free web site hit counter

Lima, Peru  |  Thursday 04 December 2008 00:02  |  | 

« back to home
Make Livinginperu.com your Homepage

Gastronomy

Food & Pisco Pisco < Features | Pisco Recipes | Share a Pisco Cocktails|
Top 5 Cocktails | Bars in Peru | Top 5 Bars

Food / Feature Articles


La Rosa Nautica - Restaurant review

by Chef David Jesson

The Restaurant - La Rosa Nautica

Many people from Lima think of La Rosa Nautica as having been around for a long time. As a building yes, built in 1983, but with the transfer of ownership it is a new restaurant with old class. At first, I was a bit intimidated to even review this famous place, but was quickly relieved by the friendliness of all the staff. Although the furnishings may still be in nautical style, there is a whole new breed of foodies and a culinary team that you would be pushed to find better in Lima.

Team play is important. New restaurant trends and management styles have taken La Rosa Nautica to The Queen Mary standards, with a crew fit for one of the best culinary voyages you will find here. Situated at the end of a pier, you actually enter a different world when you cross the wooden planks of the walkway of this restaurant. Some of the maritime décor is the same, yet the place is impecably clean and the service is what you would expect on a luxury liner.

As far as having a good view, there is not a bad seat in the entire place. If you head toward the port side as you go in, you will find yourself in a bar and lounge that is stocked for any Captain’s fancy and a great place to catch some entertainment in the evening time. As you go into the main restaurant area, you are greeted many times with genuine cheerfulness and professionalism. The details that management takes into consideration has stowed the anchor and put the restaurant into full sail.

From the hostess, to the maître d', to the sommelier, their attention to the client is priority; making everyone who comes feel special. The extraordinary views and the entire atmosphere fill the air with whimsical ideas that you may not even be in Lima anymore. To my surprise there was even a person to open the bathroom door for me, along with a fresh bouquet of flowers.

As I was waiting to get an opportunity to interview the chef, we were treated to a fantastic starter of Ceviche de Pato (duck ceviche) served warm and absolutely delectable. The Pisco sour was perfect and we followed that up with baby grilled octopus with asparagus. The Tiradito de Leguando (flounder tiradito) was superb, although I prefer it more on the spicy side. My other guests thoroughly enjoyed this classic dish with an incredible smooth sauce.

At each table you will find impeccable place settings with double large starched white napkins. As soon as we were seated, without even asking, we had filtered water served. A bread person with an assortment of fresh (made-in-house) breads was right there to tickle our fancy with his many fares. Real butter was already on the table, and an English menu without errors (bravo) made it very easy for my guests.


Our first dish was a sesame seed coated piece of fresh tuna with an oriental flair, cooked lightly to perfection. I can only hope this same dish will be in heaven, as it was my favorite. There are always new dishes being added to the menu. One of the recent additions is an original recipe found in an old archive from when the restaurant first opened. It is a rice dish that gets its deep color from the black olives used along with shrimp, scallops and raisins. It is a true, worthy item and I liked it so much, I actually had to try and copy it at home.

We also tried the Arroz con Mariscos (rice with seafood), which had lots of good flavor and was loaded with seafood. A new dish we tried was a conch shell stuffed with shrimp and artichokes, coated with pureed yellow potatoes and topped with a pastry crust. It was a bit of a play on a Newburg sauce, and it was definitely a winner.

Our sommelier was quite knowledgeable and brought out a chardonnay from Chile. The wine list was extensive, with some very thought out selections, which included some great Malbecs and Merlots. The bar staff was quick to answer any questions. I sneaked behind the bar to check for its cleanliness and shouldn’t have been surprised to find it spotless.

One could certainly go a bit wild with the dessert menu. Of course, for the sake of the cause, we did. What I would consider to be the best chocolate mousse creation I have ever tasted was brought out. It was more than just the flavor as it had three textures all at once- airy, creamy and crunchy. I would put this in a competion and it would surely win the gold. We had a lucuma mousse tart that was very good and also a maracuya dessert that I preferred over the lucuma. The classic alfajor cookie that was later brought out is a recipe from the owner's wife. It was served with their homemade manjar blanco and vanilla ice cream, which was perfect and simple.

By and large, for a romantic meal, a touch of class, for any size group (with notice), for locals or tourists, for phenomenal food, and for a spectacular view, La Rosa Nautica is the place to go.


The Chef - La Rosa Nautica

The word chef actually comes from the French phrase Chef de Cuisine or better translated Chief of the Kitchen. When I first met the Executive Chef from La Rosa Nautica, Eduardo Castañón, I would never have guessed that this mild-mannered, timid young man would be overseeing such a huge operation. Patience is usually not a high virtue for chefs, but Eduardo is part of the new special breed that understands that teamwork and good kitchen management are a key part to having a well-run restaurant.

