A high and dry, wild and wet, majestic history medley – RTW 2018

[Major]

I wonder if they have a lot of Eucalyptus at Eucaliptus

 

[JohnM]

Bumped from 1A?

I wondered what the wing of a B733 looked like - now I know. Thankfully only a 45 min flight - and part of the tour package. Mind you, TKWIA, because 19B was vacant . I didn’t know there were so many rows of seats....

 

[JohnM]

I wonder if they have a lot of Eucalyptus at Eucaliptus

Nice spot from the map! Like the world over, Eucalypts grow like weeds in Bolivia.

 

[JohnM]

Last night it was dinner at Gustu (Gustu | Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants 2016). Given that it was established by a Noma co-founder it came as no surprise that it is very Noma-esque.

We went for the Menu Bolivia Extendido. Ostensibly it was eight courses but there were several amuse bouche and starters that we had a veritable stream of food. Mission accomplished after about 4.5 hours.

I opted for the wine pairing. All the wines are Bolivian, which pleased me as I would have wanted to explore the local offerings in any event. 1AUD = about 5 Bolivianos, so all up it was about $180. In a word: sensational.

This is going to take while. I have very early flight LPB-LIM tomorrow morning so I’m just chilling this morning, aiming to have a late lunch then grab some sleep before heading to the airport at about midnight.

 

[JohnM]

We kicked off with some bubbles. While a perfectly acceptable wine, it was a little sweet for something designated ‘Brut’. It was to me the least interesting wine of the night.







Wine list. Bolivian wine is not very expensive and offer incredible bangs for the Boliviano - even in a top restaurant.

 

[JohnM]

Moving along. Amuse bouche/starters.

Lemon and cheese twist and a tiny piece of cured lamb with fig.





Oxtail with canahua (type of small seed like quinoa.)



Baby carrot with Maca mayonnaise and muesli.



Dried romaine lettuce and a miso olive oil. You brush the lettuce with the oil.

 

[JohnM]

Dried ramen with mushroom soup and lime; vegies are dried carrots, lettuce and grain. Pour the soup over and wait a minute before eating.



Next one is beef heart and potato, with peanut and chillie sauce. You cook the meat and potato on the hot stone.





The drink that came with this array of starters was a fresh carrot juice with gin and some native herbs. It was a good match.

Next was the first course. Alligator tail cured with lemon, capers and strawberries. The green strips are pickled watermelon peel and the crispy bits are also alligator. Excellent.

 

[JohnM]

Wine with first course was a Riesling. Nothing like European or Australian. It was a richer, textural style. Very good and very versatile. The waitress recommended it for the others in our group (5 pax and our terrific tour leader) who were not having the wine pairing. Good recommendation IMO.





Happy campers.



Three types of quinoa and faba bean sauce. The sauce has a herb called huacataya. It was accompanied by a slightly syrupy and rich berry-juice drink that I can’t recall the description of. Anyway, it was good and a good match.

 

[JohnM]

Next was heart of a prickly plant called something like cholta with banana balsamic vinegar. Apparently quite some effort is required to extract the edible part from the centre of the plant.



Wine was a very good Cab Sauv from a small producer.





Next highly reduced chicken (‘gravy’ - no meat), onion heart, baby potatoes and vegetables.

 

[JohnM]

Wine with the chicken was one of the very pleasant and big surprises of the night. A Moscato - but a Moscato like never before experienced. It was oaked.

A lot of Muscat of Alexandria is grown in Bolivia for distilling into the national spirit Singani (Singani - Wikipedia). This producer had done something profoundly different with it. A cracker wine.





Next was one of, to me, the standout dishes. Trout from Lake Titicaca cokked with banana passionfruit, with fried flowers on top, with fermented cheese sauce with yellow chilli nd crunchy cochayuyo (a type of seaweed from Lake Titicaca).



