Growing up with a Peruvian family I am definitely biased, but I stand firm in my beliefs that Peruvian cuisine is as delicious, robust, and complex as the critics acclaim. Of course, renowned cuisine can be found all over South America – it is a region that produces rich, hearty food meant to be shared and adored. By Brittany Tiplady Latin and South American food can be enjoyed at the Michelin Star level, or just as well from a tiny takeout spot. In the Metro Vancouver area, the options for South American cuisine are limited but not impossible to find. To help you on your gastronomic journey, I’ve compiled a list of South American restaurants and bakeries for you to try. Vancouver Ancora Waterfront Dining and Patio (Two locations: False Creek, Vancouver & Ambleside, Vancouver’s North Shore) Ancora is a high-end occasion spot, but if your wallet is up…
By Brittany Tiplady If you do a Google search for the best cuisine in Latin America, you’ll notice that Peru comes up on the top of almost every list. And that’s for good reason: Peruvian Gastronomy is second to none. Peru has swept the World Travel Awards as the leading culinary destination since 2012, and the accolades keep on coming. If you’re unfamiliar, let’s learn a little bit about what makes Peruvian food so fantastic. Location, Location, Location. Peru shares borders with Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, and Chile. According to 1111 Peruvian Bistro based in Miami, “the country is divided into 3 topographical areas: coastal region, the Amazon rainforest to the east, and the Andean highlands. The different climates and local ingredients within them create unique flavors in the dishes that are created around them.” You’ll see this topography directly reflected in the classic Peruvian dishes: the pacific ocean provides…
By Catherine Dunwoody Ancora Waterfront Dining and Patio in False Creek Vancouver wowed the city with it’s Peruvian-Japanese influenced seafood and now The North Shore’s Ambleside is home to the new, second location. We chatted with both chefs to get the goods on their own stories. Ricardo Valverde is the executive chef at Ancora Waterfront Dining and Patio, Ambleside, Vancouver’s North Shore. Raimund Hauser is the chef de cuisin at Ancora Waterfront Dining and Patio in False Creek, Vancouver. Where were you born? Ricardo: Lima, Peru Raimund: On the Rhine River in a little town named Neuwied in Germany. When I was 10 years old, I moved to the medieval village of Bad Waldsee. What was food like in your growing up household? Ricardo: I can honestly say we had a very balanced diet growing up in Peru. Fresh vegetables were always from the farmer’s market and we ate lots…
By Catherine Dunwoody Even though it’s 2017, it’s hard to believe that women in the restaurant business are not as commonplace as we would like to think. Chef Shelome Bouvette, co-executive chef and co-owner of Chicha shares her story: Can you tell me about how you started your career as a chef? I attended VCC Culinary School and after graduation worked at Delilah’s, Allegro, and Lolita’s but learned the most under Chef Tina Fineza at Bin 942 who was a huge influence. You’ve been at Chicha for how long now? We feel honoured and blessed to have been in business for almost five years, in a city where competition is very tough. I am entirely responsible for the concept and menu, always a challenge, but hard work pays off. How was it cracking the world of male chefs as a female? You know in hindsight I recognize the scarcity of…