For this very special dinner at @maz.tokyo, @virgiliocentral came to town to give us a sneak peek at some of the work the Central family has been doing to push the emerging Amazonian rainforest-to-table movement forward in Peru.

@centralrest has always taken a macro view of the Peruvian kitchen, exploring the cuisine through the lens of topography. With this new menu, however, Virgilio zooms in on the Amazon and invites diners to “listen” to the region along with his team.

A wonderful experience accented with ingredients from the Amazon’s rivers (piranha and all their brethren) and tributaries, its high-altitude forests (big-butt ants) and dense jungle floor (chuncho cacao and cured duck with fermented mushrooms).

Loved the charred sponge topped with hibiscus kombucha SCOBY, used to scoop up a sweet syrup made from roasted cabuya stem. Served with buns made with flying potato (yes, it’s wild) accompanied by dots of herb-fresh sauces.

But the course of king paiche, tucupi, and cessina was my favorite. Its smoky, gingery flavor evoked a distant memory of a fish dish that my mom used to make. Amazing how great food can transcend cultures and time!

Thank you so much superstars @santiago.maztokyo @sang.mater and the entire Maz team!