - Parte 2" (Peru's Pisco Cultural Heritage).

There is a short interview with restaurateur, Peruvian media mogul, publisher, hotelier, and #1 Latin American celebrity chef Gaston Acurio in Lima, Peru.  Gaston is the owner of the five star Astrid y Gaston, La Mar Cebicheria Peruana, Tanta, and other top Peruvian brand restaurants.  He currently owns 40+ upscale Peruvian restaurants around the world.  He also owns the Mistura Peruvian Cuisine Expo, the largest cuisine expo in all Latin America.

Also in the video is Pedro Schiaffino, one of Peru's top young chefs and the owner of Malabar in San Isidro, Peru.  According to this month's Food & Wine Magazine here in the United States, Malabar is the 4th best lounge & bar in the world!

According to Food & Wine Magazine - "the Peruvian Pisco Sour is the most elegant of Latin American drinks.  Far superior and more refined than the Cuban Mojito, the Brazilian Caipirinha, and the Californian Margarita.  Pisco Sour made with Pisco Peruano and the Limon Peruano, the best lime in the world, has no rival."    

 

The one and only "Coca Sour Peruano" -  the mind boggling & sheer ecstasy inducing drink from the ancient Incas the Peruvian Coca Sour made of coca leaves (the raw leaves that is used to make cocaine)!!!  This is pure coca leaves not extract or coca infused Pisco.

Picture of the truly unique "Coca Pisco Peruano" at an upscale restaurant in Miraflores, Peru.  This drink is illegal in the Unites States and in most countries around the world.  But in San Francisco I know a top Peruvian restaurant that serves a Coca infused Pisco Sour!  It is much diluted, so it not the same thing.  But it is the closes thing you can get to being in Peru.          

Gaston Acurio's Laureate Presentation During The Prince Claus Funds Awards!

This is the part of the Prince Claus Funds Awards presentation in Amsterdam, Netherlands yesterday Wednesday, December 16, 2009 in which it showcases the work of 2009 laureate Latin America celebrity chef Gaston Acurio from Peru.  Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, her family, and some 600 royal guests tasted delicious Peruvian Cuisine!

Castellano (Español)

Esta es la parte de la presentacion de los Premios Principe Claus de los Fondos en Amsterdam, Holanda, ayer Miercoles, 16 de Diciembre, 2009 en la que muestra el trabajo de 2009 del celebre chef Latino Americano Gaston Acurio del Peru.  La Reina Beatriz de los Paises Bajos, su familia, y unos 600 invitados reales comieron la deliciosa comida Peruana!

Screen shots

More Mistura 2009, More Taste! Good Work Peru!

Here is more of the giant Peruvian Cuisine festival in Lima, Peru on opening day Thursday, Sept 24, 2009.  This four day food event is by far the largest cuisine festival in all of Latin America.  The organizers of this event, international Peruvian celebrity chef & restaurateur Gaston Acurio and the government of Peru, are expecting 300,000+ paid attendance from around the world this weekend!!!  And it is only the second edition of this international Peruvian Cuisine festival.

The video is called  "Mas Mistura, Mas Sabor!  Buen Provecho Peru".  Rough translation:  More Mistura (mixture/fusion), More Taste! Good Work Peru.  The music in the background is called "Festejo" and it is Peruvian-Afro or Afro-Peruvian.

A few images from the 1st day of Mistura Peru 2009 from various photo bloggers in Lima, Peru:

 

La Mar Cebicheria Peruana On ABC News - Salad With Quinoa & Rocoto-Huacatay!

Here is a cool video of Gaston's La Mar Cebicheria Peruana's chef Rodolfo Reyes on ABC News last week preparing a delicious Heirloom Tomato Salad with Peruvian Quinoa Tabouli dressed in Peruvian Rocoto-Huacatay Vinaigrette!

Bay view of La Mar Cebicheria Peruana on Pier 1- 1/2 at the Embarcadero, San Francisco.

Las Causas Peruanas

Time Magazine - Peru's Plans For Global Cuisine Conquest!

In January 2009, an extensive article was published on the LA Times about Peruvian Celebrity Chef Gaston, the #1 celebrity chef in all of Latin America.  The article is about the global emergence of Peruvian Cuisine and its current status as the international "IT" cuisine, Gaston himself, and the arrival of one of Gaston's key restaurant brands in the U.S., La Mar Cebicheria Peruana in San Francisco in Sept 2008.

(La Mar SF will celebrate their 1st Anniversary in San Francisco on Sept 29, 2009 with a "special menu" that day event for its clients.  More details later.)

A couple excerpts from the La Times interview with Gaston:

".....So he has taken cues from Japanese and Mexican restaurateurs, hoping to emulate the successes of the former and avoid some of the pitfalls of the latter.  Nobu Matsuhisa, the Japanese chef whose seafood restaurants (influenced by three years spent cooking in Peru) now span four continents, is also an inspiration.

"We don't want to sell cheap food, like the Mexicans have done with tacos all over the place," Acurio said. "The Japanese started with a very fine product -- sushi -- and that's what we have with ceviche. We have to do the best restaurants we can, in the best cities, in the best avenues to compete with the best restaurants in the world."

Here is the complete LA Times article called - Chef Gaston Acurio Carves Peruvian-Flavored Empire.  

Over the last few years, numerous favorable articles across the U.S. and aboard have been written about Peru, Peruvian Cuisine, and Chef Gaston in industry specific publications (travel, food, culture, history, Amazon River, etc.).  But last week, Time Magazine wrote this eye popping article about Peru & Peruvian Cuisine - Peru's Plan For Global (Foodie) Conquest!

Video Interview With Gaston

In December 2006, Gaston did a revealing interview with a Spanish reporter (Spain) for a TV program in Lima, Peru called La Ventana Indiscreta (The Indiscreet Window).  The interview reveals his thoughts about society - poverty, injustice, discrimination, courage, and success in Peru and aboard.  And the acceptance of Peruvian Cuisine internationally.  

Even if you can't understand Castellano (Castillian Spanish), you can see from the video below that former lawyer Gaston is very confident, motivated, smart, capable, eloquent, educated, and above all extremely charismatic!!!  All the qualities of a world class WINNER.....

As you can hear from the interview, Gaston is very confident but he is level headed with his global success. That is his charm - he is humble!

This Thursday Sept 24, 2009 in Lima, Peru is the start of the largest cuisine festival in Latin America and one of the top 2 or 3 in the world - Mistura 2009 Peruvian Cuisine Festival & Expo.  I will bring you all the cool info for you international cuisine foodies as I get it.

Over the last couple years, I've developed a friendship with Gaston and his excellent staff at La Mar Lima, Peru & La Mar San Francisco.  Gaston calls me his friend.....:-)

I wish him much success in this weeks Mistura 2009 Peruvian Cuisine Festival, and opening new upscale "Astrid y Gastons", "La Mar Cebicheria Peruanas" and his other Peruvian Cuisine restaurant brands in Manhattan - New York City, Miami, London, Barcelona, and Dubai in late 2009 and 2010!

PS. I'll have more info about the La Mar San Francisco 1st Anniversary Special Menu/Event later this week.

A few pictures of Peruvian superstar celebrity chef Gaston Acurio: