[Restaurant Review] Central - Creativity Unleashed

Central was ranked #1 in the 2023 list of best restaurants in the world. Dining at Central was an experience, and if you can try it, you should.

You should make a reservation at least two months in advance to secure your preferred dates and timeslots.

Central aims to take you through a journey across Peru, and explore various altitudes that connect the depths of the seas with the Andean peaks, the cloud forests, the vast Amazon, and the coastal valleys. Hence, you will see 'MASL' or 'MBSL' on the menu, which stands for metres above sea level and metres below sea level respectively, indicating at which altitude the ingredients were sourced from.

The Food

I had the Experiencia Mundo En Desnivel for lunch at Central. This is recommended if you are visiting Central for the first time, and are looking to taste the best that Central has to offer.

The first course was 'Black Rocks'. The dishes are all made from various types of seaweed, including the doughnut-looking dish. The doughnut doesn't have much taste to it, but the sauces that accompanied it were tasty. The crab was good, but it did not taste anything like crab roe.

'Dry valley' was served next, consisting of a squash, dried shrimp cracker, and avocado. The squash (the cup with liquid dusted in black powder) is a very shrimp reduction. Some people may find the flavour of the squash to be too intense. The shrimp cracker consists of shrimp shells made into a cracker. The cracker wasn't crispy, but it was enjoyable chewing on it. There's nothing mind-blowing about the avocado.

The 'Savanna' was up next. This is where I get critical of fine dining. Nothing tastes bad here, but having four dishes in a single course was just too much. I'm not too sure what the chef was trying to accomplish; there's a lack of synergy between each dish.

'Extreme Altitude' was served next. The milky, creamy dressing provided a strong textural contrast to the roots and vegetables. This was delicious.

'Warm sea current' was served next, this was probably the best course. It felt like I was hit by a gush of sea breeze as the course was served. The course consists of yellow marinated lobster, paired with a side of cured grouper, and some grouper broth. The lobster was great, with a charred taste but not overcooked. The broth was excellent, warm, and just a little spicy which provided a nice contrast to the lobster.

'Rainforest connection' consisted of a salad, and a fish stew. The salad was refreshing, and the fish stew was great. There was no fishy taste, and the skin of the fish even retained a slightly crispy texture.

The 'Blue-green ocean' was not so good. The seafood was fresh, and while I'm sure that the black charred bits were added deliberately; they were too charred and left a strong bitter after taste.

The 'Sea Brain' was served next, and the octopus tastes like it was seasoned with tandoori-like seasoning. The accompanying soup tastes like minestrone but with a tinge of seafood. This course was good.

At this point, I'm no longer sure about what I'm tasting. 'Amazonian water' was served next, and the dish containing the black noodles was rich, but the taste was just okay. It wasn't fishy but I just can't describe the flavour. The lettuce wrap was difficult to eat. Given how thin the wrap was, it felt like the wrap was about to burst any time. There were many different textures at play in the wrap, from the crunchy lettuce, to the powdery white 'dust', but the wrap just wasn't tasty.

'Andean forest' was great. The pork in four ways highlighted the best qualities of pork, in particular, the bacon was among the best I ever had. The bacon was thin, crispy and fragrant. The potato was ordinary, tasting like a roasted potato. The tuber salad had a nutty taste; it felt like beans were included in the salad.

There were three courses for dessert, starting with 'Sacred Valley'. This was probably the simplest course on the menu. I can't put a taste to it, but the ice cream was creamy and rich, and that's all you need for a great tasting ice cream.

'Mil Moray' was complicated. The first dish with the white and black shavings was passable. The two different shavings had similar textures and taste, so I'm not sure what's the point in using two different shavings. There was something like a yogurt at the bottom, but the dish was not memorable.

There's another dish with foam of white and pink colour, sitting on top of a chocolate mousse. I do like the mousse, as it was rich but light.

The 'Cacao Chuncho' was the last course, and it really highlighted the versatility and taste of cacao when prepared differently. I like this much more than the previous dessert course.

The Venue

As mentioned in my previous post on Kjolle, both Kjolle and Central are located in the same building, with Central occupying level 1 of the building. The restaurant is situated in the Barranco district, often considered to be the city's most romantic district. Barranco hosts a vibrant arts scene and is also home to many Peru's leading artists.

The interior of the restaurant is nicely designed with plenty of seating, and with just a glass separating the kitchen, you can get close and observe how the kitchen prepares your meal.

Conclusion

I'm not too sure how to rate Central. Yes, the dishes are creative, visually appealing, and well-presented. However, I'm not a fan of the taste, and there was some fatigue kicking halfway throughout the meal. Most courses had multiple components or dishes, and I'm really not sure how each dish complements each other to tell a story about the course. It was tiring trying to figure out, and understand the chef's intentions.

Despite my criticisms, I did enjoy the meal, but I just wish I enjoyed it more. I can't fault the service too, as it was friendly and warm.

If you are in Lima, and you want to sample the best restaurants that this city has to offer, do add Central to your list.

Disclosure: This post is not sponsored.

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