Gaston Acurio
Encyclopedia
Gastón Acurio Jaramillo (born October 30, 1967) is a Peru
vian chef
and ambassador of Peruvian cuisine
. He is owner of international restaurants and author of several books. In Peru he's the host of his own television program and contributes to several magazines.
He studied law (expecting to succeed his father in a political career) at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru in Lima and then transfer to the Universidad Complutense de Madrid in Spain. After dropping his law studies in Spain, he studied cooking at the hotel trade school Sol de Madrid in Spain
and the Le Cordon Bleu
in Paris
, where he met his future wife Astrid Gutsche, originally from Germany.
In 1994, he returned to Peru with new knowledge of international cuisine and applied it in a Gourmet
level to Peruvian cuisine, contributing to the development of the so-called Cocina Novoandina
. Acurio is currently recognized as one of the most important chefs in the world.
He has two daughters with his wife Astrid: Ivalú and Kiara.
Together with his wife Astrid, he manages since 1994 the restaurant franchise Astrid & Gastón which opened originally in the district of Miraflores
in Lima
. This franchise has expanded over the years in Latin America and recently in Europe, opening restaurants in Santiago de Chile, Bogotá
, Quito
, Caracas
, Panamá
and Madrid
.
Café del Museo lies in the art-historical Larco Museum
in Lima. The Café was arranged by the architect Jordi Puig
.
The confectionery and pralinerie T'anta was opened in 2003. T'anta comes from Quechua and it means bread
.
La Mar is a Cevichería in Lima
specializing in Peruvian seafood. This restaurant also opened in Mexico
, Brazil
, Chile
, Panama
and San Francisco. La Mar will be opening in New York City and is being designed by the firm Stephanie Goto.
One of most commercially successful franchises is Pasquale Hnos.
, opened in late 2006 in Lima
. It's a fast food restaurant which specialty are Peruvian sandwiches
, traditionally known as sanguchess.
Panchita, a Peruvian anticuchería opened in Summer 2009 in Miraflores, Lima.
Also, the following franchises will be launched in the near future:
Other franchises to be launched by Gastón Acurio are:
In development:
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vian chef
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
and ambassador of Peruvian cuisine
Peruvian cuisine
Peruvian cuisine reflects local cooking practices and ingredients—and, through immigration, influences from Spain, China, Italy, West Africa, and Japan. Due to a lack of ingredients from their home countries, immigrants to Peru modified their traditional cuisines by using ingredients...
. He is owner of international restaurants and author of several books. In Peru he's the host of his own television program and contributes to several magazines.
Life
Gastón Acurio Jaramillo was born the only son of Gastón Acurio Velarde, a career politician with Acción Popular party and Senator in the 1980s, and Jesúsa Jaramillo Razuri. He has 4 older sisters.He studied law (expecting to succeed his father in a political career) at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru in Lima and then transfer to the Universidad Complutense de Madrid in Spain. After dropping his law studies in Spain, he studied cooking at the hotel trade school Sol de Madrid in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and the Le Cordon Bleu
Cordon Bleu
Cordon Bleu may refer to:* Le Cordon Bleu, international group of hospitality management and cooking schools teaching French cuisine* Cordon Bleu, A thinly pounded piece of meat stuffed with ham and cheese, then breaded and fried.* Cordon Bleu * Order of the Holy Spirit, also known and subtitled...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where he met his future wife Astrid Gutsche, originally from Germany.
In 1994, he returned to Peru with new knowledge of international cuisine and applied it in a Gourmet
Gourmet
Gourmet is a cultural ideal associated with the culinary arts of fine food and drink, or haute cuisine, which is characterised by elaborate preparations and presentations of large meals of small, often quite rich courses...
level to Peruvian cuisine, contributing to the development of the so-called Cocina Novoandina
Novoandina
Novoandina is a modern style of cuisine from Peru and Andean countries, which combines modern techniques with traditional raw materials of the Andean and Peruvian cuisine, such as herbs, spices, meats, vegetables and fruits.- History :...
. Acurio is currently recognized as one of the most important chefs in the world.
He has two daughters with his wife Astrid: Ivalú and Kiara.
Peruvian restaurant franchises
Gastón Acurio is a true culinary visionary who has put all his effort into rediscovering Peruvian cuisine and offering typical Peruvian meals in a modern and attractive way. He has turned his vision into reality by creating various successful restaurant franchises that focus on a specific category of Peruvian cuisine.Together with his wife Astrid, he manages since 1994 the restaurant franchise Astrid & Gastón which opened originally in the district of Miraflores
Miraflores
Miraflores is the name of several places in Spanish-speaking countries. It is also the name of a battle fought in Peru in 1881. It means "to watch flowers" or "flower's view" from mira and flores .-Places:Europe...
in Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
. This franchise has expanded over the years in Latin America and recently in Europe, opening restaurants in Santiago de Chile, Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
, Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
, Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
, Panamá
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
and Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
.
