The flavours of Peru land in at The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur

A South American showcase

Peruvian cuisine counts as among the world’s most diverse, thanks to the fusion of indigenous Incan culinary traditions with immigrant cultures such as Chinese, African, Japanese, Italian and French over the course of its long history. This multifaceted South American cuisine was showcased for a brief time at The Library, The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur, in an event co-organised with the Peruvian embassy to celebrate 30 years of diplomatic ties with Malaysia.

Guest chef Carlos Pardo Figueroa from Lima, Peru presented a four-course menu featuring classic Peruvian dishes given the gourmet treatment, along with fruity cocktails made with premium pisco from Demonio de los Andes, South America’s oldest vineyard. The amuse-bouche of baby octopus dressed with a creamy, savoury olive sauce was followed by an appetiser trio of earthy, punchy quinoa tabbouleh with avocado mousse and crispy fried cheese, a Maki-shaped potato roll with avocado and cucumber topped with raw tuna and piquant acevichado sauce, and flounder ceviche, Peru’s most well-known national dish.

Of the three mains, I chose stir-fried sirloin strips with risotto cooked in a rich, decadent cheese sauce called hauncaína, which was absolutely delicious. The other two were creamy chicken prepared with the Peruvian aji amarillo pepper and served on mashed potatoes, and tasty swordfish kebabs with onion salad, grilled potatoes and cumin-sauteed corn. Dessert was a sweet and creamy quinoa and rice pudding topped with pineapple bits and cinnamon-spiced Peruvian purple corn gel. This comforting dish was a delightful end to a delicious introduction to Peruvian cuisine.

Ritz-Carlton KL

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