Wine was from left field, being a red, but it was light and spicy and was a magnificent match. I don’t know what variety it was (I don’t know the meaning of the ‘Cintera’ on the front label, but it’s not a variety as far s I can tell.). It may have been Sangiovese. Anyway, another cracker.

 

[JohnM]

Moving right along.

Pork ears - pickled and made crispy, fermented carrot and a local herb called ruda.



Wine was a rose, but unlike any I’ve tasted. The waitress described it as having a slightly sour taste, which sounds weird - until it’s tasted. A darker rose than we would typically find in Australia but flavoursome, textural and with that underlying subtle citrus-like sourness on the finish. Again, I don’t know the grape variety.

My wine of the night, just shading the Moscato and the ‘Cintena’.





Next duck with citrus butter and seared pineapple and cacao nibs on top.





Delicioso.

 

[JohnM]

Wine was a Magnus Syrah/Cab Sauv. Muffed the front label pic.





Palate cleansers of frozen juices/sorbet.



Wine with desserts was a Sauv Blanc. Again, nothing like either the tropical fruits, grassiness, cat pee, or austerity of Aus/NZ/Sancerre types. Textural and dry. A very enjoyable SB.

 

[JohnM]

I’m determined to finish this before the two remaining chicas from the group come downstairs and we go to lunch. A bit cludgy on a iPad.

Asai berry sauce, hibiscus flower and salvia icecream.



White chocolate ganache, white chocolate crumble, kari kari berry. Drink was a strawberry-based liqueur.



And what I thought a cracker in the the desserts. Mushroom icecream with almonds and basil.



And finally some petit fours with coffee.



Muy bueno! Muchas gracias senors and senoras!

 

[JohnM]

About to start getting ready to return to sea level. LPB-LIM at sparrows Monday morning local. Just when I was getting well-acclimatised to 3000-5000m.

Three nights in LIM before heading over to Brazil on a jaguar hunt.

Anyone got any must-dos in LIM?

 

[juddles]

About to start getting ready to return to sea level. LPB-LIM at sparrows Monday morning local. Just when I was getting well-acclimatised to 3000-5000m.

Three nights in LIM before heading over to Brazil on a jaguar hunt.

Anyone got any must-dos in LIM?

Simple answer: ceviche.

Ages since I have been there but will quickly try to ask a friend for a suggestion of best place....
(sent message to them but as they are in Lima too wont get reply till tomorrow)

Also, I know you have travelled a couple of times before , but please be extra careful in Lima around the airport - many a taxi has been held up and all luggage stolen. Windows up and luggage not visible is the best way.

 

[Milboo]

Churros - down at Manolo in Miraflores.

Just near Parque Kennedy with its resident cat population.

 

[juddles]

Try "La Picanteria" in Surquillo.

 

[JohnM]

Try "La Picanteria" in Surquillo.

That’s not far from where I’m staying. I’ll scope it out.

 

[Boca68]

About to start getting ready to return to sea level. LPB-LIM at sparrows Monday morning local. Just when I was getting well-acclimatised to 3000-5000m.

Three nights in LIM before heading over to Brazil on a jaguar hunt.

Anyone got any must-dos in LIM?

Maido in Miraflores Maido Is fantastic. Probably won't get a dinner table, but often has lunch availabilty.
Or Malabar, is great as well Welcome - Malabar Restaurant in San Isidro

MALI, MALI - Museo de Arte de Lima is great, think there is a Gold and silver exhibit now, you missed the great Joan Miro just finished. Its worth a look.

Edit: almost forgot. if your after a cheap meal. https://lalucha.com.pe/
Look for La Lucha, they have a few, Miraflores, Larcomar, even the airport . Like the Peruvian version of Johnny Rockets. But great Chicarron sandwiches, Turkey, ham, just about anything. Cheap and easy.

 

[VPS]

magnificent meal and thanks for all photos. Now I need to think about dinner but might have a gin and tonic to consider it first and then re look at the photos of the food and description