Café del Museo lies in the art-historical Larco Museum
Larco Museum
The Larco Museum is a privately owned museum of pre-Columbian art, located in the Pueblo Libre District of Lima, Peru. The museum is housed in an 18th century vice-royal mansion built over a 7th century pre-Columbian pyramid. It showcases chronological galleries that provide a thorough overview of...
in Lima. The Café was arranged by the architect Jordi Puig
Jordi Puig
Jordi Puig Vicens is a retired basketball player.-References:*...
.
The confectionery and pralinerie T'anta was opened in 2003. T'anta comes from Quechua and it means bread
Bread
Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...
.
La Mar is a Cevichería in Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
specializing in Peruvian seafood. This restaurant also opened in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
and San Francisco. La Mar will be opening in New York City and is being designed by the firm Stephanie Goto.
One of most commercially successful franchises is Pasquale Hnos.
Pasquale Hnos.
Pasquale Hnos., often referred to as simply Pasquale, is a Peruvian chain of fast food restaurants founded by Gastón Acurio, Arnold Wu and Edwin Wu, that sells primarily Peruvian sanguches, chicha morada and Peruvian desserts. It is headquartered in Lima, Peru and owned by the Peruvian company...
, opened in late 2006 in Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
. It's a fast food restaurant which specialty are Peruvian sandwiches
Sandwiches
"Sandwiches" is a song by American electronic band Detroit Grand Pubahs. It reached number 29 in the Hot Dance Club Songs chart.- Track listing :...
, traditionally known as sanguchess.
Panchita, a Peruvian anticuchería opened in Summer 2009 in Miraflores, Lima.
Also, the following franchises will be launched in the near future:
- Madam Tusan, a chifa (Chinese-Peruvian fusion cuisine). Tusan (土生) is a term for a Chinese emigrant used in China and in Peruvian Spanish it was adapted to mean Chinese person.
- Astrid y Gastón Café, a casual version of Astrid y Gastón which will open in Cuzco and Trujillo.
- La Pepa, a juice store which will focus on the customer's comfort and experience.
- La Pollada & Company, a Peruvian pollería in fast-food format which will attempt to promote worldwide the Peruvian pollo a la brasa (roasted chicken).
Other franchises to be launched by Gastón Acurio are:
- La Corralada, a Peruvian premium polleria.
- Los Bachiche, a Peruvian-Italian restaurant.
- Nativa, a boutique hotel chain which will focus on Peruvian culture and will be based on Acurio's franchises.
- Papas & Salsas, a Peruvian papas rellenas(potatoes with fillings) restaurant.
- Barrio, a Peruvian criolla cuisine restaurant.
- Cegal, a gastronomic university in Lima.
In development:
- Pecano, a Peruvian dulceria and deluxe café, based on the Havanna concept.
- Yoshi, a nikkei (Peruvian-Japanese) restaurant.
- Yoshi & Ricci, an Italian-Japanese restaurant.
- Pochita, a Peruvian fast-food anticucheria, based on Panchita.
- Chilca, a Peruvian ice-cream store.
- Malandro Bar, a concept bar.
- Diverxo, a supermarket based on the WongWong (supermarket)Wong is the largest supermarket chain in Peru. Known until 2005 as E. Wong, it started as a small store opened in 1942 by Chinese Peruvians in a residential area of the San Isidro District in Lima...
concept, with the addition of a gastronomy school, own products, and a food court designed by chefs.
Side projects
In parallel with the Peruvian franchises, Gastón Acurio is involved in numerous projects which include:- A cooking television program, La Aventura Culinaria, which is broadcast on cable television by PlusTV. It features Gastón Acurio visiting various places in LimaLimaLima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
and other regions of Peru in search of restaurants and specific types of meal or ingredients. Two episodes include La Aventura del Ceviche, in which Gastón visited his top list of Cevicherias, and La Aventura del Queso, when Gastón enjoyed the best cheese based meals in various locations in LimaLimaLima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
.
- Top cuisine events worldwide, in which he promotes Peruvian cuisine to a wider audience, task which he accomplished at Madrid Fusion 2006, where he finally internationalized the Peruvian cevicheCevicheCeviche is a seafood dish popular in the coastal regions of the Americas, especially Central and South America. The dish is typically made from fresh raw fish marinated in citrus juices such as lemon or lime and spiced with chilli peppers. Additional seasonings such as onion, salt,...
.
- Cooking books, with a nice collection released recently by Peruvian newspaper El Comercio.