Eat Where You Sleep: Chef Rely Alencastre Lazo at El Convento Cusco

Crisp and juicy lomo saltado. Hearty, comforting, and luscious causas rellenas. Light and refreshing Andean trout ceviche. These are just a few of the mouthwatering dishes you’ll find at the JW Marriott El Convento in Cusco, Peru. And the man to thank is Chef Rely Alencastre Lazo.

Chef Rely, as he’s known, joined El Convento just prior to the hotel’s grand opening and today is the chef behind menu development at the stunning property. (The hotel is a 16^th century hacienda turned gorgeous and lux 5-start property.) Though there’s a lot to see and appreciate at El Convento (including two exhibition halls of Peruvian artifacts), you’ll want to take time to visit Pirqa Restaurant. Here, Chef Rely dishes out modern takes on Andean cuisine.

At the restaurant (and beyond), Chef Rely focuses on developing menus based on seasonal harvests (and using locally sourced ingredients). Don’t be surprised if you find an entire menu, for example, dedicated to the choclo gigante, or giant Peruvian corn, sourced from the surrounding Sacred Valley of the Incas.

If you’re curious as to how this all comes together, you’re welcomed into the kitchen! Chef Rely routinely hosts curated and private cooking classes in Pirqa’s kitchen where guests can learn the fundamentals of Peruvian cooking after a tour of the local market (where Chef Rely sources all of the hotel’s fruits, vegetables, and dairy products).

And the chef knows his way around a Peruvian kitchen. He began his career in his hometown of Arequipa, Peru, where he was inspired by the food and cooking practices he saw around him: pure, authentic, and creative. Before he took his “Sacred Valley to table approach” to El Convento, Chef Rely worked in the kitchens of Hotel Casa Andina in Puno and Lima, Peru as well as Sol Melia Hotels & Resorts in Cuba.

We’re happy to welcome him back to Peru and can’t wait to grab a seat at Pirqa.