Santiago, who is less than 30 years old, is one of those young people who are conquering the world. The task now is to move forward without thinking about the stars. It’s just about doing things with passion and conviction for them to come.
The Michelin Guide is a private business of the homonyms tire company that, after negotiation with countries or cities, awards recognitions to restaurants, from the Bib Gourmand, a basic acknowledgment, to the coveted one, two, or three stars. The inspector, a secret figure posing as an ordinary diner, experiences everything from reservation to the end and judges each visited space with a long list of criteria on more than one occasion.
On December 4th, in Japan, MAZ became the first Peruvian restaurant to obtain two stars. We spoke with Santiago Fernández, the chef of this establishment, we called Santiago Fernandez to know more about his experience
How do you feel about the recognition for the MAZ team?
Fulfilled, it’s a kind of affirmation of what we are doing here. Such an essential guide as Michelin validates it. Ultimately, our goal was not to chase those stars because we understand it’s not the food an inspector seeks. At the same time, that is the surprise – entering the guide with two stars in the first year of opening. That’s where we say we value what we have and all the work that Virgilio, Malena, and Pía have done for ten years.
It is understood that the foundations are so solid that one can open a restaurant in Tokyo, a competitive city, in addition to the work we have done with the team, working six days a week, 16 hours a day. It’s intense, but it’s good that it has been recognized in this way and that a piece of recognition has been given to Peruvian and Latin American cuisine.
How did you landed in Tokyo?
While working at Central as the head of creativity and being Virgilio’s right-hand man, we traveled to Tokyo three times together. Two of those three times were for the Cook Japan Project, a pop-up of Central in Japan. People liked it a lot; reservations filled up when they opened. The Japanese leader of the project offered the team the opportunity to open a restaurant. As I was here, and Virgilio already had the idea that I should start taking my path and become independent for something more personal, he offered me to take charge of the restaurant for the group. And so, I said yes, it never crossed my mind to doubt it.
In your work, how is the interaction with the Mater team?
Obviously, with the time difference, it isn’t straightforward. We all are at full speed. We know each other so well and have worked together for so long. Before coming here, I had already worked at Central for five years, which is what Virgilio wants and what he would like to do in Japan. When I have any doubts, they respond quickly. But generally, it’s pretty accessible. They know that I like that freedom because I am a creative person. It’s what excites me.
Sometimes you have a question, not about the food but more like “What is the path?” If we go and work on a product, for example, “The path is Cocoa, we need to give more punch to cocoa,” and with that premise, I work thinking, “How do I make cocoa visible in Tokyo with the products I have here,” which is not the same as being in Peru. That’s the type of communication, but at the same time, it gives me freedom and a lot of space to breathe so that the project has its own identity. When you come to eat at MAZ, you might only realize it’s from the Central group once you see the plate. But when you hear the story, the concept, and they start talking about the philosophy, that’s where everything makes sense. It’s nice that the restaurant develops its own identity.
We talked about how to deal with Asian ingredients. How do you manage to include flavors that are not natural to you?
It’s training. The critical thing about MAZ is to use Japanese seasonal products. So for me, it’s about studying, not so much from books but by going to restaurants to eat and taste each season, to learn from what they do. I go to Toyosu Market, the fish auction market, at least once every two weeks to see what products are entering the market—the same with vegetables. Japanese people may not need it as much because they have lived their whole lives. I, who still don’t fully understand it and don’t speak the language, have to give it an extra effort to be at the same level. It’s about treating their product correctly because if a Japanese person comes to MAZ and realizes that you are treating their product disrespectfully, they might even be upset. So you must be very cautious, study, learn, and travel a lot in Japan.
What has been the most challenging product for you to handle?
Fish. It is dealt with very differently in Latin America. In Latin America, you get the fish and think it’s fresh with 4 to 6 days dead, needing that rigor mortis. But here in Japan, the chef controls that rigor mortis, so you have fish that are as hard as a board. You start to mature it; you must see when to remove it from the bone, mature it in other ways, or cure it.
I have learned a lot about fish and also about vegetables. While Latin America has a huge vegetable world, handling precision is less important. If it’s a potato, you cook it, and it can be 10 or 40 minutes. But here, there’s a precision issue in cooking so that the vegetable retains moisture, texture, and color and becomes sweeter. These theories are opening my mind a lot.
How much of the menu is products you bring from Peru?
About 20% of the menu is Peruvian products, which travel well, like dehydrated potatoes, Andean grains, and corn. Also, we are lucky that Japan is very advanced in cultivating products from other countries. Here, I find fresh Huacatay, fresh Chincho (both Andean herbs used as the base of Peruvian cuisine), and potatoes that are not Peruvian but are cultivated here, and we use them in the restaurant. We use the Peruvian DNA but cultivated in Japan, which I find very valuable. We bring the most important things and what we can’t get here.
While your career has developed in Peru, what do you bring from your country to te table?
The personality and those resources of being quick and creative come from being born in Venezuela, especially when I was born – a time when one had to be very resourceful. If something is missing, well, you solve it! That has given me many tools which are noticeable on the palate. It’s not Spanish or Peruvian but has those Venezuelan flavors in the background, which I try not to make too prominent. I don’t force or control it, so when it comes out naturally, it’s genuine, and people like that.
Some have even asked me to add Venezuelan flavors to MAZ, but there are points where you have to draw the line because it doesn’t fit the concept of this restaurant.
Is the Mater research work something you maintain there?
In the end, at this moment, rather than researching from here, I stay connected with what’s happening in Peru. I can’t afford to disconnect from that source of knowledge because it gives us much more content to keep creating. Otherwise, the menus would have run out by now. That’s what inspires my creativity.
I am always in touch with artistic projects, like what is being done with the ceramists working hand in hand with Mater, articles they are creating, and photos they take in the Jungle. We recently did an event called “Listen” to Listen to the Jungle, and they brought products from Amazon and paintings made by Amazon communities. In the end, everything is Mater’s world. We are nourished when Virgilio comes and when I contact some of the colleagues. The connection is there. I’m not researching for now, but I take advantage of everything there.
These two stars are a result of the food, as well as the dining room, service, and liquid experience. How do you see your restaurant’s service, and how do you maintain it?
The service here in Japan is a separate issue; it’s meticulous. The way of serving is on another level. I go out to eat frequently and realize this. Now, we are very proud of the service we are providing. We do things we never imagined doing, and in the end, the customer leaves well taken care of, feeling warm, imprinting that Latin touch on the service. While not all collaborators are Peruvian or Latin, I try to make them feel the way they serve, that everything is in harmony, that it feels like a single team and not a sharp cut between the kitchen, dining room, and drinks. This is what earned us the two stars.