After taking the tour of the small kitchen that he has to work with, I knew any “A”- typical chef with a type-“A” personality would have not survived. It is an absolute miracle that they produce the amount of meals of the quality they do through this small kitchen. After talking with Chef Eduardo, I could see that he is extremely organized. Actually one of his pet peeves is when something is not in its place for a certain Mise En Place (French for everything having its place; this usually refers to all the ingredients for a particular dish being prepped and in their place).

Before I could really see into this young talented chef’s thoughts, I had to walk through his kitchen. He had it so organized that every area was for the preparing of particular types of dishes. I was also impressed with the color-coded cutting boards and the high standard that he placed on food safety. He has taken a small kitchen, which would normally have a capacity of 100 meals a day, to a staggering 900 on the weekends and 600 being the daily average. That, along with quality, portion control, and extremely high food safety standards, places this young man in the super-talented category.

He has the wonderful opportunity to work with the fresh fish and seafood that are bought daily right from the boats. All of the lettuces and most of the herbs and vegetables are grown organically from the owner’s farm. They do not buy anything pre-made and almost everything is homemade or should I say restaurant-made, including the ice cream and manjar blanco.

They use a computer-generated ticket system, which smoothly helps run the ordering and easily identifies which new plate is ordered frequently and which is not. He believes all chefs should be perfectionists, but he also has a lot of patience with his staff to help them learn through their mistakes. This makes for the great team he has working for him.

Chef Eduardo grew up in Ica around vineyards and farm animals, with a strong family focus so being in the kitchen came naturally to him. He views most Peruvian food as a fusion with examples of Lomo Saltado (Chinese), Arroz con Mariscos (Spanish Paella) and Tallarines Verdes (Italian). He has fond memories of growing up eating a lot of stews and soups and when he thinks of someone who influenced his love of food, he remembers his grandmother Teresa, who regularly brought him with her to the market.

When asked what dishes he enjoys, he said Shrimp Cocktail, served differently, with Ensalada Rusa, (Russian salad with beets) or Newburg with a black olive sauce. His personal specialties are things stuffed like Aji Relleno (stuffed chili pepper), although he still has a preference for a good lamb or rabbit stew as he appreciates the time and effort put into slow-cooked meals. While at home, similar to most chefs, he prefers simple foods like sandwiches.

He spent 12 years in Mexico and brings with him some great experience. Formally educated there at the Universidad Iberoamericano, he brought two cultures into harmony while in the kitchen. He used a fusion of some Peruvian foods in Mexico, but since there was no aji amarillo (mild Peruvian chili pepper), he combined habanera chili pepper and yellow bell pepper to get a close resemblance. He made sure to emphasize that all plates here were made up as a team effort, with a number of them still from the original menu.

Chef Eduardo is one you will want to keep an eye on, he will no doubt be one of the leading Peruvian chefs that takes us into the next decade with Peruvian gastronomy.


The Facts

La Rosa Nautica


Address: Espigón 4, Circuito de Playas, Lima, 18

Phone numbers: 445-0149, 447-0057, 447-5450

Hours: Open every day of the year from 12 pm to 12 am

Website: www.larosanautica.com

Online reservations/information: reservas@larosanautica.com

Parking: Secure private parking

Menu in English: Yes, and one without prices listed for the ladies.

Reservation recommended: For evenings and special groups or parties

Cards accepted: ALL major cards

Business friendly: Yes

Good for large groups: Yes

Child friendly: Yes, formally

Handicap accessible: Help available

Catering for special dietary needs: Yes

Sur charge: S/. 10 per person

Full bar: Yes, and another one with separate lounge area

Outdoor seating/terrace: Yes, overlooking the ocean. Also a second floor that can be used for private meetings.


Add a comment :
2 comments

Splaktar says :
2-10-07,11:29:35

Nice review, good information.  I've been there about 5 times now and every time is amazing.  The parillada de mariscos is to die for.

The lounge can be a really enjoyable place to relax.  One of my best nights out ever in Peru was in the lounge w/ some good live bosanova and jazz. And of course a good selection of drinks.

The only real negative that I've seen about the place is if you take a taxi.  It can be hard (sometimes impossible) to find normal taxis there.  They have private taxis that are safe and friendly, but are 3-4 times the normal price.  If you have your own car, great.  The parking lot is guarded and secure.

The best time to go is 6pm or so, in order to catch the sunset (if it's clear enough to see the sun, better in summer).  It's also fun for lunch so you can eat and watch people learning to surf (to the north side).

Mary McMaster says :
13-10-07,04:31:25


I am very happy knowing that The Rosa Nautica is still the best restaurant in Lima, Peru.  I was sad, because I heard that after the earthquake the restaurant was destroy, and also Hotel Paracas.  It was true?  I would like to know, because in my next trip to Lima I want to go and enjoy again this wonderful places.
Sincerely,

Mary McMaster



Name :

E-Mail


Code :