La Mar Brings Peruvian Flavor to Miami’s Shore

The Peruvian restaurant, cebiche, and tapas bar, designed by Arquitectonica and with interiors by Nathan/Pereira Arquitectura, is the first of its kind not just for Mandarin Oriental, Miami, but for the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group worldwide. And both management and Acurio himself are tremendously enthused about the groundbreaking project.

“He’s not just a fantastic chef but a fantastic human being,” notes Jorge Gonzalez, area vice president and general manager of Mandarin Oriental, Miami, of Acurio. “He’s not just a businessman and an author, he’s the face of Peru. And he brings with him a tremendous amount of knowledge of Peruvian lifestyle and his philosophy of food.”

Acurio’s traditional farm-to table, or sea-to-table, philosophy is at once humble and refreshing. Of course, it may sound familiar to jaded foodies. But the chef, who’s been practicing the local and seasonal credo since opening his first restaurant with wife Astrid in 1994 in Lima, Peru, takes it to another level. Originally French due to his training, the establishment, dubbed Gaston & Astrid, quickly became novo-Andean and Asian-Peruvian as a result of the wealth of native ingredients and influences Acurio found around him.

Indeed, he continually defies tradition by crediting his sources. “The truth is, almost 90 percent of recognition [for good food] goes to the chef,” he said. “A lot of people forget about the fisherman and the farmer. It is the responsibility of the chef to represent farmers and fishermen, to do great things to great product, to cook amazing food and do amazing things and build great stories.”

Considering that Acurio refers to La Mar as “this small Peruvian embassy,” he’s very interested not just in praising the work of the purveyor, but in raising the profile of Peruvian fare. The cuisine of both the country and the restaurant La Mar includes the numerous types of ceviches that go over so well in this climate; Andean items like quinoa and papas huancaina; the popular and wholly unique causa (potato terrine); nikkei (Japanese-influenced) dishes; and chaufa (Chinese) fare. Three bars will provide the different gastronomic experiences. And, of course, guests may quaff what is practically the national cocktail: pisco sours.

While Acurio feels somewhat representative of his country’s fine-dining medium, he’s also quick to notice the burgeoning ceviche trend in town as well as the recent spurt of Peruvian eateries that have opened throughout the city, from Kendall to North Miami Beach. “Today Miami has 200 Peruvian restaurants – small, medium, big – sharing with Miami our culture. Everybody loves to discover new things, so this is the right time to be here in this amazing space in the best hotel [in the city],” he asserts.

As busy as he is observant, the chef plans to be in Miami an average of once a month to check on La Mar. Meanwhile, he leaves it in the more-than-capable daily hands of executive chef Diego Oka, who has been living in the Magic City since August.

“I was surprised by Miami,” Oka says. “I love it. I see the side that locals see: Wynwood, Midtown, this area [Brickell]. I’m happy that Miami is not only South Beach.”

In addition to getting to know the area, Oka is continually researching the area product, which differs from that of Peru’s Pacific Ocean, and sourcing purveyors. “There’s so much variety here. Every day, we try to connect with new fishermen,” he said.

Just as neither chef are entirely certain of their sources just yet, neither are they completely sure of their welcome. You could even say they have opening night jitters. But unlike other chefs who may be more familiar with Miami and its diners, Acurio wants at least a little feedback. “We’re honored and happy and anxious [to be here],” Acurio jokes. “If you don’t like something, you just tell me. I have Twitter, I have Facebook.”

Somehow, given his relaxed vibe, we think all the tweets and posts about La Mar just might be on the positive side.