Malabar
The place
Malabar is one of Lima’s “nice” restaurants. Business people, tourists, people with money, in the financial district. Doing creative things with sustainable Amazonian ingredients. We went because we’d heard good things about the food and ingredients but were a little suprised at the setting and ambience. This seems like a place to take clients.
But the menu is all about the ingredients. The owner Pedro Miguel Schiaffino also owns āmaZ, which also focuses on Peruvian Amazonian food, but Malabar uses those ingredients in the service of fine dining. The emphasis is on the ingredients, not flashy technique, but the technique is still there. The menu includes some interesting ferments both in the dishes and in the drinks. Kombucha with local herbs for example.
The dishes
There are challenging dishes, he’s not afraid to take risks, I’ve never had giant Amazonian river snail before but they were delicious, chewy and firm strong in umami but not overpowering. The cuy (guinea pig) was particularly well done, juicy, and tender with especially crispy skin. The inclusion of succulents in the green salad was a refreshingly crunchy touch.
In conclusion
The staff was quite friendly and helpful with good recommendations for the rest of our trip. I’d happily go again.
