An upturned fruit crate might not be the setting where one would expect to enjoy a gourmet meal in Peru’s capital, yet this is precisely the concept of IK Restaurant Lima, a trendy new addition to the Miraflores neighbourhood. Aracari was invited to try it out in January. IK Lima - Gourmet Gastronomy No giant fruits are to be found in aforementioned crate: the walls of the restaurant are staggered wooden slats intertwined with plants and backed with soft, natural lighting. The round tables are made from recycled wood, while the food is served on alabaster platters. Reflecting the natural style, smooth round stones are carefully arranged at each place on the table acting as props for the metal tongs used for eating. Restaurant owner Franco Kisic explained that the aim of this natural attire is to make diners feel relaxed; “We don’t want the restaurant to feel like a part of the city, but a retreat from Lima’s often chaotic environment.” The story behind IK Lima The restaurant is named after Franco’s twin brother, Ivan Kisic, who, at 36 years old, sadly passed away in a car accident in 2012. A well known Limeñan chef, Ivan had studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Canada and then in London alongside Virgilio Martínez of the world-famous Central as well as Lima restaurant in London (which has just received a Michelin Star). Ahead of his untimely passing, Ivan had plans to open his own gourmet restaurant in Lima. To ensure that Ivan’s concept came to fruition, Franco and other family members pushed ahead to open the restaurant in his memory, and in line with his vision. Franco now has a team of investigators studying the notes his brother left behind and to go out in search of new ingredients and inspiration. Amongst other influences
An upturned fruit crate might not be the setting where one would expect to enjoy a gourmet meal in Peru’s capital, yet this is precisely the concept of IK Restaurant Lima, a trendy new addition to the Miraflores neighbourhood. Aracari was invited to try it out in January. IK Lima –…
Last week I spent a bit of time (sadly too little) in the lovely town of Cartagena de Indias on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. I have been several times (you can read about one of my previous visits: Marisol, Aracari's Owner Rings in 2008 from Cartagena, Colombia) and go relatively often as I am lucky enough to have friends who have a home there, so I visit them whenever I can. I thought I was kind of over Cartagena and only went this time to spend time with my friends on the occasion of the inaugural party of the Hay Festival Cartagena, which they host at their beautiful house every year. In addition to the party, we went to spend a couple of days at a lovely seaside resort in the Baru Peninsula, a 45-minute boat ride away, and that was blissful. During one early morning I went for a run along the city wall and later that afternoon, I ventured out to explore around town and fell in love with Cartagena all over again. What I find particularly captivating is that it is beautiful and atmospheric while not being excessively manicured. It is still authentic despite all the visitors it receives. For around ten years Cartagena has been quite a hip destination for those international travellers who are "in the know". Of course for Colombians it has always been very cool among other things for being the residence of Nobel Prize winner, Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The main reason why international visitors flock here? Its fantastic location on the shores of the Caribbean Sea, the tropical climate, wonderful music and dancing and its proximity to the Northern Hemisphere (a painless four hour direct flight from New York on Jetblue). Colombia has, as many know, had a terrible reputation relating to drug trafficking and
Last week I spent a bit of time (sadly too little) in the lovely town of Cartagena de Indias on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. I have been several times (you can read about one of my previous visits: Marisol, Aracari’s Owner Rings in 2008 from Cartagena, Colombia) and go relatively…
Chambi Archives: A Snapshot of the Past On a quiet side street in the city of Cusco , you will find the archives of Martín Chambi, one of the first indigenous photographers of Latin America to gain international acclaim. His photographs, which range from some of the first mystic shots of Machu Picchu to a striking portrait of the giant of Llusco, are widely known and inevitably leave a lasting impression on viewers. It is very likely that you have, at some point or another, seen one of his photos without realizing it. Martín’s grandson, Teo Allain Chambi (pictured above), is the keeper of this precious collection of some 30,000 photo negatives on glass plates, spanning from 1917-1970, which can be visited by special arrangement with Aracari. Visiting Martin Chambi Archives in Cusco Visting Cusco I had the opportunity to check out the Martin Chambi Archives with Aracari and found myself sitting across from Teo Allain on a bench that had originally belonged to his grandfather’s studio. Books about Martín and his works layered the top of the trunk between us. I flipped through them while listening to Teo narrate an overview of his grandfather’s history. Teo is one of Aracari's specialist guides who offers guests a unique an privileged insight into the work and life of photographer Martin Chambi. The Life of Martin Chambi In 1891 Martín Chambi was born into a family of farmers in Coaza, a province north of Lake Titicaca . While visiting a mine with his father, Martín saw a British man taking photographs with his camera and decided that he wanted to be a photographer. With his family’s support, Martín moved in 1908 to the city of Arequipa to pursue photography and spent the next nine years apprenticing at the studio of Max T. Vargas. After,
Chambi Archives: A Snapshot of the Past On a quiet side street in the city of Cusco , you will find the archives of Martín Chambi, one of the first indigenous photographers of Latin America to gain international acclaim. His photographs, which range from some of the first mystic shots…
