Gelinaz – Silent Voices: Pia Leon, Virgilio Martinez & Co – Peru

Gelinaz are back. Dec. 3rd 2020 will see the return of the inimitable, culinary, international dining experience from the team at GELINAZ!. Once again, the collaboration is global, and this 4th edition is more soulful than ever. From Dec. 3rd, 130 chefs will remix, play, perform, Matrixes, ideas, menus, recipes, from locked down, in-betweener, silenced GELINAZ! chefs. And like last year, they will be staying at home (again), but this time, they will support their colleagues by giving voice to the Slient Voices. The Silent Voices are the Gelinaz chefs who had to permanently or temporary close their restaurants (for covid or other reasons). If you happen to live close by or can travel, do support this event and the hospitality in general. For any further information please do check GELINAZ.

I am looking forward to introducing the curators of the events in different countries. They will present also the chefs who they engaged into the projects. In Peru the curators are Virgilio Martinez (Central and Mil) and Pia Leon (Kjolle):

 

 

Why are you doing Gelinaz this time?

Virgilio: It s something that means a lot to both of us. We have done Gelinaz since Ghent, then Lima. We developed lots of frinedships, and I do remember, you know? When we are cooking, our restaurants are taking much of our time, and for good reasons, no complaint… then there comes Gelinaz, an unique event where you can cook something really different, meet other people and do some other stuff, learn from collegues and this unique creative environmnet that Gelinaz do, and then of course … because we see pretty much locals coming to our places and this is another way to do and offer something unique and connected to another part of the world, more fun and a good feeling.

What is your concept this time?

Pia : We will take over Mayo .. our latest concept to begin and wellcome guest. They will see our collective work with the recipes as a collage, and we will be serving food in difrent locations until going up to KJOLLE RESTAURANT floor.

Music by Maribel .. who prepares the tracks for the experiences which will go live, and the place will look very different, lights will be very down and images will go from the ceiling to the walls .. we have never transformed the restaurant like this.

Why should people not miss it?

Pure enjoyment

Who will cook together with you?
Pia Virgilio

Pia: We decided to call most of all our firnds because now it is a pretty good reason to stay together and take any opportunity to have fun regardles the current situation – you know we have been receiving not very good news since March , now instead things are healing here.

….
Arlete Eulert, Matria restaurant.
She does something very eclectic and I just can say l love the way she has been running her restaurant with so much strenght , it is a very well known spot in Lima.
She is alleays pushing and creating new proposals in our local big Lima cit , she does TV too, she’s lots of fun to be with.
.
Juan Luis Martinez, Merito restaurant.
We used to work together and his restaurant is our neighbour, we love his place – very casual and yet elegant, smart food, he is from Venezuela and well traveled, so we are allways ready to see new things coming from his kitchen.
.
Jorge Munoz, Astrid y Gaston 
We don’t need bo introduce the Astrid y Gaston restaurant, and how much they all mean to all of us, now that Jorge is cooking the place is having anither great evolution thanks to him
Fun guy .. he has one of the funniest way of loughimg and hace fun of things ,
.
Franchesca Ferreiros, Baan.
She is doing something special, actually she came to cook to MAYO, one of the ideas we do during and after the lockdown, and her dishes were anazing. She is very talented and she will be opening her restaurant in Lima soon, and it is great that people get to know her food already. She is another great chef who knows a lot and does a lot too.
.
Jose del Castillo, Isolina 
This is the new sanctuary of the Peruvian tabernas. Jose is a master of the Peruvian seasoning – it is something he has in his blood, his resturant has this thing that you can see as a classic, being quite new for the category of the old local tabern, this is the food we enjoy as Peruvians in a crazy way.
.
Jaime Pesake, Mayta
He is doing food, another way to see Peruvian food – a la carte, tasting menues, experimces in his place Yachay .. a farm on the coast by the sea .. freshest menu we have ever had, he is also an old friend, well as all of them .
Jaime is a hard working man, we like to see him with his three young girls …
.
Mitsuharu, Maido
I think he needs no presentation, he is a machine! A good frind of Virgilio and I.
.
Rodrigo Alzamora, Rafael
This is the first time we do something with Rodrigo. It is something we were wanting for long time, and talked about and here is the opportunity, his food is from Rafaels, anither iconic restaurant that Limeans love.
Green Highlands from restaurant Central. Photo: courtesy of Central.
You already received the matrixes. What was your reaction when you received them?

Loved them, surprised .. lots of ingredients to play with

I know you can’t say whose they are (even if you knew it), so let me know – what film would they be?

Seven samurai.

How will you approach the matrixes and which music do you associate with your approach?

We take the recipes in groups of two and we will let the two chefs do whatever they feel, using local ingredients will be challenging. Nirvana unplugged.

What are you looking forward to and what is the greatest challenge?

We want to do big changes to the recipes and of course keep something of the soul of the creator.

 

Pseudo cereals from restaurant Central. Photo: courtesy of Central.

After Gelinaz, what comes next?

Wow, we are still working to finish our Casa Tupac place.. we have three restaurants here and the place looks like never finished to give us space to welcome the creative Mater iniciativa team and their ideas.

Then of course we wil fly to Cusco to finish our reopening, Mil is waiting for us, so December and January we will spend  in the mountains 🙂

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