Event Report: Chef Virgilio Martinez from Central Visits JapanRenowned Chef Virgilio Martinez, known for his restaurant "Central" in Peru, has come to Japan for a limited three-day event titled "Mater Universe by Central," immersing guests in the world of his Mater Group.Currently, the Mater Group consists of:- "MAREL"… a biological cultural research institute studying Peru's ecosystems- "MIL"… a restaurant in Cusco, Peru (elevation 3,600 meters)- "KJOLLE"… a restaurant in Lima, Peru (on the second floor of Central)- "MAZ"… our restaurant- "MASI"… commercialization of MATEL's research results- "CENTRAL"… a restaurant in Lima, Peru (ranked 1st in the World's 50 Best Restaurants 2023)The course menu is composed of dishes featuring each establishment and institution. While "Central" is famous, you might wonder, what is Peruvian cuisine? What is "Mater"? What does it mean to be a research institution? For answers, please watch the Netflix series "Chef's Table."In addition to Chef Martinez, Chef Sang Jung from Central (Korean) also visited Japan, and together with Chef Yuya Nakamura from MAZ, the three chefs participated in cooking, table service, and even posed for commemorative photos at this luxurious event.The course consists of nine dishes, similar to the regular menu, and since all dishes are from the Mater Group, there is a cohesive theme throughout. However, due to the abundance of snacks and salads, while each dish is unique, the overall course felt somewhat monotonous compared to the previous regular service at MAZ, which I found to have a better balance of flavors and pacing.I understand that the costs for the two chefs' travel and ingredient procurement contribute to the high price of this event, but the participation fee of JPY 121,000 is more than double that of the regular service. While I appreciated the opportunity to experience this unique event, I want to convey to those who couldn’t attend that the regular service at MAZ is equally commendable.**Genre:** Innovative (Peruvian) **Chefs:** Virgilio Martinez, Sang Jung (Central), Yuya Nakamura (MAZ: Michelin Two Stars) **Price:** JPY 121,000 (tax and service included, pairing included) **Menu:** Available **Atmosphere:** The interior beyond the restaurant's door is dark, with a dining area featuring three tables for four and three tables for two, not very spacious. There is a console for ingredient presentations (not used this time) on the left front, and an open kitchen at the back left. Although there are many foreign staff members and half of the guests are foreigners, it doesn’t feel like being in Japan.**Pace:** Slow-paced, possibly due to the event. **Service:** The explanations of the dishes and drinks are clear and detailed. The atmosphere feels more like a high-end bar service than that of a fine dining restaurant. **Usage Scene:** Reservations for one person are limited, so it is primarily for groups of two to four. It’s a great option when you’re tired of French or Italian cuisine, rather than for business meetings or celebrations.**Wine:** Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic pairings are available, which usually incur an extra charge during regular service, but are included in this event. The alcoholic pairing consists of nine drinks: white wine from Uruguay, red wines from Chile, red wine from Peru, and a cocktail made by Mater. However, I found the combinations of wine with salad, spicy soup, and spicy dip to be unappealing. Additionally, the servings were so small that I was told each glass was 40-60ml, but they seemed to be only 30ml (totaling less than 270ml), so I didn’t feel any effects from the alcohol.1. Mater "Marine - Sea Soil, Biomaterials"… A seafood dish (sea urchin, scallops, shrimp, seaweed) served with a mini tom yum-style soup.2. Mater "Andes - Diversity of Peruvian Corn"… Chips made from various types of corn, served with a sauce containing finely chopped duck meat. Accompanied by a spicy mini soup.3. Mater "Amazon - Piranha"… Piranha skin and corn snacks (front), banana salad (center), and fried piranha (back). They used dried piranha for cooking, and it was quite tasty.4-1. MIL "Cooking and Preservation with Clay - Seasonal Vegetables"… Japanese sunchoke was used instead of Peruvian potatoes. The dip is spicy.4-2. Same as above… A carefully plated salad, but it’s a common mini salad for high-end restaurants.5. KJOLLE "Harvesting Root Vegetables - Oyuco, Oca, Mashua"… A salad of three types of root vegetables and finger food.6. MAZ "Extreme Altitude - Venison"… New lotus root and Man-gaji peppers… Venison tartare was used instead of alpaca tartare. The venison tartare (left) is eaten with the salad (right).7. MASI "Amazon Ecosystem - Amazon Nuts, Andes Root Vegetables"… Finger food flavored with cacao and a salad of sliced root vegetables.8. CENTRAL "Beef, Elevation 3,500m - Cheek, Tongue, Heart"… Braised beef cheek (at the bottom front) topped with heart seasoning (back).9. CENTRAL "Theobroma, Elevation 1,500m - Cupuaçu, Cacao, Macambo, Subinicanum"… Various cacao-based sweets. The back is jelly-like, and the front right is marshmallow-like. Given the JPY 121,000 event fee, it would have been nice to include a café, but this was charged separately without prior notice, just like during regular service. The JPY 2,310 espresso was watery and sour, lacking bitterness (×).