Festivals in Peru, La Diablada At this time of year in Peru, many colorful festivals begin leading up to Holy Week. One of the most famous takes place in Puno by Lake Titicaca in early February called. La Virgen de La Candelaria, which features hundreds of traditional dances and brilliant masks and costumes. This year it is estimated that some twenty thousand tourists will go to Puno to see the festival. You can read in more detail about the festival and its history in a previous blog post, Peru’s Vibrant Candelaria Festival – Puno. One of the most well-known dances at the festival is called la danza de la Diablada, which translates as the Devil’s Dance. The dance has roots in the Altiplano of Peru, Bolivia and Chile and in 2003 was named a part of Cultural Heritage of Peru. While the Diablada is not exclusive to La Virgen de La Candelaria, it is one of the most popular because of the ornate costumes and the bright masks worn by dancers representing the devil or forces of evil. There are various versions of the dance’s origin, but essentially, the theme of the dance is the constant struggle between good and evil, with St. Michael the Archangel representing good and the devils representing evil. The dance is an example of syncretism, fusing the Christian tale of St. Michael leading God’s armies against the forces of Satan in the New Testament with the Aymara legend of Supay and the miners. The narrative goes that miners were trapped in a cavern by Supay, the deity of evil who lived inside of the earth, when La Virgin saved them from the fiery cavern. From a combination of these two tales, the dance takes its roots. Over time the choreography has changed and become more dynamic
Festivals in Peru, La Diablada At this time of year in Peru, many colorful festivals begin leading up to Holy Week. One of the most famous takes place in Puno by Lake Titicaca in early February called. La Virgen de La Candelaria, which features hundreds of traditional dances and brilliant…
Twenty years since it first opened, the world-renowned Astrid & Gastón restaurant is set to move from its traditional Miraflores home to a historic mansion in Lima’s San Isidro neighborhood. The restaurant is the “jewel in the crown” of Gastón Acurio, widely acclaimed as the international face of Peruvian gourmet cuisine, and the move marks a change in perspective for the country’s most famous chef. It was in 1994 that Gastón opened an upscale French restaurant on the quiet Calle Cantuarias in Lima’s Miraflores district, still freshly returned to Peru after studying gastronomy in Paris with his wife, Astrid Gutsche. Together, they made the bold decision to open their own restaurant, Astrid & Gastón. Two decades later, a complete change of menu (from French to Peruvian international cuisine) and worldwide recognition (winning the award for best Latin American Restaurant and making the San Pellegrino list of top 50 in the world) have marked the incredible transformation of the restaurant, a backdrop to the burgeoning popularity of chef Gastón and Peruvian gastronomy. The whole story has unfolded in the original location. But this March Astrid & Gastón will bid farewell to its Miraflores locale and open its doors at La Casa Moreyra in San Isidro. The move is a big one, literally, La Casa Moreyra is significantly more spacious than the modest mansion on Calle Cantuarias. More importantly, Gastón has ambitious plans for the new estate, where he intends to create a space fit for the Peruvian “avant-garde”, mixing modernity and tradition in the hacienda. His cutting-edge restaurant will maintain the history of the building, while styling the decoration and ambiance according to contemporary taste. In the central gardens of the estate will be the main dining area with seating for about sixty patrons and the bar, which will have a
Twenty years since it first opened, the world-renowned Astrid & Gastón restaurant is set to move from its traditional Miraflores home to a historic mansion in Lima’s San Isidro neighborhood. The restaurant is the “jewel in the crown” of Gastón Acurio, widely acclaimed as the international face of Peruvian gourmet…
A Trip Across Bolivia with Aracari Journalist Lauren Holmes shares her personal experience travelling through Bolivia with Aracari as part of her research trip for her Bolivia destination article for House & Garden Magazine. During my first trip to Bolivia, backpacking across the continent a decade ago, I had time on my side. Yet, despite a month spent hopping between Andean Altiplano and dense jungle, ticking off the major must-sees, I left feeling like I had missed something, that of all the countries I had visited, it was the hardest one to crack. A multitude of worlds within one The country’s complexities are no secret and date back to the Incas, who maintained their grip of power over their vast empire by shuffling tribes around to dissuade dissent. When the Spanish Conquistadors arrived, their disregard for anything associated with the indigenous way of life made the already hermetic communities ever more fiercely protective of customs and traditions – and forged a wariness of foreigners that is still palpable. Today, Bolivia is a multitude of worlds within one - 35 officially recognized indigenous languages and cultures that enable you to jump between historical periods as if you had a time machine. Bolivia is a difficult country to travel alone Second time round, I was determined to forge a stronger connection to the culture and find the understanding I had lacked, as well as exploring all that was to enjoy of Bolivia’s ‘new luxury’ for a feature for the UK’s House & Garden magazine. This was where Aracari would prove invaluable. With a culture as dense and confusing as the topography, limited infrastructure and regular roadblocks, Bolivia is a difficult country to travel alone, particularly if you want to head off the well-trodden tourist path. Exploring La Paz We started in La
A Trip Across Bolivia with Aracari Journalist Lauren Holmes shares her personal experience travelling through Bolivia with Aracari as part of her research trip for her Bolivia destination article for House & Garden Magazine. During my first trip to Bolivia, backpacking across the continent a decade ago, I had time…
