Peru: Home of Machu Picchu, pisco sours, alpacas (squee!), and… quinoa. But hey, there’s a lot more to Peruvian cuisine than this grain championed by health buffs. And as it turns out, Daniel Chavez, owner of swish Spanish restaurant, OLA Cocina del Mar, is now the hottest Peruvian chef in town. So excuse us for getting pretty darn excited upon hearing that he’s teaming up with the BLU at Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore, to deliver an eight-course Peruvian-inspired pop-up menu that will showcase and celebrate this South American culinary powerhouse. Catch it quick; we’re pretty sure a reservation here will be as precious as gold.
From 25 – 28 February, Peru on 8 Plates will take you on a foodie journey through eight different Peruvian cultures spanning 8000 years of history. This unique tasting menu chronologically works its way through eight key phases of immigration that influenced culinary leanings; starting with Inca cuisine, you’ll work your way through Spanish, African, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, and Modern Andes influences, before wrapping up proceedings with ‘rainforest cuisine’ of the Amazon. Interest piqued? Ours too.
Showcasing Peru’s staple dish of potato, Chef Chavez has created a menu with this humble vegetable at the centre; it features in every dish! But these aren’t just any old potatoes; shipped in through the Peruvian embassy especially for this event, the variety being used are none other than Papa Nativa. All the root veg aficionados out there will know Papa Nativa represent the purest form of potatoes you can find and, until now, they’ve never had a presence in Singapore. The menu ranges from potato bread with three chilli sauces, to beef milanese with potato spaghetti and pesto sauce, and crab and potato stew with seaweed, mirasol chilli and mirin (yum!), we can’t help but be intrigued by this epic-sounding spud-fest.
The 24th floor city skyline view at BLU also makes this a unique date night experience, a fun night out with the squad, or a foodie feast you won’t forget in a hurry. Whatever the occasion, we say this pop-up is going to be a welcome addition to the Singapore foodie scene, even if it is only for four days.
Peru on 8 plates, 25 – 28 February (dinner only), $138++ per person. For reservations call 6213 4398, or email [email protected]. For further information click here.
Shangri-La hotel, Singapore, 22 Orange Grove Road, Singapore, 258350.
This article is sponsored by Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore